The Welcome Connective

The Welcome Connective This is the official page for my new venture / social enterprise called "The Welcome Connective - Being and Doing Well Together".

The Welcome Connective : Grieving Well - Living Well

Embodied practices, processes and support in a welcoming place for fostering mutual wellbeing; through connecting deeply with ourselves, with others and the earth, together. I welcome respectful responses to content I post. Advertising or links to other sites will only be accepted at my discretion. Thank you for respecting this space. Marlies


Would you like to learn how to increase your wellbeing through doing the things that make your mind clearer, your heart sing and your body hum, and that don’t cost the earth? Would you like to be part of a network of people who have similar aspirations, who are interested in learning and contributing to a shared way of being and doing together? There is no better time to start looking after ourselves, each other and the earth, than now. The heart of The Welcome Connective is a welcoming, safe, and brave space for doing just that:

* creating a sense of community and belonging,
* for people of all ages, backgrounds, cultures, genders, religions;
* restoring connection with ourselves, each other and nature (being), and
* supporting each other in learning about and doing the things that we know improve wellbeing - our own, our community’s and the earth’s. The Welcome Connective will offer a variety of services: online and in-person courses, workshops, seminars, presentations and ongoing practice groups, and we have started with an introductory baseline course. Courses, programmes, workshops and seminars will be posted as "events" on this page, as well as on the website once that is up and running. Please "follow" this page if you are interested in keeping up to date with when new offerings become available


Current Services:

1. The “Doing and Being Well Together Practice Circle” is an introductory programme, that encompasses the core of what The Welcome Connective is about: supporting each other to learn about and do the things that we know improve wellbeing - our own, our community’s and the earth’s. Currently this programme is offered on line. In the future I intend to also run this programme in person, with local communities, work-places and other groups as requested. (Cover photo credit: esbphotography@outlook.com)

When the devastating human impact on our shared humanity, other-than-human life, forests, oceans, air, water, micro-orga...
20/05/2025

When the devastating human impact on our shared humanity, other-than-human life, forests, oceans, air, water, micro-organisms is more than a humble human mind can process, I turn to what's right by my feet, and find awe and wonder and joy there.

Over the last couple of years I have immersed myself in the work of Francis Weller: his book "The wild edge of sorrow", ...
14/03/2025

Over the last couple of years I have immersed myself in the work of Francis Weller: his book "The wild edge of sorrow", his programmes "Facing the World with Soul" and "Entering the Healing Ground - Grief Ritual Training".

Nothing - nothing - has been as transformative, nourishing, healing and deeply moving as the richness of his wisdom, eloquence, care, generosity of heart and soul, and humility.

I believe that his life's work (sharing the life-affirming and life giving skills of making space for and deeply honouring grief) is what is desperately needed in the society that we humans have created and in the world we are in the process of destroying.

If any of these words touch you at all, I thoroughly recommend watching this conversation (part of The Great Simplification podcast by Nate Hagens, whose work is also well worth following and learning from)

(Conversation recorded on January 24th, 2025) Western culture, particularly in the United States, is often characterized by a profound discomfort and suppres...

When something happens that really makes life slow down, the garden, the earth / papatūānuku and our herbal kin have a w...
30/11/2024

When something happens that really makes life slow down, the garden, the earth / papatūānuku and our herbal kin have a way of soothing the soul (if not directly improving a shaken brain!)
What a delicious combination for a peaceful and reflective 'cuppa tea'.

And a good reminder of how precious our earth and all her abundance in diversity is..

Anyone know what this particular variety of mint is?

Guess what a friend and I are going to have with our dinner tonight? (thanks another friend - you know who you are - for...
26/10/2024

Guess what a friend and I are going to have with our dinner tonight? (thanks another friend - you know who you are - for showing me how last year!) And there's more where these beauties came from.. 🤗

I know a few artichokes aren't going to save the world, but when so much of what humans are doing to our mother earth, to our more-than-human kin, to our fellow human beings and my heart is breaking, I find great solace, connection and joy in my garden.

There's many ways of contributing to a better world; and giving the little bit of planet that I'm looking after, the best possible care is right up there for me! 🌿🪱🐞🦋🥬🐦‍⬛🌼🌳👩‍🌾

How do you stay open-hearted and connected?

Freshly made salad from my garden... wholesome in so many ways; I *wish* I could share what this salad smells like! Divi...
24/10/2024

Freshly made salad from my garden... wholesome in so many ways; I *wish* I could share what this salad smells like! Divine diversity.. 🌿🥬

So satisfying to have a day of tending soil, hands in compost, gathering and chopping growth that had gone past its eat-by date...
accompanied by my little friend mrs blackbird, who looked for juicy morsels no more than 30 cms away from my hands at times 🪱🐌🐦‍⬛💞

Centre piece for grief tending time.  "When we speak of nature, it is wrong to forget that we are ourselves part of natu...
01/08/2024

Centre piece for grief tending time.
"When we speak of nature, it is wrong to forget that we are ourselves part of nature. ... we too are linked to the entire universe" Henri Matisse

When I really feel my deep entanglement with the earth and all that lives here, I can't but grieve for the many losses experienced in so many places, draw courage and solace from nature's beauty, and do what I can to offer 'active hope' for a way to live that is more in harmony with it all.

29/07/2024
Monday night was the start of the Te Atatū Eco-Climate Conversations. https://www.facebook.com/TeAtatuSouthClimateConver...
23/07/2024

Monday night was the start of the Te Atatū Eco-Climate Conversations. https://www.facebook.com/TeAtatuSouthClimateConversations/

Pretty exciting stuff.

Bringing to one form of life my vision of how hyper-local (i.e. on your own doorstep, in your own backyard, in your own suburb) environment- and climate- friendly activities, can have multi-level benefits, for our own physical and mental health and wellbeing, for the earth /Papatūānuku and Te Taiao and for our community.

Once we allow ourselves to recognise and feel the grief for our troubled world and deeply suffering people all over the globe, we have easier access to the love that sits beneath it, we can take heart and have 'active hope' that we are contributing positively, each in our own way, from right where we are, with whatever we have, in whatever way we can.

This way we can consciously comtribute to "growing our life in ever widening and deepening circles" ( adapted from Joanna Macy's words).

Images courtesy of the beautiful book by Dr. Hinemoa Elder

The magic of this morning's misty beauty..... Got to appreciate and savour these moments of beauty in nature, right on o...
16/07/2024

The magic of this morning's misty beauty.....
Got to appreciate and savour these moments of beauty in nature, right on our doorstep, especially at this time of so much that feels wrong in the world.. 🥰🕸💖

Address

Te Atatu South
Auckland
0610

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Welcome Connective posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram