Through writing, we help incarcerated women unearth their woundedness, as well as envision new life. However, sometimes it’s apparent to me that our work goes far beyond the actual writing.

I recently reflected on this during my own “fast-write”…

Slowing down, breathing freely, looking deeply into another’s eyes, facing them straight on, exuding joy, letting them know they have full access to your being — this is the deepest, most unnamed work of writinginsideVT.

It’s about PRESENCE, present-momentness, full access to another’s mind, heart & soul. This is the gift we bring each time we go “in.”  These women barely, if ever, have interacted with people in this place of consciousness.

You can immediately see their recognition of access to unconditional presence. We are not asking or requiring anything of them, not judging or manipulating them.  We stand open, present and uncluttered before them, anticipating what they have to give to us.

It disarms them; body language changes; smiles form; walls come down. Suddenly, there is access to innocent hearts, laughter, community and trust.

It’s as if an encounter with open, present-moment PRESENCE energetically rearranges everything! This is the deep work of healing and  transformation that we do. I believe it is the very thing that transmuted those in the presence of great spiritual leaders such as Jesus, Gandhi, Buddha, etc. 

It was full-on unconditional love (through uncluttered presence) that changed people at cellular levels.  If we achieve nothing else during a 90-minute session with these incarcerated women, it is to exist from this conscious place…both for them and for ourselves.