A path of awakening, especially a path of Integral Dharma does not happen without the help, support, and guidance of others. Both waking up and the integral map points to our fundamental interdependence. We are literally in this together. We do not wake up on our own. We wake up as I-We-Its, simultaneously.

In traditional dharma, finding a teacher is of the utmost importance, hence the Buddha, being the first of the Three Jewels in Buddhism. But in Integral Dharma the need for our relationships in a path of Integral Dharma goes even further.

In waking up, having more than one teacher, often from different traditions and systems, leads to our awakening being more comprehensive, full bodied, and deeper.

But we’re not just waking up in Integral Dharma, we’re cleaning up, growing up, and showing up too. We seek all sorts of support people like therapists, practitioners of different healing modalities, an assortment of different coaches and mentors.

We also recognize the importance of including the Four Quadrants, and so we extend what we mean by Sangha to include communities of like-minded people who are also waking up, cleaning up, growing up, and showing up, with whom we can do all of that together, and to cultivate mutual support along this path. We can find both integral communities and any niche communities that are part of our broader integral dharma path.

My point in sharing this is that I see this course as hopefully a catalyst for your own path of Integral Dharma and an experiential reference point to help you orient, but also that it will lead you to seek out people to support your unique path. Finding your people is essential. We are in this together and we can’t do it alone. Find your people.

Practice: Journaling About Your People

Take some time to reflect about anyone who has helped you along the way that you feel grateful for. Individuals, groups of people, communities, whether the relationships were/are formal or informal, and regardless of flavor. Given Integral Dharma includes your whole life, who you think of might be anyone or  any we.

Then you can take some time to reflect to see if you are seeking, wanting, or needing any particular kind of support right and going forward. What are you feeling, sensing or noticing about what you need? What type of person, group, or community might feel supportive? Maybe you have been thinking intuitively about someone or a community already. Who are they? How do you feel they might support you?

Last, how do you want to show up and support others? This doesn’t mean that you need to be in a specific helping profession, for example like a therapist. We can offer support to our friends, family, colleagues, communities, whoever we serve through our work. We also don’t need to be superheroes. We can’t support everyone in all ways. That’s why we have each other and are in this together! However, from our unique kosmic address we have the opportunity to support others through our relationships and unique gifts and strengths. Through a path of Integral Dharma we can further develop our ability to connect with others, see them, and show up in ways that can be even more supportive.