My Zapchen Roots
Today as I was writing my class schedule, I was thinking about Zapchen Somatics, my main lineage of practice, coaching and teaching: How fortunate I am that I stumbled into these potent practices, and the wonderful teachers that developed them and who continue to teach me.
I thought it might be nice to introduce some of them to you in this blog post.
The first thing I remember about meeting Julie Henderson, Ph.D., founder of Zapchen Somatics, and Dr. Tony Richardson, both of them my principal teachers in Zapchen, was that I got a really bad head and chest cold the night before the training workshop.
More experienced people in the class told me it’s called “lama flu” (“lama” means “teacher” in Tibetan language). I learned early on that these teachers transmit the teachings body to body. This isn’t necessarily common. In my view, it’s essential when learning how to be embodied.
Julie’s teachings to me, over these many years, always come back to pointing me to her fierce love, and her insistence that just my being is valuable, is enough.
Even though I don’t have the opportunity to sit with Tony as often these days (he’s been back in Australia the last 15 or 20 years), when we do see each other he shows me as body how to be fully alive, how to let all my energies do their dance of moving and dissolving and moving and dissolving.
It’s impossible for me to find more words to describe Julie and Tony and how much they’ve supported and influenced me. Their love and wisdom and how they “be” are beyond any description that I can give you.
Studying with Julie has given me the opportunity to meet and study with some of her Tibetan teachers, who are embodied mind-training masters. The 12th Gyalwang Drukpa and his father, the 36th Vairocana Tulku. The Venerable Lama Wangdor Rinpoche and Lama Lena Yeshe Kaytup. My stories and experiences from sitting with all of them too numerous to mention. All profound, all fiercely alive and open hearted.
Zapchen is a global community. My learning and development these many years has been deeply influenced by my fellow Zapchenistas, especially my homies in Chicago and Northern California.
Some teach Zapchen as part of their work, and you can find listings on both the Zapchen and Zapchen Europe websites. Others are using Zapchen more stealthily, as they walk through life: Bruce Fenton, Jani Gillette, Ingrid Johnson Redding AMFT, Bobbie Jurgenson LMT, Carol LaDue, Linda Mayo DC, Tomas Marconi, Sheila McAnanly, Rabia Mead DC, Laura Lund, Annie Myers PT, Gayle Stephens LMT, Birrell Walsh, Jason Whitlow.
I hope you’ll look them all up and get inspired by what they’re teaching, what they’re doing in the world.
All of these beautiful beings, named and unnamed here, are part of me. They generously make themselves available in the mandala of practice I sit inside when I work with my clients and teach Zapchen.
As I write this, my heart connects with all theirs, and we all of us reach out to yours.
Marla
Julie and me, on practice retreat at Bairoling Monastery in Nepal.
Tony in all his glory.
Zapchenistas doing Napping practice in a heap.
