“Wonder is a gateway through which the universe floods in and takes up residence within us.”
Brian Swimme & Mary Tucker

 

Don’t let anyone tell you, you are not creative. 

  

Your creativity is a potent source of life force. It is unique, unlimited, 

 and yours to experiment with, embrace and open deeper into.

 

It is a superpower and a spiritual power. 

It can open you to a vast world of possibilities.

 

But so often in our lives we are moving from one act of doing to the next. We do not pause to check in with ourselves, to listen inside for what matters to us.  

When we practice Loving Inquiry, we walk through metaphorical gates that invite us to open to different facets of our creativity and awareness. Each gate is named for a quality of attention and engagement that can help you to develop a kind, curious, and compassionate way of relating to yourself and others.

This is the work I developed in my PhD, which has evolved and expanded since its initial birthing in 2010. 

Loving Inquiry will help you learn to love and accept yourself and embrace your wholeness.

 The Gates will guide you to explore the full range of what it is to be human. 

Whether you are young, middle age or an elder.

Whether you want to write, sing, dance, act, paint, play an instrument or build a community of like-hearted individuals.

Whether you are just beginning or have been doing it for a while. 

I have watched people of all diverse genders, cultures, mental and physical abilities discover joy, wonder, and deep soul nourishment when they access their creative expression and use it to heal their hearts and reclaim parts of themselves that have been neglected or abandoned. 

 

What previous students say about walking with Ahava through the Gates:

 

I am so in wonder of Ahava and the Gates of Loving Inquiry. She helped me to create an entirely different relationship with my creativity and released me from a lot of inner turmoil and torment. In this space with no pressure, a lot of love, acceptance, support and most importantly recognition, I have been able to find a lost part of myself that I thought I would never reclaim. I have the deepest gratitude for this time & space. I learned that I can completely trust my creative process, that I can stop questioning my creative choices.  

Thank you Ahava for the finding of buried treasures at long last discovered.

Jane Mackenzie

 

Walking with Ahava through the Gates of Loving Inquiry opened the doorway to possibilities that were untapped, stored away deep within. It was good to enjoy creating again, returning to quilting and fiddling with fabric, trying new things, and writing. I never kept a journal so this was an interesting insightful process for me, how a question could often produce so many more questions. 

Learning to touch my heart and say “stop” when I am having unkind thoughts about myself: I will take this with me for the rest of my life.  Warm and kind, encouraging and skillfully guiding everyone to explore their creativity, Ahava, because of your generous spirit, you have created the opportunity for women to explore their lives with curiosity, openness and compassion.

Judith Barnett 

 

Every two weeks when I received a gate, it was like a present, written just for me! Your poems, your own experience as a learner in life, and the questions you asked were always thought-provoking. I often didn’t know what I was going to say as I started writing, and then ended up being surprised about what had happened. My journal became a companion who would always listen to me without judgement. And it became a vehicle for my meanderings about the art exhibitions I saw and my photographic projects. 

Thank you, Ahava, for your gentle attention and guidance.

Denise Okan

 

Thank you for creating this space of Loving Inquiry in which I can be open-hearted and playful, explore who I am and what I want to be doing with my life. The periods of transition are the hardest times in my life. I grasp for the things that give me security, like the past. Ahava offers a tangible tool that’s giving me a way to move through this challenging time. Instead of beating myself up or falling into despair, I am learning to use this time of transition to learn new ways of being. 

When I walk through a gate, it’s like a transformation!

Ariana Salvo

 

Working with Ahava has been both joyful and transformational. She is compassionate and listens deeply. She always knows the exact right question to have you ask yourself! She is well resourced and knowledgeable, and has a well of experience and insight on which to draw. Facing some of my biggest fears was scary and challenging but it was time. I learned how to “walk with my fear” rather than try to rid myself of it, which is not really possible! I also discovered that resisting the fear is far worse than walking with it. Thank you so much Ahava for guiding me in this last 6 months.

Having the framework of the Gates of Loving Inquiry with which to work through different aspects of myself was invaluable. 

Gail Muise