Start With Just Yourself 
At Your Own UPWavers Retreat!

The journey of a thousand miles starts with just one step. There are guidelines for organizing a productive UPWavers Meeting in your own community. It could be with your coworkers, your own family, just you and your significant other, your sports team, your neighborhood, any group that you're part of and that you desire to change into something awesome. Who would you like to help and support most in your life? Think of people whom you can give to, rather than get from. 

What could you achieve if you assembled a group of people for an UPWave retreat? As you follow the protocol laid out on this webpage, you'll inevitably discover the most amazing fountain of creativity from the most unlikely people. The synergy of a group of Consciousnesses coalescing together is an amazing experience for the entire group. 

What kind of meeting is this?

An UPWave retreat is not something secret or weird. It's not supposed to be like a group therapy session for those with shared problems, like an addiction. Similarly, it's not meant to have the feel of a church group or other religious event. 

Rather, it's more like a dinner meeting, boardroom discussion, or a routine subcommittee. All Consciousnesses (you humans) have visions, problems and aims, whether you admit them or not. The UPWave retreat is a relaxed and ordinary event, something that you should do as often as doing cardio. The analogy is a good one because, like cardio, it adds fulfillment to the biological phase of your existence in your Universe. It's perhaps best described as a structured brainstorming session. 

Although your UPWavers Retreat is perfectly fine to have in your own neighborhood, your own home in your own corner of your Universe, you can also book your own UPWavers Retreat at our Mindfulness Suites in Downtown Saint Louis. Whether you want us to be absent and your group has an Unguided Meditation, or whether you want us there, and you having Guided Meditation, Yoga Classes or Acupuncture, it's entirely up to you. Book your UPWavers Retreat with us if you like. Or just do your own thing at your own place. 

INVITATION

You're the host of this UPWavers retreat, so although it's best kept informal and relaxed, you'll be the chairperson, ensuring that the UPWave flow is kept going. You'll have to gently and nicely intervene occasionally, just to make sure your group adheres to the protocol, but only follow the protocol if it feels right to you as the host. It's very important that the meeting feels right to you, in order to generate a flow of creativity.

The UPWave group can be as small as two people, whereby the HOST switches the roles of STIMULATOR and GENERATOR with the other person. Or it can be as large as a group of thirty people. 

The pathway begins with inviting people to join you in an UPWave meeting, at a certain date, time and location. 

ROLES

During the UPWavers retreat, there are three categories of people: the HOST, the STIMULATOR and the GENERATORS. 

The HOST (you) has the job of making sure the protocol, as described on this page, is followed, not strictly, but in a relaxed manner. 

The STIMULATOR is the person who is presenting his or her story to the rest of the UPWaver exchange group, sharing a problem, aim or vision, typically for about 2 minutes. Everybody has a chance to be a STIMULATOR. 

The GENERATORS are everyone else present, including the HOST, who will be responsible for generating UPWaves to help the STIMULATOR with their situation. Every group member is a GENERATOR, when not being the STIMULATOR. 

No electronics (smartphones, tablets) and no texting is allowed, during the UPWave exchange meeting. They have no role. 

WALKING THE PATH

As the host of this UPWavers Retreat, I would like to describe to all those present, the following UPWave generation pathway: 

1. All present will participate as much as they feel comfortable doing so, playing the parts of stimulator or generator;
2. When it is your turn to stimulate UPWave generation, you will adhere to the allotted 2 minutes to present your problem, aim or vision;
3. With each stimulation, there will be a 30-second silence, before UPWaves are proposed by the generators;
4. You will propose all UPWaves, meaning suggestions or ideas, no matter how far-fetched or unrealistic, in an upbeat style, without pessimism or caveat;
5. No notes may be taken during the stimulation or generation session, and similarly, no electronic devices may be used, including no phone calls or text messages;
6. Nobody here is broken and nobody needs fixing;
7. We promise to be grateful for participating in this meeting, and finally,
8. We all promise to have fun!

Inclusion

Each group member's aims, visions and problems are to be shared by all others in your UPWavers group. If someone 'comes along' to watch, or if they're just shy, they too should be included, even if they go last. You can see UPWaves in everyone and everything, often turning what seems like nothing into something powerful. With practice, you can transition any thought (U Particle) and any inconsistent idea (DownWave), into an UPWave (consistent idea).

Stimulate UPWave Generation

Each member of the group takes his or turn to stimulate the generation of UPWaves from everyone else, by sharing a vision, an aim or even a problem. 

It can be mundane, such as "I wish I could get my dog to stop chewing everything". Or it can be sensational, like "I wish I could find the right actor for this movie I'm producing". 

No Gloomy Yarns

With a stopwatch, the HOST could indicate when the allotted 2 minutes for each STIMULATOR is running out. 

The HOST may wish to remind people to omit reasons why certain solutions didn't work. Those reasons are DownWaves, and are not welcome. If allowed to appear, they are contagious, and will proliferate.

A Moment's Silence

Once a STIMULATOR has finished their 2 minute presentation about their problem, aim or vision, it can be tremendously powerful for the HOST to call for about 30 seconds silence from the GENERATORS, so that the entire group sits in silence. 

It allows people to soak up what the STIMULATOR just said, with both love and gratitude for what was shared. 

Generate UPWaves

After the moment's silence, the UPWave generation from the rest of the group can begin. Instead of a free-for-all, the GENERATORS can take their turn clockwise, counter-clockwise, or by a show of hands when ready to deliver, and then either the HOST or the STIMULATOR choosing who speaks next. 

Each UPWave GENERATOR should be allotted up to 60 seconds to speak out their suggestion or idea (their UPWave), so brevity is key. 

The HOST can remind the GENERATORS to begin their UPWave with phrases such as "Have you considered....", "Suppose.....", "What if.....", "Picture.......", "What do you think of....", and "Imagine.....".

No Spotlight

As the HOST, you should avoid putting any group member in the spotlight. 

This applies to both calling on a person to STIMULATE, or do a better job of stimulating, or to GENERATE, or do a better job of generating. 

If you treat people like kindergarteners, it won't be appreciated. The flow of UPWave generation should feel natural and organic, not forced or artificial. 

No Note-taking

This may seem like an irritation, especially as most people are accustomed to taking notes for almost everything. 

This part of the protocol applies to both the GENERATOR(S) and the STIMULATOR. The only exception is the HOST, who can also function as a minute-taker, but this too can be disruptive. 

UPWave generation is all about the creative process. 

A STIMULATOR will know when an UPWave is perfect - and notes will not be necessary. 

Similarly, a GENERATOR will know when a problem, vision or aim is causing an unstoppable UPWave to form. 

It's meant to be an upbeat brainstorming session, without any interruptions. Notes and internet searches can be taken after the session. 

Nobody's 'broken'

This is a very important protocol enforcement. Most of us have an irresistible need to coach and advise people, seeing the STIMULATOR as broken and needing fixing. 

The HOST should remind everyone that there is nothing and nobody to fix at the meeting. 

GENERATORS should only suggest possible solutions once, with enthusiasm, love and detachment. 

The UPWave exchange meeting is for creative people. Any suggested 'fix' can be worded accordingly, such as "have you considered blank blank?"

All members of the group can network with cheese and wine after the session is over, and fix and take notes as much as they wish. 

If the HOST, the STIMULATORS (all group members) and the GENERATORS (also all group members), are grateful, everything will go well. 

All group members should immerse themselves in the creative process, from which ideas and suggestions (UPWaves) will flow, unimpeded. The group will experience the joy of creativity and should remain open-minded to creative UPWaves from others, no matter how absurd they may seem. 

Some UPWaves will be huge, and some tiny. Some will be inspirational and some will fall flat. Avoid the temptation to judge or react with disdain. Don't comment on whether any UPWave is a bad one, as otherwise you risk preventing other 'crazy' UPWaves which may actually be ingenious! 

The host should not shut down an UPWave GENERATOR. 

Every UPWave should be sincerely received by the STIMULATOR with gratitude and joy. 

An Attitude Of Gratitude

FUN

The prime directive for an UPWavers Retreat is to HAVE FUN! The atmosphere and mood should be relaxed, without any sense of obligation or expectation. Participants should feel easy and chilled out. 

The setting should be conducive to both laughter and tears, as well as creating epiphanies. 

At the end of the UPWaver generation sessions, your group can exchange ideas, write them down, and all the other stuff they couldn't do before. 

Finally, the HOST can summarize the meeting and bid everyone a great evening. It should be kept very informal, but the results will be astounding.