I am not a mechanism, an assembly of various sections.
And it is not because the mechanism is working wrongly that I am ill.
I am ill because of wounds to the soul, to the deep emotional self
and wounds to the soul take a long, long time, only time can help
and patience, and a certain difficult repentance,
long, difficult repentance, realisation of life’s mistake, and the freeing oneself
from the endless repetition of the mistake
which mankind at large has chosen to sanctify.

—‘Healing' by D. H. Lawrence

On the second Thursday of each month, Sam Haywood offers an intimate and confidential space for anyone learning the body's language through illness — whether it’s your own or someone you love.

This might be called the night side of life. The place where medicine’s deeper roots live — in poetry, mythology, ritual and community. Each gathering weaves together guided meditation, poetry and open sharing, held within a container of care and confidentiality. Soul Medicine is not therapy. It is something much older — a chance to be witnessed, to grieve, to find unexpected beauty, and to remember that this solitary journey need not be done alone.

Sam Haywood is a transformational death walker and award-winning creative whose work supports individuals, groups and organisations toward embodied belonging through Truth, Healing, and Wholeness. A chance encounter with the wilderness saved his life after a rare blood cancer diagnosis — and set him on a path of soul-led living and learning. He currently lives and works in Naarm (Melbourne).

This session is free to members of The Fifth Direction. You can join here or purchase a guest pass.

We are a welcome community for everyone. This includes people of all genders, faiths, backgrounds, orientations, ages and abilities.