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PRE-CONFERENCE
WORKSHOPS Back
to Program
Back
to Program
This workshop surveys the mysteries of humour and the relation of humourous laughter to health and illness. Dr. Moody discusses the host of physical and mental illnesses that are accompanied by alterations in the sense of humour. Explore clinical situations in which humour can be helpful and learn specific humour techniques. Dr. Moody is the author of the upcoming book, The Healing Power of Humor. Dr. Moody trains hospice workers, clergy, psychologists, nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals on matters of grief recovery and dying. He has also enlightened and entertained audiences all over the world for over three decades. He offers many different lecture/workshop presentations on the topics of: The Healing Power of Humor, Near Death Experiences, Death With Dignity, Life After Loss, Surviving Grief & Finding Hope, Reunions: Visionary Encounters With Departed Loved Ones, The Loss of Children, The Logic of Nonsense, and Catastrophic Tragedies & Events causing collective grief response. He also works as a practitioner of philosophic counseling, consulting on a private, individual basis—in person, by phone, or at the bedside of the dying. Dr. Moody received the World Humanitarian Award in Denmark in 1988. He was also honoured with a bronze medal in the Human Relations category at the New York Film Festival for the movie version of Life After Life. |
 Healing at the end of life: Integrative care practices in palliative and hospice care
People usually associate the use of CAM therapies with wellness and vitality. However, one of the fastest growing uses of CAM is the field of palliative and hospice care. Healing is not the same as curing, and facilitating healing when people are seriously ill or at the end of life may be one of the most important areas in which we can help when curing is not possible. Recent surveys on the use of CAM in hospices in Canada and USA have shown that 60-86% of hospices offer some type of CAM therapy. A survey of Washington State reported that half of the 86% hospices offered between 5-12 different modalities. Massage, mind/body therapies, music therapy and energy healing are among the most widely offered modalities in hospice care. This workshop will be divided into two sections. During the first section, we will describe the trend towards incorporating CAM therapies into palliative/hospice care, the different models of integration, issues surrounding the integration and research evidence for the use of these therapies and results from recent CAM studies in end of life care. The second section of the workshop will be experiential. The presenter will introduce participants to the practice of “compassionate intention” (CI) – a modality derived from the Buddhist tradition of Tonglen. CI may be easily used within the context of palliative/end of life care, even when patients are not conscious. The projection of CI only requires quieting the mind and focusing the attention, and may be done even within difficult environments such as the ICU or other high complexity environments. Participants will learn about the origins of this practice, will learn the basis of the practice itself and will leave the workshop with a clear sense of how to begin practicing this technique in their work environment. Leila Kozak is a research psychologist specialized in integrative approaches to healing, mind/body medicine, cross-cultural healing modalities, consciousness-based healing modalities and spirituality in healing. She has been involved in NIH funded research since 1995, including research in Traditional Chinese Medicine, massage and meditation research in end of life populations and psycho-physiological research in consciousness and mind/body interactions. She is currently involved in developing integrative approaches to palliative and end of life care. Her current professional affiliations include:
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 Peace Begins with Me: An exploration into mindfulness
Peace seems to be elusive to so many of us these days. Everywhere we are bombarded with news of war, racism, poverty, and suffering. In our own lives we struggle to find balance with busying schedules, overcommitted responsibilities, and stressful work and personal lives. The healing journey necessary to bring balance into the world begins within each of us. It is a spiritual journey towards peace that reveals our own Truth. During the course of the half day workshop participants will work individually and in small groups to learn and use the practices of Mindfulness Meditation, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Self Hypnosis to explore how to create a pattern of peace, health and joy within and without. There will be allotted time to practice and to discuss the proper use of these meditative tools, as well as discussion on how to incorporate such practices sustainably into your life, in order to create peace within your body, mind, and spirit; and - beginning with you - into the world. Dr. Mark Sherman MDCM, CCFP is an Integrative Family Physician working in Victoria who uses modalities such as herbal medicine, cognitive behavioral therapy and meditation in his clinical practice. He is also a yoga and meditation instructor and is involved in several community initiatives focused on healing the body, mind and spirit of our communities. |
IN-CONFERENCE
WORKSHOPSBack
to Workshops Saturday May 30, 10:30-11:30am (concurrent) Therapeutic Applications of Contemplative Wisdom in Psychiatry Recent research on anxiety and mood regulation has led to an integration of neuroscience with contemplative wisdom traditions. The contemplative perspective on the human experience of destructive emotions has led to practical applications of mindfulness in psychotherapy, education and stress management programs. Jane Garland is a Clinical Professor in Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, researcher, teacher and writer specializing in mood and anxiety disorders. She is also a contemplative meditation practitioner who teaches meditative whirling in the Discerning Religious, Non-religious and Metaphysical Spirituality: Talk of spirituality is common these days, but the term is a difficult one to define. Drawing on sociological and historical perspectives, this presentation makes a clear distinction between spirituality in its religious, non-religious and metaphysical modes. This conceptualization will help health-science researchers brings precision to their definitions of spirituality. Siobhan Chandler has an enduring interest in spirituality and health. Following the completion of her Masters degree in religious studies (UBC 2001), she worked for nearly four years as a research associate at the Centre for Integrated Healing in Vancouver. During this time she learned firsthand how the expanding cultural interest in spirituality is influencing healthcare. In 2005 she was accepted to the joint University of Waterloo/ Wilfrid Laurier University program “Religious Diversity in North America” where she in now in her fourth year. She is currently writing her dissertation, which investigates the connection between spirituality and social values in Canadians who describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. As 21st century humans, our daily life and quest for physical and spiritual health is most likely to be an urban experience. The urban context is quite different than the environments we have evolved in for thousands of years and as such, navigating urban realities with the intent of being a healthy, balanced and spiritually aware being offers unique challenges. Urban form fundamentally impacts our physical and spiritual health, and yet the planning and building of cities, in all its engineering glory, is largely blind to the aspects of place that make our lives meaningful. This presentation will explore insights on the impacts of city design on our physical and spiritual health and offer practitioners some frameworks and strategies for addressing the design and lifestyle realities of cities in which we spend our lives to increase our physical and spiritual wellbeing. Mark E. Holland is a Registered Professional Planner and
Principal / cofounder – HB Lanarc Consultants Inc – Planning, Design, Sustainability. He is one of the leading planners of his generation in Canada, creating innovations in sustainable cities, healthy and active urban environments, climate change planning, sustainable food systems, and organizational change. Mark has evolved along a path of compassion and integrity to build a widespread practice of helping cities, developers and organizations to envision and create a more sustainable and meaningful world. This presentation highlights findings from a descriptive exploratory study that explored the meaning of ‘Keeping in Touch’ for persons who have lost a loved one through physical death. Implications for practice and education are discussed. Christine Upright has been an instructor in the School of Nursing at the University of Victoria for thirteen years. Her foci of practice over the past 32 years have been in adult, child, and family nursing in both primary and tertiary health care settings as well as undergraduate nursing education. Currently she teaches practice courses through on site and distance delivery modalities. Her research interests span palliative care and nursing education. Deborah Sally Thoun has been a faculty member in the School of Nursing at the University of Victoria since 1996. She teaches nursing philosophy and theory courses in the undergraduate and graduate programs and has authored and/or co-authored numerous distance delivery courses in nursing. Her research interests include philosophic inquiry and explorations of human experience from a unitary interdimensional view of reality. Some foci of interest include nursing epistemology, evaluation of nursing theory guided practice, and time passing for persons who are living their dying with HIV disease. Healing: A spiritual inquiry – moving toward wellness one question at a time We have our own answers to what we need to know. We are the very experts we are seeking. The questions we ask of ourselves determine the ability to connect with our inner truth, with our inner wounding and begin to heal. Participants will be guided through series of questions to experience the effect of such an inquiry. It will interest those with a health concern and health practitioners alike. The process will be illustrated with an example of a woman who healed from breast cancer. Nelie Johnson is a family physician and consultant with Keys to Total Healing. Some 10 years into her career, arising from her growing frustration with the dependence of patients on the medical system and its limitations to respond to their needs, she recognized her calling to help people move from state of fear and dependence to becoming empowered as their own healer. She has studied extensively a body of knowledge about healing with doctors and others from Western Europe and has been sharing this knowledge in seminars, workshops, and in private counseling for several years, asking the questions and providing tools for her patients to heal themselves. Spiritual Anatomy: Our embodied map for healing & transformation What if we were to truly embrace the holistic paradigm of bodymindspirit? Are we able to shift our conceptual framework to one that recognizes our human body as our guide for healing and for spiritual transformation? Can we hear our body speak our mind? How do we listen to our body and hear the voice of our soul? This workshop will launch us into such exploration. I propose the name spiritual anatomy to describe potent resources within the human body and human energy field that can facilitate the healing of our whole being. We will engage in practices that enhance embodied guidance and “maps” for our self care, rejuvenation, and spiritual growth -- practices which can also be shared in clinical settings with patients and clients. As a Holistic Therapist, I offer Energy Work, Bodywork, Counselling, and Spiritual Accompaniment in an integrated manner to enable clients to move through complex issues and health concerns, using a variety of modalities (Healing Touch, Craniosacral Therapy, PSYCH-K core belief work, Family Systems Counselling, spiritual practices, and other energywork and bodywork modalities). Ultimately my core work is to help people connect with their Divine Source and with their own sacred bodies – the genuine path to healing and wholeness. The experiential education programs which I develop and facilitate focus on nurturing and enhancing the bodymindspirit -- in self care, personal growth, energy healing, and parenting. My preference is to teach from a multifaith perspective that values the core teachings of many spiritual paths, drawing upon both my formal education and decades of personal study and practice. The Theatre of Asclepius: A performance ritual project This workshop is based on a community performance ritual honouring the ancient god of healing, Asclepius. Participants included a local coven of priestesses and thirty ‘petitioners’ who entered into a mythopoeic incubation performance process with the intention of being healed. Robert Birch is an international actor, director, and Playback theatre trainer in Canada, the United States, Mexico and Asia. He has worked extensively within communities in crisis, helping people tell and transform their stories in a safe, compassionate and creative manner. He has a BFA from Ryerson Theatre School, and is a MA candidate, Applied Theatre. at theUniversity of Victoria. Bringing in the Heartbeats: Sensorial dimensions of aboriginal spirituality within biomedical contexts Taken as either religion or therapy, Aboriginal spirituality is not easily received in biomedical contexts. Health care professionals who attend this presentation will learn how they can honor and improve access to Aboriginal spirituality as part of their practice. Elena Papadakis is a Qualitative Researcher and Project Coordinator at the Centre for Health Economics in Cancer, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC. Elena has an academic background in critical medical anthropology, integrative medicine, and Aboriginal healing traditions. Recognizing that spiritual practices have multi-sensorial dimensions—they look, feel, taste, smell, and sound different across cultures and between individuals—Elena envisions a holistic model of care that can accommodate the various ways in which spirituality is realized in practice. Elena has worked in integrative medical contexts as a therapeutic touch practitioner and is currently involved in implementing a qualitative research study on priority-setting methods in health care decision-making. Touching the Divine: Understanding the science and spirit of energy medicine Eastern cultures have long recognized that there are invisible but powerful, subtle energy fields that interpenetrate the physical body and affect health and well-being. Until recently, Western cultures have seen the body in a more mechanistic way. Energy Medicine approaches take into account the Einsteinian model of the Universe and the sciences of quantum physics and field theory. In this visually and intellectually provocative presentation, you will learn about the science and spirit of Energy Medicine. Karen Ledger, RN BScN is a Health Educator and Nurse Therapist. She has been working in the fields of health and mental health for over 35 years, with an emphasis on CAM and Energy Medicine for the past 20 years. She has training and experience in a number of Alternative and Complementary Therapies, including Therapeutic Touch, Reiki, Energy Psychotherapies, Heart Math, esoteric healing, self-hypnosis techniques and meditation. Her specialty is Energy Psychotherapies and Energy Medicine. POSTER: Metta – a Loving Kindness approach with hard to treat symptoms We have become experts in managing diseases. With conditions like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Depression and Anxiety this has proved more challenging. Could it be that these symptoms are in fact the way the body communicates its needs and once understood a return to health may be possible? David Greenshields has always worked in the health care field, initially in the care of seniors, especially those with dementia. More recently his focus has shifted to supporting people with CFS and related conditions from a mindfulness-based perspective. David lived with CFS for many years prior to embracing mindfulness and metta in his own life. Trained in Hakomi method of mindfulness-based psychotherapy, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction with Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn, Reverse/Mickel Therapies and Somatic Transformation. Saturday May 30, 2:15-3:15pm (concurrent) Scientific Evidence for the Persistence of Consciousness after Physical Death This presentation, useful for anyone dealing with skeptical, critical, anxious or simply curious colleagues, family members or friends, will lay out the evidence that has accumulated over the last 150 years, in the world of science, that supports the notion that consciousness persists after death of the physical body. Warren Bell is Past President of the Association of Complementary and Integrative Physicians of BC (ACIPBC). He has been a family physician for 33 years and is still in active clinical practice. Spirit: The basis of indigenous healing practices This presentation combines healing songs, stories, and insights into Aboriginal spirituality, and is relevant to health care professionals who seek to improve their understandings of Aboriginal patients and protocols. Oldhands is a Traditional Healer and Spiritual Leader of the Tongna Shoshone First Nations, schooled in the traditional medicinal ways of his ancestors for over 53 years. As a small boy, Oldhands’ grandfather—the Medicine Man and Spiritual Leader of his tribe—taught him the healing ways of "Spirit" and the ceremonies used to call spirits in to assist in healing those stricken with illness. Oldhands’ grandmother, mother, and aunties taught him the healing ways of herbs, and many people from other tribes taught him their healing ways in exchange for healing treatments. Oldhands has traveled the US and Canada working with ailing and dying people from all Nations and has spoken at many conferences on the healing dimensions of First Nations spirituality. The Unfolding of a New Medicine: Emerging evidence in spirituality, consciousness & healing research We are witnessing the emerging of a new medicine, which is led by a new-found awareness that we are multi-dimensional beings. Slowly but steadily, science has been ‘catching up’ and providing evidence that support this new worldview. This presentation will walk participants through the vast array of scientific studies that support the emerging paradigm in health and healing. Consciousness and healing research, research in compassionate intention, distant intentionality, and other studies in the field of spirituality and healing will be described. Social, spiritual and scientific implications of these emerging research areas will be highlighted. Leila Kozak is a research psychologist specialized in integrative approaches to healing, mind/body medicine, cross-cultural healing modalities, consciousness-based healing modalities and spirituality in healing. She has been involved in NIH funded research since 1995, including research in Traditional Chinese Medicine, massage and meditation research in end of life populations and psycho-physiological research in consciousness and mind/body interactions. She is currently involved in developing integrative approaches to palliative and end of life care. Her current professional affiliations include:
What Love Has to Do with It:
Love and spirituality in professional practice Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on love in and as professional practice, and explore love's relation to their own clinical work. The workshop reports on research into the role of love and interconnection in caring practices, and offers a detailed description of what love might mean in a professional context. Michèle Butot is a counsellor and yoga therapist in private practice and works with the Victoria Hospice Palliative Response Team. Her other relevant work includes:
The Healing Power of Intuition Intuition is a natural ability that can guide you to achieve happiness and wellbeing, for yourself and others. Accessing your intuition can support you to replenish your energy and vitality, develop greater self-trust and confidence, and become more successful and fulfilled in every area of your personal and professional life. Healthcare practitioners tend to be givers, but in order to maintain balance and wellbeing, they must also receive from the Universe. Healthcare practitioners can learn to access their intuition to receive spiritual guidance that will benefit them and their patients. For over 17 years, Grace Dale has been a professional Intuitive Consultant who has helped thousands of clients all over the world to heal, transform and prosper in every facet of life. She has given lectures and workshops on Intuitive Development for healthcare practitioners and lay people, and has taught classes on Medical Intuition to students at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in Vancouver, B.C. Vulnerable Moments, Spiritual Moments: A story of spirit in everyday clinical practice in the neonatal intensive care unit Spirit often reveals itself in vulnerable moments between health practitioners and those in their care. In this session, a practitioner’s story of entering into a vulnerable moment in clinical practice and encountering spirit is shared, with the intent of heightening awareness of the presence of spirit that reveals itself in everyday clinical practice if we choose to open to it. A former faculty member and current doctoral candidate at the University of Victoria School of Nursing, Linda Shea is also a student in the Integrative Energy Healing Program offered through the Centre of Holistic Studies at Langara College in Vancouver. As a doctoral student, Linda is studying how nurses cultivate the capacity to enter into uncertain or difficult situations with patients and families, particularly on an energetic level. Her clinical background is in neonatal and pediatric critical care, and her teaching interests include family nursing and relational practice. Horses & Healing Partnering with horses is now recognized as a credible and successful means of helping humans heal and grow, physically emotionally and spiritually. Horses & Healing weaves together a fascinating overview of the diverse areas of practice, with compelling stories of humans and horses engaging with one another in profound, often subtle, and transformative ways. Michelle Atterby is founder and director of Spirit Gate Farms in Victoria. Her extensive educational
and experiential background in body/mind therapies include acupuncture, energy medicine, shamanic
healing and professional training in Equine Experiential Learning, equine psychology and natural
horsemanship. Together these form a supportive and innovative context for healing and spiritual Oriane Lee Johnston brings a foundation in natural horsemanship and Equine Guided Learning together with a unique background in the practice of Spiritual Guidance and in experiential education as former program director for Hollyhock. Her current projects include mentoring emerging leaders, consulting in program design for new learning centres, the applications of contemplative practice in secular life, and how horses can help humans live in a wholesome, powerful and compassionate way. Spiritual Emergence, Ecopsychology, Khoisan Vision Quest and the Global Sustainability Crisis Personal experience of out-of-body states supports anthropological interpretation of images of antelope-headed human figures (therianthropes) in the rock art galleries of Khoisan culture as depictions of shamanic vision quests. This understanding highlights the survival value of spiritual generosity and caring for the total web of life as fundamental to the evolution of the human family system. Graham Saayman is presently Adjunct Professor of Psychology, University of Victoria. He was trained as a behavioural scientist at McMaster University and the Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley Hospital and as a family therapist at Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals. As Professor of Psychology at the University of Cape Town (1974-1989) he connected ethology to analytical psychology and pioneered laboratory-based studies of Jungian thought, researching the relationship between dreams, meditation and the adaptive value of imaginal processes as therapeutic aids in individual, group and family therapy. His recent book Hunting with the Heart: A Vision Quest to Spiritual Emergence (2007) Cape Town: Kima Global Publishers, highlights the survival value of spiritual generosity and compassion for all living forms in an era dominated by fear and power-based solutions. Sunday May 31, 10:40-11:40am (concurrent) African Drumming and Spirituality: The emergence of spirit in the daily rhythms of life This presentation interweaves the experiential power of African Drumming with an engaging
discussion on addressing spirituality in the health care setting. Our discussion will focus on some of
the qualities of spirituality such as contribution, connection, creativity, and surrender, as well as Lyle Povah is a singer/percussionist/guitarist, writer, and recording artist with a special interest in African drumming. He has studied and performed worldwide and is a pioneering educator in areas related to health and creativity, spirituality, community and corporate team building, and intergenerational learning. Lyle’s diverse career includes: workshop presentations at various conferences – the Society for the Arts in Health care (SAH), United Church’s “Faith Formation through the Lens of the Arts” and CRISH’s “Conference on Spirituality and Health”; sharing music with kids and teens one day a week for the past 18 years at B.C’s Children’s Hospital; residential facilitator at Bridgepoint Center for Eating Disorders in Saskatchewan; on the Faculty at the Haven Institute. Colleen Steel works at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver and has been a registered nurse for 20 years, and has worked and facilitated groups in the Providence Health Care Eating Disorders Program for the past 8 years. In addition to continuous learning and discovery about her own spiritual life, Colleen's focus and passion lie in inspiring both colleagues and clients to explore spirituality to bring about deeper healing. Colleen has presented to her colleagues on “Addressing Spirituality in Therapy” as well as writing a section for the inpatient workbook called “Exploring Spirituality”. The Spirit in the SubstanceRoland Guenther, MD, PhD A “Ceremonial Trituration” is a vehicle of research to delve into the hidden mystery of nature. In this process we are guided by an herb, mineral or animal into its sacred essence. We experience the deepest gift, which this creature offers us as support on our path to spiritual healing. Dr. Roland Guenther studied medicine at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. For 20 years he practiced Homeopathy as a family physician. For the last eight years he has been engaged in homeopathic research. Three years ago he immigrated to Canada and is now practicing in Vancouver, BC. He has a strong background in Eastern and especially Native American Spirituality. He is a homeopath at the homeopathic clinic, Access Natural Healing, in Vancouver. Healing the Split Between Science and Spirit In my presentation I will weave my personal story of healing the rift between spirit and science with how the newly discovered cosmology provides a new solution. I will augment discussion with experiential exercises for participants and images from Hubble to illustrate the new awareness of the universe. John Shields is a former Catholic Priest and former President of the BC Government and Service Employees Union. He is currently pursuing research in the areas of cosmology, spirituality in leadership, and the evolution of consciousness. He is also writing a book on his personal journey of transformation from Catholic priest to cosmologist. Kindred Spirits and Co-Species Healing: How the remarkable bond between humans and animals can change the way we live and heal This lecture will guide the audience from natural healing methods for our animal friends through the healing power of the Human Animal Bond to the Ultimate Healing of all beings. The use of energy medicine, from veterinary acupuncture, chiropractic and other natural healing therapies as well as the scientific basis and benefits of the human animal bond will be discussed. The lecture will culminate with a discussion and experience of what is considered ultimate healing of all beings. Dr. Schoen is a world renowned pioneer in the field of Integrative Veterinary Medicine, teaching, writing and practicing holistic veterinary medicine for 30 years. He is the author of “Kindred Spirits, How the Remarkable Bond between Humans and Animals Can Change the Way We Live” and “Love, Miracles and Animal Healing”. He is the editor of two veterinary textbooks, “Textbook of Complementary & Alternative Veterinary Medicine” and “Veterinary Acupuncture, Ancient Art to Modern Medicine”. He lectures on Integrative Veterinary Medicine and the Human Animal Bond throughout the world since 1982. In illness, the Body is often an innocent child trying to communicate the messages of Spirit to the Mind via the Emotions. When this call is heeded, healing is possible and illness can stabilize of even melt away. Let us together explore this creativity of the embodied spirit. Dr. Conrad Sichler is an integrative medical doctor who has recently started his own clinic in Burlington, Ontario. He integrates conventional family practice, addictions medicine and other GP-psychotherapy, energy work, play, poetry, laughter, absurdity, fun, and whatever else works into his clinical practice. Despite all the attention towards spirituality in the nursing literature there is a lack of clarity in the role of spirituality in relation to nursing practice, particularly in exploring how nurses’ own values and spiritual beliefs shape their practice. This qualitative research study explored how community health nurses defined, described and understood their own spiritual beliefs and how it shaped their practice. Karen McColgan has been a nurse for twenty-eight-years. She trained as a State Registered Nurse (SRN) at the Middlesex Hospital in London, and then studied and worked as a Registered Midwife (RM) in Bristol in England. For the past nineteen-years she has lived in Canada and worked as a community health nurse, including ten years living and working in First Nations communities in northwestern Ontario and Manitoba. She spent three years in British Columbia educating nurses to work in an extended clinical practice role in remote First Nations communities. Currently, she works in health protection as the immunization coordinator for First Nations and Inuit Health in British Columbia. Wash, Rinse, and Renew: Hand washing as a centering practice This presentation reframes hand hygiene as a form of energy hygiene and provides healthcare practioners an opportunity to explore and experience how they can use the simple act of hand washing as a way to pause throughout the day to reflect, refocus, and become renewed. Cindy Schell, RN, has been a nurse for over 30 years in a wide variety of roles and clinical specialties. She most recently held the position of Senior Program Manager for Antifective Services at Coram Inc. Ms. Schell has lectured throughout the U.S. on topics related to infectious disease, complex discharge planning, nursing at midlife, and nursing from the soul. She has served as a nursing education consultant for Stanford Center for Education and Professional Development, Genentech Inc, and Henderson Communications. She is also a graduate of a two-year Spiritual Guidance training program taught by Atum O’Kane focused on integrating the wisdom of several spiritual traditions with Transpersonal and Jungian psychology. She is a former producer for Interfaith Talk Radio, a local radio show in Seattle, WA and has a traveled to India, Bali, Thailand, and Bhutan on interfaith pilgrimages. We sometimes see our egos as adversaries toward our healing, spiritual development and well-being. Is this actually true? What are our egos? How do they relate to our bodies, minds and heart connection; and what do they have to do with healing and our Spirit? We will review the ego/ personality as an instrument of good intent that is important to our healing and well-being. This intent will be explored through inquiry exercises, and discussion will follow about our ego awareness in the healing of our suffering and the deepening our awareness of Presence. Dr. Penny Whillans is the Director and Founder of the Canadian Institute for Enneagram Studies (CIES). She is also a practicing Health psychologist (Ed.D., R.Psych. #1024), teacher, supervisor and researcher. She emphasizes the direct experience of ourselves, inclusive of our personalities as a way to know our wisdom and to directly know who we truly are. She is a student of the Diamond Approach, an executive board member of The Contemplative Society, and a past board member of The Victoria Coalition for Survivors of Torture. |
POST-CONFERENCE
WORKSHOPS
All who have been in space flight and observed our planet from afar, have to some extent experienced the phenomenon called “The Overview Effect.” For me, this meant a sense of unity with all that exists, accompanied by a feeling of ecstasy. It required for me, as one of the first generation of space farers from Earth, to seriously re-examine the ancient questions from this new perspective. The ancient questions are: “Who are we”? “How did this all begin”? Where is it going”? “What is our relationship to the larger cosmos”? It was that impetus that was the basis for creating, in 1972, the Institute of Noetic Sciences to use the tools of science to investigate the phenomenon of consciousness, as that has been a major omission in science for almost 400 years. Particularly my interest was drawn to the role of mind in alternative methods of healing, as I had witnessed that phenomenon among certain health practitioners. From that initial effort has come frontier discoveries from application of quantum science in new ways to issues of perception, attention, intention which can demonstrate the active role of mind interactions with the physical world. A recent discovery in Europe called Quantum Holography will be discussed as a quantum information mechanism fundamental to perception. A descriptive metaphor is that “intuition” should be called our first sense rather than 6th sense because it is a quantum phenomenon and most basic. http://www.edmitchellapollo14.com/ Back to Program
*No horse experience
required. 20 min. from UVic. Our time together includes quiet reflection with the herd and interactive experiences with the horses on the ground, allowing your own deepest knowing to arise and be reflected back to you. Sharing responses and insights help illuminate new awareness and integrate wisdom received. Join us at Spirit Gate Farm, just 20 minutes from the UVic conference. No horse experience necessary! Michelle Atterby is founder and director of Spirit Gate Farms in Victoria. Her extensive educational and experiential background in body/mind therapies include acupuncture, energy medicine, shamanic healing and professional training in Equine Experiential Learning, equine psychology and natural horsemanship. Together these form a supportive and innovative context for healing and spiritual awakening. www.spiritgate.ca Oriane Lee Johnston
brings a foundation in natural horsemanship and Equine Guided Learning
together with a unique background in experiential education and the practice
of Spiritual Guidance. Her current projects include mentoring emerging
leaders, consulting in program design for new learning centres, the applications
of contemplative practice in secular life, and how horses can help humans
live in a wholesome, powerful and compassionate way. Back
to Program
I believe burnout comes from the ego, from over-attachment to and identification with the results, outcomes, and products of our caring. The way to move beyond burnout is to establish a foundational spiritual practice within which one’s caring finds its ground. This workshop will suggest that a particularly effective spiritual practice for staying healthy and grounded in our caring work is the practice of meditation. Meditation practice has the capacity to keep us in the deep centre of our being and give us the freedom to allow our caring to flow from a place of healthy detachment and deep inner knowing. In meditation we discover our true identity as human bearers of the gift of life. We begin to pattern into our lives new and healing behaviour patterns and learn to flow with the deep energy of our being. Thus we are enabled to move from simply being a “health professional” to being a healthy presence in whom those with whom we work are given space and freedom to connect with the healing power in their own lives. Christopher Page works in the Anglican Church of Canada.. He is a meditation teacher and retreat leader for the Contemplative Society (www.contemplative.org), and holds an MDiv degree from the University of Toronto and a ThM. degree from Vancouver School of Theology for which he wrote a thesis on the nature mysticism of Thomas Merton. He is the author of five books, most recently Shadow Dancing: The Temptations of Christ (Path Books, 2009). Back
to Program
Creativity is essential to the experience of being human. Drawing is a wonderful way to be creative. In this presentation and workshop I will explain and you will demonstrate how drawing, with pencil and paper, can quiet the mind and make space for reflection. Without a creative outlet we cannot reach our potentials as individuals. Yet we often find an excuse to deny ourselves opportunities to be creative. “We are too busy”, “It seems so self-indulgent”, “We won’t produce anything useful”, “We don’t have any talent” are often the reasons cited. When restated the excuses provide powerful reasons for creating art- Art making can slow our busy chattering minds. It is Self-Indugent! The process of making art does produce something – an altered state of consciousness without the use of drugs. Talent is a myth-desire and courage being the human attributes that make art possible. I worked in health care for over 30 years and know that professionals in the field are creative and courageous. I offer this workshop as an opportunity for you to learn another way to care for yourselves. I will demonstrate and talk about the process of drawing and art making. I will give you theory and then let you experience it. I will help you discover that you can draw, that it is accessible and pleasurable and can be a wonderful self-care tool. I will answer your questions and calm your doubts. Many of my students are health care professionals. They come tired, they want something, long for something, often it is to find a feeling or a potential that they fear they have lost or the opportunity to create something beautiful. They keep coming for the joy of finding that they have not lost anything and that by quietly drawing and seeing they are free from daily stresses for a few hours. Joanne Thomson is a professional Artist and Illustrator with a passion for helping adults discover their own creativity through painting and drawing. With a Master’s degree in Adult Education and training as a Registered Nurse Joanne spent many years teaching Nurses and Care Aides. Now she turns her teaching skills toward assisting adults to use art-making for self-discovery or just for the joy of it. Back
to Program
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Saying Yes to Change: Essential wisdom for your journey
Dr.
Joan Borysenko, PhD
Humour and the Spirit of Revitalization for Health Practitioners 
Dr. Raymond
Moody, MD, PhD
Leila Kozak, PhD, MSc
Mark Sherman, MDCM, CCFP
Dr. Edgar
Mitchell, PhD
Michelle Atterby
and Oriane Lee Johnston 
Christopher Page, MDiv, ThM
Joanne Thomson, MAdEd, BA, GN