Finding Presence: A Workshop on Embodied Spiritual Practice
Recent developments in
mindfulness practices and body therapies indicate that the benefits of embodied
practice are critical to health and well being and can be a resource for living
life graciously rather than in anxiety and fear.
The Finding Presence workshop will benefit those who want to deepen
their spiritual practice and who need tools and spiritual resources to do
so. It will also support those who are
overwhelmed with the busyness and confusion of contemporary times and would
like resources to stay clear, focused in the present and connected with what some call Oneness, the
Divine, Mystery, or Being.
We will bring together the worlds
of somatics and meditation, sound and silence, movement and stillness, in
exploring the work of full presence. We
will
·
Learn the principles and practice of basic meditation
·
Explore movement and stillness as resources
·
Learn basic psychomotor body
skills to aid being in the present moment
·
Expand and deepen awareness of sensory perception as a resource for
embodied meditation
·
Reflect on spiritual teachings on presence from different faith traditions
·
Look at the value and practice of the pause
·
Use Gratitude as a spiritual practice of presence
When: Thursday evenings 7pm – 9pm. October 23 to December 4 (no class November 20)
Where: Comox United Church –250 Beach Ave. Comox-
lower level room - wheelchair accessible
Cost: By donation
Facilitators:
Denise
Nadeau is a dance-movement therapist, spiritual companion and educator
whose work in the past twenty years has combined expressive arts with spiritual
practice in the recovery of the sacredness of the body. She has led retreats and workshops for people
dealing with chronic pain, cancer, or recovering from violence, as well as
community healing workshops that focus on developing bodily vitality and our
sense of connection with the earth. She
has a Doctor of Ministry and a Masters of Divinity, as well as training in BodyMind Psychotherapy, the Halprin Life-Art
Process,and Moaiku Bodynamics. From 2006 to 2012 she was the Director of the
Interfaith Institute for Justice, Peace and Social Movements at Simon Fraser
University.
Wendy McNiven is a Unitarian Minister and certified
counsellor. Her
experience over the past twenty years has included pastoral care with people in
life-compromising situations, counseling with individuals and families, energy
clearing and healing work, and leading small groups in both workshop settings
and interpersonal support and growth.
Wendy has a Masters of Divinity degree and a Masters of Education in
Counseling Psychology. She has studied energy work, and has a regular meditation practice. She is dedicated to the belief that each of
us, with the right kind of support, can tap into a deep well of
strength and wisdom within ourselves.
This program is sponsored by the United Church
Pro-vision Fund and supported by
Comox
United Church, and the Comox Valley Unitarian Fellowhsip.
