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be the change you want a four day adventure 2009 Dates to be Announced making a life journey of meaning individuals In this rich period of transition and transformation, culturally creative individuals have been offered an impressive array of spiritual practices, physical self-disciplines and eclectic lenses of perception. But too often the experiences are like beads without a string to hold them.
Program StructureThe program consists of a four day intensive, held in a beautiful retreat setting-with fabulous food and spa facilities-on the Northern California coast. Activities include guided meditation and inquiry; private healing and bodywork sessions; private writing and reflection; instruction in conscious touch and somatic awareness; and eclectic movement exercises.
Philosophy Life teaches us that change is inevitable. It also shows us that transformation is intentional. We have to choose it. And when we do, our lives become manifestations of divine mind. In order to lead in business, grow in spiritual awareness or cultivate real intimacy in our relationships, we must leverage our intentions with the fulcrum of what is real and what has heart. To do this well in a complex world, we need to embrace the wisdom of simplicity as we appreciate the dynamic tension of complimentary opposition. This is a problem for the conditioned personality because it is seduced by a conceptual mind that loudly dismisses clear truth as simplistic and makes a false conflict between polarities. The elegant solution lies in the shift of perception that weaves the threads of complexity into a seamless unity. And there is nothing that does this quite like the merging of the human body's instinctual wisdom with the aware mind's intuition. When we realize that complex distinctions are not in dispute with integrated simplicity, the whole universe surrenders and we experience all the benefits of the transformed life that is co creative with the Mystery that goes by ten thousand names. In this surrender, complimentary opposites find union--as night and day, male and female, and in-breath and out-breath attest. This union in human existence generates creative energy for life itself as it awakens our humility, our awe and our gratitude. And it is this union of body wisdom with mindful sensitivity that forms the essential foundation for all the sacred teachings throughout the ages. The Transformational Journey explores this union with a pragmatic vision -- your joyful empowerment in a world committed to resolving conflict and celebrating peace. Overview The Transformational Journey has been developed for the discerning individual and group wishing to:
~make healthy and creative changes that are sustainable. ~be a part of the solution.
~stay loving in a competitive world. ~know who you are. ~be the change you want. ~create a more joyful life in a better world. Our approach to realizing this better world and greater joy begins with knowing where we're at and where we want to go; hence the journey. It is our fervent wish that each participant leaves this experience with a personal compass and legend, knowing a community of fellow travelers support his personal growth. The Transformational Journey explores the terrain of self through movement, touch and Earth-Spirit meditations. Evoked on this journey -- and shaped by teaching and inquiry -- is each person's core issue and challenge alongside her sincere desire for positive and sustainable change. From this evocation and motivation an opportunity arises to work creatively to bring about a transformation in felt perception, thus inviting new ways of being.
How Does This Happen ~In movement, the subconscious sensate impulses of the body arise to inform our "normal" consciousness about our state of being. In Tai Chi or other martial arts the body rebalances itself in relation to one's moving center and the law of gravity. In yoga, especially when the breath is integrated into the practice, the body encounters its limitations and its potentials in a biofeedback loop that reveals new ways of being embodied. ~In touch, the most non-conceptual of our five senses, we experience our neuro-emotional state of flow -- where it is free and where it is inhibited. By receiving and learning to give conscious touch, we bridge awareness and sensation. The more these bridges are traversed, the realms of body and mind merge into an integrated bodymind --the place where wellbeing and insight thrive. ~In Earth-Spirit meditation, the mind finds a resting place as the body sits in stillness with the breath, or mindfully walks through a meadow, forest or natural setting. Insights that have heretofore been obscured by one's mental restlessness arise to be witnessed with fresh eyes. ~Teaching and Inquiry are woven into our days and evenings as we uncover and reveal our true natures--not unlike the way a sculptor reveals the essential beauty lying within a stone or a block of wood. This art of "sculpting away excess to reveal essence" is the organizing principle of the transformational journey. Ultimately we are all sculptors asking: What are we to make of our life? It is this Inquiry that becomes our hammer and chisel. And it is love that gives us the rigor to use these tools to reveal our destiny. Transforming our lives is serious business. Sometimes, in the process, we need courage to go deep into places that are contracted or heavy with strong memory or unfulfilled promise. And yet, with skilful means and supportive guidance, we find that we can do the hard work and free something so precious within us that our whole life changes for the better. This is the work of transformation. Love is work. If we want to move beyond survival and explore the possibilities of living with heart and humor and enthusiasm, then we need to be brave and go to our edge. This is where we find our healing and our light. The intent of this Journey is to celebrate choice and free will, and to encourage you to engage yourself in a fresh way with the aspects of your life that hunger for change so that real transformation occurs. On our journey, we will play with whatever shows up, confident that we possess all that we need to effect powerful transformation because we have befriended our body's wisdom. Working Perspectives If you are an individual coming to this seminar, you will be welcomed as a full member of an inspired group of people like yourself. We will help you focus upon your personal goals in a way that respects your privacy as you open to a process that invites self-revelation and personal growth. If you are a company or organization that is interested in a uniquely stylized Transformational Journey, we will work with you to tailor this experience in interesting and unique ways. Shared passions and goals as well as specific challenges will be taken into consideration in a pre-journey consultation with your group organizer. It is very exciting to weave the personal threads of each participant into a collective tapestry that everyone appreciates and respects. Collaborative work in building a community of shared values is one of the most exciting aspects of this work. We have access to professionals at all levels of expertise and can work together with you to design a program that meets your needs. And we look forward to working in conjunction with you as a resource-tool that you might use for your work in the world, both inside your organization and in your external work with other groups. If you are a family facing the challenges that naturally arise in modern life, we can offer you a spacious and supportive opportunity to share your truths in a respectful manner and redefine who you are to each other. This process reveals the bonding patterns and relational dynamics that generate family life and asks: "How can everyone get their needs met? And "What does each member of the family really want from, and for, each other?" We believe that the clarity arising from this inquiry will generate a new context for mutuality and respect. If you, as a family, are in a painful crisis or at a choice point about divorce, The Transformational Journey can be a place where difficult resolutions are made with grace. When difficult transitions are made with heartfelt guidance, our fragile parts don't break as we find new ground. And, if we bow in an ending, we arise with a smile. Don't leave the "little people" out. Many of us arrive at a personal growth seminar with notions that we are going to cultivate more of a "winner" self-system with a personality upgrade and a new and improved outlook. Of course, this may very well happen but it is less likely if we try to make this so. Rather, we will have a more graceful manifestation of these qualities by allowing all of our parts to show up without self-judgment or hypercritical perception. Person to planet is the way we make a difference in the world. As we open our hearts to our own conflict resolution, our larger community grows more peaceful. As we become more centered in self, we outgrow self-centered preoccupations and our actions move toward service. As we honor the body's way of holding beliefs and ideas about the world, we come to see that the "art of personal disarmament" invites the peaceful world we want. You are the leader you've been yearning for. On the Transformational Journey, it becomes clear that each of us must become our own leader. By integrating new awareness within the cellular hardware of our bodies we invite sustainable change, allowing us to become responsible for our own lives. We embody the "inner leader" as a grounded identity. This process engenders confidence in ourselves as it invites others to see us in a more trustworthy light. The Journey Leaders Fred and Cheryl Mitouer are teachers of massage, movement & the healing arts. They blend East-West traditions into a mature and eclectic exploration of the relationship between the inner human being and the physical body. They are California Life Credentialed teachers with over 30 years of private and public school experience from pre-school to university settings. Cheryl and Fred's personal experiences with body-mind discipline, nutritional cleansing and relationships combine in an objective and down-to-earth manner with their formal training in massage therapy, holistic health counseling, hospice care for the dying, and various touch and movement modalities including Jin Shin Jyutsu, Applied Kinesiology, Polarity, Sports Massage, Non-impact Aerobics, Hatha Yoga, Tai Chi, Craniosacral Therapy and SHEN. Fred and Cheryl are students of various forms of meditation. The lessons of making peace with oneself and living harmoniously in this world are at the heart of their teachings and private practices. Cheryl Mitouer, H.H.C. is the creator of Earth-Spirit Journeys - a unique blend of somatic therapies and self-inquiry protocols that enable the swift clearing of identities that block healing and creativity. Insights gained through the work are grounded through ritual and ceremony--evoking a new way of living, with deep roots and high branches. Cheryl has been a health and healing arts practitioner and counselor for thirty years, teaching her work in Asia, Europe and the USA in settings that span all the dimensions from infant massage to hospice care. She has been the Director of the Holistic Health Institute in San Francisco and a teacher of preschoolers through high school teens. She is a mother, grandmother, a mentor and a dancer of her muse. Fred Mitouer , Ph.D., is internationally known for his groundbreaking somatic therapy: Transformational Bodywork and as the founder of Dragons' Breath Theatre --a forum for cultural experiments in consciousness and irreverent play. e is the founder of Pacific School of Massage and Healing Arts. He has been a featured presenter at many international conferences, including the International Somatics Congresses which he co-sponsored with the Association of Humanistic Psychology; the State of the World Forum; and the Ninth International Conference on Conflict Resolution in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has presented his work in Paris, Hong Kong and throughout the United States and has maintained a private practice in Northern California for over 30 years. His writings have appeared in Perspective, Massage Magazine, Common Ground and Yoga Journal, and in his regular Bulletin Board. He is a co-author of the award winning book, Healing the Heart of the World . His transformational bodywork and consulting practice focuses upon revealing the innate wisdom within each person. Obstacles are seen as opportunities that, once transformed, release tremendous reservoirs of dynamic energy and creative perception. By sourcing the physical body through touch, kinesiology and homeopathic testing, Fred is able to access bio-conscious information that can facilitate a profound transformational process. His private clientele have included creative edge business leaders, meditation teachers, entrepreneurs, artists of all stripes, and cultural
heroes. He is a father and grandfather. Logistics This event will be held: May 22-25, 2008 in a retreat setting in Gualala, California. Gualala is on the northern California coast, about three hours north of San Francisco. The next event is scheduled for: October 23-26, 2008 The tuition* for this event is $1,800 , which includes all meals (starting with lunch on Thursday), but not lodging. When you enroll, lodging information will be sent to you. If you wish us to arrange for your overnight lodging, please let us know and we will make it so. This event will be limited to ten participants . If you think it is appropriate for you but are not sure, please schedule a call with either of us to discuss it: 707.884.3138 *Tuition may be customized for the uniqueness of your group. |
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Download a PDF of our Transformational Journey/Bodywork Brochure |
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PPacific School Of Massage | Transformational Bodywork | The Transformational Journey | Dragons' Breath Theatre | Fred's BB | Writings | About Copyright © 2008, bodyworkmassage.com |
