Sacred Path Productions
Presents
The Mindfulness Practicum – A Day for Women
With
Dr. Stephen J. Johnson, Ph.D.
Saturday, June 6, 2009, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Holy Spirit Retreat Center
4316 Lanai Road, Encino
For over 35 years, Dr. Stephen Johnson has been bringing out the best in people. In 1976 he co-founded The Center for Holistic Psychology in Beverly Hills. The early 1980’s saw the creation of Blueprint For Life Seminars for men and women and in 1984 he co-founded the H.E.A.R.T.S.WORK retreats also for men and women. In 1987 he was inspired to direct his attention to men’s work and created the Sacred Path Men’s Retreat and founded the Men’s Center Los Angeles in 1988. For the past 20 years he has focused his work largely on men and their relationships. Now it is once again the time to give back to women. This is your opportunity to participate in a life enhancing experience with Stephen and his staff. As one who is committed to living a conscious life, you are invited to attend this Practicum on the Spiritual Psychology of Mindfulness.
In this challenging time it’s helpful to surround oneself with likeminded people seeking the solace and comfort within the understanding and compassion that connects our hearts and opens our minds to new ways of dealing with life’s lessons. In November a group of women gathered for a day devoted to that endeavor. Safety, sincerity and the spirit of sisterhood flourished in an atmosphere conducive for deep work. At the end of the day the question was unanimously posed, “When can we do this again?” June 6th is the day that has been set aside for a select group of women to join Stephen and three of the men from the Wisdom Council that facilitate the workshops and retreats for men on the Sacred Path. You are invited to be a part of this group. Explore, share, meditate and breathe deeply together during a day designed to replace the stress of doing with the lightness of being.
In 1974, while a Doctoral Fellow in Rehabilitation Psychology at the University of Southern California, Stephen published his research on the Benefits of Yoga Therapy on Self-Concept, Conflict Resolution and Emotional Adjustment. He went on to study a post-doctoral curriculum for four years at the National Academy of Metaphysics and was one of a group of individuals assisting Leonard Orr during his pioneering work with the powerful breathing process called Rebirthing. This became the foundation for the blending of spirituality and psychology that has been at the heart of Stephen’s personal evolvement and his professional practice as a psychotherapist and educator.
Space is limited; enrollments will be accepted on a first come basis; please enroll early to reserve your spot.
The fee for the Practicum is $150.00, which covers program, lunch, morning and afternoon snacks. Checks should be made to the order of Sacred Path Productions, Inc. and should be mailed with the completed registration form to:
Men’s Center Los Angeles, 21243 Ventura Blvd., Suite 214, Woodland Hills, CA 91364
Applications with credit card information can be faxed to (818) 348-9302.
For reservations, call Rich Manners at 818-888-8852 or e-mail: jyngleman@sbcglobal.net
Please put “Practicum” in the subject of your e-mail.
Enrollment fee refunded minus $25 processing fee if cancellation is made on or before Friday, May 29th.
To download the flyer/application for the Women's Practicum, click HERE
1 comment:
I haven't been to a retreat in a long time. I often read the blog entries with considerable envy, and sometimes a little irritation too--when my focus is on how to get enough to eat this week, things like "mindfulness" ironically seem luxuriant...it's NOT, but it can feel that way. I feel like I'm "playing in parallel," as my son does, with my brothers who can afford to participate.
Sure, my commitments to my family have sometimes demanded my focused attention on our needs so I don't even consider the retreat dates, knowing I have to work instead. But mostly I got tired of being a "perpetual scholarship member" of the group. Feeling like the charity case makes me feel less-than so it's easier to just not try to go. I have started earning an income again--you'd rightly laugh at me for being thrilled to make $28 in a week--but it's something. I'm fiercely proud of being able to do something someone will pay for. I hope as I nurture my efforts and my hard work the income will grow to where I need it to be--maybe even afford a retreat someday.
When I read the title for the Fall 2009 retreat "Mindfulness & Positivity" I feel my guts clench. For a very long time owning-class philosophies like positive thinking and "The Secret" have wreaked havoc in my lived experience as a lower-class person--(class does matter). I know this is a controversial position; how can positive attitude or positive thinking be "bad", right? For someone like me, whose brain is wired (to excess) to "hunker down" (depression) or to "jump the crevasse" (hypo/mania) in response to stimuli, being able to control one's thoughts and attitudes is a frightening and devastating prospect. Imagine having no ability to dictate to your mind how you should or could respond to triggering events. Even with meds (expensive meds), that's my life as a BiPolar (II) wired person. While this wiring is indeed a deep well of creativity, when it comes to mundane things of daily life, it's a pain in the ass.
At the same time as I feel this increasing "playing in parallel" with the good men on the Sacred Path who have been, and I hope still are, my brothers, I am always encouraged by what I read and the photos I see. I devoured the mindfulness practices Stephen writes about in the blog. I learned a lot and saw pathways open for me I hadn't seen before because of what he wrote. I am very grateful to Stephen for writing this out and to Rich for putting it up on the blog.
One thing I have learned from Sacred Path is, some things are beyond me, outside my class-experience, off my map and that's okay. I do have to work very hard not to allow those distinctions from becoming points of alienation... and that's difficult ("refraining" would probably help me a lot). I've also learned that just as in Aikido, it's not merely the repetition of body movements, it's in the practice of being calm in face of stimuli. I need to know this mindfulness practices stuff and make it part of how I live, hopefully so I can improve the quality of my life and that of my family.
Maybe I'm writing all this just to say, hey, I'm still here. I miss you guys. I feel alone and afraid and I don't feel like an equal. I have some challenges where I can't afford to keep losing and I need to win more. And that I'm grateful to keep being fed stuff to read. Thanks. Hah-ho.
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