Lakota Elder Standing Cloud speaks to Stephen Johnson. To view this video, click HERE
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Two Videos with Dr. Stephen Johnson
Three Events for Men and Women with Leonard Orr
I have
invited Leonard Orr, my friend and mentor of 38 years, to return this June first and second to present three events for men and women at Holy Spirit
Retreat Center in Encino. There will be a public presentation on Friday
night followed by two seminars on Saturday.
Leonard
is one of the elders of what we term today, “The New Age Movement.” As the
founder of the conscious breathing movement, he has published more than 20
books in more than a dozen languages. His International Rebirthing
Movement has served over ten million people on six continents, and he is a
pioneer in the field of how Physical Immortality can be actualized by us in
practical ways. We can incorporate this knowledge into our lives today and
begin to reverse the aging process and retain youthfulness and vitality.
Leonard
is one of my most inspirational teachers and mentors. Our relationship
commenced in the mid 70’s when I joined a group assisting him during the
pioneering stage of his birthing the Conscious Connected Breathing Process (aka
Rebirthing). Through this work I was privileged to co-found the Los Angeles
Rebirthing Community. Leonard has many unique ideas and concepts that he will present
throughout the three days that you can share with him.
I
encourage you to not miss this opportunity. Leonard likes to suggest that
learning and mastering the simple and pleasurable principles of spiritual
purification can “be hazardous to your misery.” I can attest that my meeting
and working with Leonard during the 70’s and 80’s made a tremendous difference
in the quality of my life, both personally and professionally. He will awaken
you to a higher realm of awareness regarding your true self, your relationships
and your purpose for living on Earth at this most turbulent yet
transformational time.
We are
alive today in the period that has been called the “Quickening,” also referred
to as “The Great Awakening” or “The Shift”, and each and every one of us
is called to move beyond self-limiting thoughts, to expand our awareness and
join the ranks of those who are enlisting to make a positive difference where
it counts.
Along
with such folk heroes as Ram Dass, Fritz Perls and Timothy Leary, who said of
Leonard’s book, Breaking the Death Habit, “Leonard Orr’s book is the
most realistic and practical one in the field of conquering death.”
There is
no limit for enrollments for the Friday evening public presentation or the
seminars on Saturday.
During
the Friday Night Presentation Leonard will present on the
importance of MASTERING ENERGY. He will also tell us that it’s the time
to become proficient at the practice of tuning into our intuitive information
as our eternal process. He states that, “The mind has 50,000 thoughts per day,
the body has over 1 billion every second. The body is over 1000 times as smart
as the mind.”
Leonard
will speak about spiritual psychology and metaphysical biology sharing the keys
of personal mastery on all levels including energy, thought, and form. He
will present examples of total mastery of body, mind and spirit and how it can
be achieved. This is a great opportunity to invest
yourself in an evening with one of the most gifted and significant teachers on
the planet today as well as to participate with other men and women that are
traversing a spiritual path toward an enlightened way of living our lives to
the fullest.
This
presentation commences at 7:00 pm on Friday, June 1st and we’ll adjourn between
9 and 9:30pm. The cost for this event is $45.
The Saturday
Morning Seminar will feature the topic of BALANCING MATERIAL AND
SPIRITUAL SUCCESS and will focus on what constitutes true success,
including money and complimentary money systems, investing, financial independence
and spiritual values. Leonard will show you how you can double your
income through doing high quality work. He will also show participants
how to make a living from the self-improvement business. Leonard will address
how to heal career burnout with the intent of
restoring a natural state of balance evidencing perfect, radiant and dynamic
health.
This
seminar commences at 9:00 am and concludes at 12 noon. Lunch is provided
from noon to 1pm. The cost for this event is $85.
The Saturday
Afternoon Seminar will feature the topic of Spiritual Purification
and the Power of Rebirthing Breathwork. Leonard believes that it is
very important that people learn the science and art of cleaning and balancing
their energy bodies which is the science of renewal and the ability to always
sustain a healing effect on all conditions.
Rebirthing
Breathwork is a powerful tool as a vehicle to journey into oneself and unlock
cellular memory, original imprinting, and stored negative emotions to create
openings for
fundamental
transformation. Leonard believes that, “Until
the death urge, that we learned from our family tradition, is healed -- all
healing is temporary.”
This
seminar will cover personal law and how it impacts one’s personal system of
beliefs. A personal law is the thought that controls our life more than any
other thought and by definition it is the most valuable knowledge we can have
about ourselves.
We will
also cover the 8 major sources of human trauma producing unhappiness and
failure. Leonard will focus on birth trauma, the parental disapproval
syndrome, the misuse of the human mind, the unconscious death urge, karma from
past lives, school trauma, religion trauma,and senility. You will take
away from this seminar the basic principles for healing them.
This
event commences after lunch at 1pm and concludes at 4 pm. Lunch is
included and is served at 12 noon. The cost for this event is $85.
Note: The fee for those wishing to attend both Saturday seminars
is $150.
Range of
fee options:
Friday
evening presentation fee = $45
Saturday
morning seminar fee (including lunch) = $85
Saturday
afternoon seminar fee (including lunch) = $85
or,
Saturday full-day program fee (including lunch) = $150
Cancellations
before Friday, May 25th will allow a full refund minus a 10% processing fee.
Cancellations after May 25th will allow a 50% refund of fee paid.
To download the flyer/registration, click HERE
Conscious Connected Breathing and Spiritual Purification
by Stephen J. Johnson, Ph.D.
In 1974 I completed my Doctoral Dissertation and graduated
from the University of Southern California with a Ph.D. in Counseling
Psychology. The topic of my Dissertation
was The Effects of Yoga Therapy on Self-Concept, Conflict Resolution and
Emotional Adjustment. The research
was performed through the Kundalini Research Institute and I had significant
results from my study evidencing the value of practicing Kundalini Yoga Therapy
to support one’s personal well-being.
I taught Hatha and Kundalini Yoga for about 5 years as an
extension of my psychotherapy practice. Yoga is still very much a part of my
life today. Dr. Leo Buscaglia, Professor
of Special Education and renowned lecturer on the topic of Love, had become an
advisor, mentor and friend who sat on my doctoral committee. We had a mutual
interest in Yoga and commenced our study together, taking classes on campus.
At the time I was also utilizing certain psychoactive plants
and drugs to enhance the depth of my work selectively with some of my
patients. I was being mentored by Dr.
Gary Fisher who was studying the effects of hallucinogens such as LSD in the
treatment of severely disturbed patients.
He had written approximately 200 journal articles on the topic.
In 1975 I met Leonard Orr at a Humanistic Psychology
Conference held on the campus of UC Berkeley.
Leonard was exploring the power of conscious breathing and had coined
the term Rebirthing due to his awareness that circular breathing could unlock
the effects of traumatic events, including birth trauma, held in one’s cellular
memory. I was eager to experience the
process and found it to be as powerfully effective in inducing an altered state
of consciousness as the psychoactive elements I was working with at the
time. Rebirthing has also been referred
to as Maha Yoga or supreme Yoga.
I went on to support Leonard in his pioneering work and
along with two associates created Holistic Arts Productions and began to host
Leonard’s Rebirthing Trainings in Los Angeles.
We established the Rebirthing LA Community and then hosted Sondra Ray’s
Loving Relationship Training, becoming the LA training center for Leonard’s and
Sondra’s work. I joined the ranks of
Certified Rebirthers and began offering my own workshops and trainings as well.
Sacred Breathing Sessions became central to the therapeutic
work that I was facilitating through my psychotherapy practice, seminars,
practicums and retreats. Learning
Leonard’s concepts regarding spiritual purification through the elements of
earth, air, water and fire has served as a tremendous influence on my life
personally and professionally.
Rebirthing is essentially a conscious-connected breathing
process that integrates body, mind and spirit, helping you to maintain a
perpetual state of relaxation. As you
clean and balance your energy field, a profound sense of well-being is
produced. Effects on life are
immediate. As negative patterns held in
the mind and body start to dissolve, you begin to experience your natural
center.
The primary purpose of the process is to release
restrictions in your breathing and resistance held throughout your body since
birth. The goal is to teach you to
breathe energy as well as air. Consciously
breathing energy is the secret to deep relaxation and therefore plays a big
part in a tension free and dis-ease free lifestyle. Over the years that I have
taught people how to balance and clean their energy fields I have witnessed
significant transformation and successful results in their lives.
I have found circular breathing sessions to be quite
beneficial in treating patients who experience a lot of anxiety and are prone
to panic attacks. We have found that
having approximately 10 one- to two-hour coached Mindful Breathing lessons can
be just what the doctor ordered to transform your consciousness and put your
life on the right track.
Steve Branker: A Review of The 12th Annual Call to Adventure
I had the distinct honor and privilege of shepherding this year’s 12th annual Call to Adventure/Rites of Passage Retreat for Fathers and Sons, Boys and Mentors. Like it is so often said after a Retreat, this one was the best ever. We had about 30 participants, a terrific mixture including several Father and Son teams, Mentors and Mentees, youth and adult brothers. A special thank you goes to Richie Biren and his friends as well as Charlie Atkinson of the Millennium Oaks Institute for their generous support to provide financial scholarships and to make this Retreat a reality.
This year’s “Adventure”
certainly lived up to the billing. As we began tracking the weather pattern
prior to the Retreat, we knew that there was a good possibility of rain on
Friday, when the Ropes Course is usually scheduled. Sure enough, on Friday
morning the sky began to darken and the wind began to pick up. Phil Folsum and
the crew from Fulcrum Adventures arrived to guide us through the Ropes Course
experience. It was decided that as long as there was no lightning, the Ropes
Course would proceed. Everyone gathered outdoors to begin some of the team-building
exercises. The light drizzle and soft wind transformed into a solid downpour
with strong winds. We all made our way down to the Ropes Course set-up and
began the safety training session. Then, as spirit would have it, the clouds
began drumming with loud thunder and the dark sky became bright with brilliant
flashes of lightning. It was time to move everyone to the safety of the indoors
to ride out the storm. The extraordinary men from Fulcrum guided us on a
variety of team-building enrichment experiences
designed to expand and strengthen leadership skills, interpersonal
relationships and self confidence.
After lunch,
the sky settled down and once again we went to the Ropes Course area. If you
are not familiar with a Ropes Course, check out the Men’s Center website (http://www.menscenterlosangeles.com/events.html)
for some videos from previous CTA Retreats. As the men and youth began to take
part in the various aspects of the Ropes Course, once again the sky darkened,
the winds and rain increased, and the temperature dropped, transforming the
rain to hailstones. However, this did not deter the Participants. Instead of
succumbing to the elements, they chose to continue with the experience. The
group of youth and men grew even closer and more supportive of each other,
thereby prevailing over the physically challenging course as well as the
unpredictable weather elements. It was indeed quite an Adventure for all.
The next day,
it was time to witness the Sweat Lodge (Inipi) experience. Justin “Bear”
Annunziato began the ceremony with the lighting of the fire utilizing the “bow”
method of using a stick, string and wood to create the initial fire. Most have
not witnessed how to create a fire without a lighter or matches. It was quite
intriguing. Then Bill Stover (Mahpia
Naijin – Standing Cloud), a Lakota elder, shared some of his many experiences,
insights and Tribal traditions. After the “stone people” were heated by the
fire, it was time to enter into the Sweat Lodge. Water Pourer, Thomas Alvarez (Sungmani Tutankaska – White Wolf), led
the youth and men through this experience. This was incredible as we shifted
from the challenges of the wet and cold weather of the previous day into the
heat of the Sweat Lodge. This Adventure served as a challenge to sit within the
dark and heated confines of the “Lodge”. Like the challenges of the previous
day, the youth and men pushed their own and collective limits. Their
perseverance to move outside of the comfort level and into the “moment” was
incredible.
The next
Adventure was spent in an exercise with Phil Jennings, who amongst other things
in life, holds multi-level black-belt degrees in various martial arts
disciplines. The use of martial arts is quite often associated with fighting or
other aggressive actions. However, this is not always the case. Phil utilizes
his expertise in demonstrating how to transform various methods of martial arts
into developing inner strength, self-discipline and being “centered.” The use
of this knowledge and techniques can then be transferred into success with
schoolwork, resisting peer pressure, further development of self confidence and
making “good” choices.
The term
“choice” was a central theme throughout the Retreat. It’s utilized to
demonstrate that each youth and man has the option and ability to choose what
Path he wants to pursue with his life. Given whatever circumstances we are
faced with, we still have the “choice” of what action to take or not to take.
Many of the attendees (past and present) live within the inner city of Los
Angeles. Most of us reading this Newsletter have no idea what this lifestyle is
really like. Of course there are news
reports and movies, etc. that provide some portrayal. Having spent a
significant amount of time with the inner city youth and men over the years as
part of the Call to Adventure Retreat, I have become somewhat “educated”
concerning their trials and tribulations. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, it was
“sex, drugs and rock and roll.” In the past 10+ years within the inner city, it
has become “money, crack-cocaine and guns.” The pressures that these young men
face in everyday life are astounding. Instead of primarily dealing with such
things as schoolwork and girlfriends, etc., they are dealing with whether or
not they will come back alive after they walk out of their homes each day. A
tradition that we have at the Retreat is to set aside a time where an
individual can light a floating rose candle in honor and memory of a
significant person that has passed away in the past year, then place it in a
water bowl. Year after year, the young men take part in this ceremony, each
lighting several candles in memory of their fathers, brothers, uncles and
friends who have been killed in the streets of the inner city. It has generally
become a commonplace way of life (or death) for them, including one former CTA
youth who was killed while picking up his father to take him home from a party.
It is very heart-wrenching for me and others who witness this experience.
Fortunately, there are Mentors who have attended the Call to Adventure Retreat like
Cameron, Marvo, JT, Tim, Vernon, Clyde, Jelani and Boomer, who have stepped
forward within their communities to help guide the young men in making
different “choices.” They have personally been through similar trials and
tribulations and are now working diligently to make a difference in the lives
of the youths at risk. These men, and others like them, are today’s modern-day heroes.
This reminds
me of a very short story: A father and his son were walking down the beach one
day. As far as they could see along the beach were thousands of starfish lying on
the sand and dying. The father could see that his son was becoming very
distressed seeing all the starfish like this. As they progressed further down
the beach, the son stopped, bent down, picked up one of the starfish, walked to
the water’s edge and gently tossed it back into the sea. The father then said
to his son, “there are too many starfish on the sand to pick up, throw into the
sea and make any kind of difference.” The son then looked up at his father and
replied, “it will make a difference to this one!”
And this is
why I, Stephen Johnson, the staff of the Wisdom Counsel and the many others who
comprise the Sacred Path Men’s Community continue to provide support for the Call to Adventure/Rites of Passage Retreat for
Fathers and Sons, Boys and Mentors. My/our hope and prayer is that we are able
to make a difference in the lives of more than just one “starfish”.
Namaste,
Steve Branker
Impressions and Reflections on the Spring 2012 Sacred Path Mens' Retreat
By Dan Franklin, MFT
My
impressions of the spring retreat are from the wonderful vantage point of being
a long-time staff member of the counsel of men that puts these retreats together.
A lot of work goes into the preparation as well as the trickster energy that
allows all of us up on the mountain to be surprised and somehow changed by what
happens to us there despite the best laid plans. What we don’t plan is often
what turns out to be some of the highlights of the weekend. Funny how that
works.
The
weekend is designed to shift our consciousness to another place… more open… more
alert… more aware… even a bit more courageous. Something extraordinary occurs
in the process of men gathering to trust each other, to share, to reveal,
re-charge and re-invigorate. It is a
booster shot well placed for those of us who just want to get away for a while,
or need to ask a life-altering question, or simply enjoy the congeniality of
hanging out with a bunch of really good guys.
Over
the years (and I’ve attended more than I can count) it never fails to fascinate
me how the mere commitment to change animates that process. We tend to get what
we focus on in life, and three days on the mountain can put a lot of things into
focus.
This
retreat held a slightly smaller group than usual, but it created an intimate
connection as each man got to know everyone up there. For starters, the setting is spectacular,
high above the blue Pacific. As you stand on a hillside edge, it’s easy to
imagine the Native American experience of scanning a pristine landscape and
that same blue ocean for generations. The drumming, sweat lodges, the
ceremonial flavor of the retreat, all do justice to the sacred grounds. In
another way, the experience gives modern men who live in the cities by and
large, and with busy stressful lives, a rare rendezvous with their natural
outward-bound terrain and numerous vehicles for inner-bound exploration.
How
bad can that be? That’s why we always confidently predict each retreat will be
uniquely special… and they all are. I’ve
never been to two that are alike, not so much in the sense that the approach to
work on the mountain changes as how each man and the dynamics of the
participants interaction has its own particular feel.
We
staff members at times joke about our “best laid plans” to give the
participants the best possible experience and watch as each man finds his way,
in his own way. Lest we forget: you get a bunch of guys together, far from career
and work, wives, lovers, kids, and some form of party can’t help but break out.
It warms my heart to see good, earnest men at play. The dialogue can be
hilarious, or serious, profound or bawdy.
Research
and just plain old observation tells us that men need space… to breathe... to
think… to stop thinking. Men need to
feels their hearts and minds… to get back in touch with their bodies, to walk
in dirt, or even mud when we catch a little rain as was the case this time. We
loved that stuff as kids. It serves us that we don’t forget the boy in us that
needs a playground now and then.
Time
on the mountain feels different. There is a suspended quality to it that is
relaxing and engaging, call it what you will. You can feel the difference after
a few hours. Some of the men got soaked coming out of the sweat lodge due to
the rain. It was a joyous mess. We just don’t get to do that kind of stuff
enough.
There
were plenty of moments where men, either in their tribes, one-on-one, or
perhaps on a solitary walk, had epiphanies, moments of clarity and insight. And
they shared them with each other. My favorite times at our retreats are the
one-on-one conversations. They sprang up all over the place. As I’d walk around
the grounds, I’d see two or maybe three guys deep in conversation, or sharing
martial arts moves, or just clowning around. Men can get pretty aggressive and
competitive down the mountain, as they compete for jobs, contracts, women,
sports victory - but all that somehow seems to get checked at the door of the
container lodge where the opening ceremony takes place. Brotherhood can be an
overused word, but there is a lot of relatively instant and spontaneous outbreaks
of it as men relax and gather for common purpose.
I
lead what we call a break-out session on the subject of worthwhile
relationships, particularly of the yin-meets-yang variety, if you know what I
mean. It’s amazing how willing men are to speak their truth about their
relationships to women when others will speak freely as well. I’m always struck
by the respect men actually have for their partners, even while admittedly
being clueless at times as to how to proceed.
When men can tell the truth about any subject or situation, there’s an
opportunity for greater wisdom and new growth.
Nick
Rath offered his usual insightful view of parenting in his break-out sessions,
which expanded the idea of good parenting to good modeling and leadership when men
are in the company of young people, even not in their family circle. I think
his teaching points speak to the family of man and woman.
Our
re-birthing exercise is always interesting in that, while it sounds a bit
mysterious and esoteric, it’s really the
elegantly simple act of breathing in a rhythmic way and getting in touch with
your own energy. Stripped of the layers of responsibilities, agendas and
encounters with time bandits “down the mountain,” we can get to the core of
things.
There’s
no right way to “do” our retreats.
Something just happens, and in a different way for every man. This retreat
was no exception. I’m glad we do this. It’s good for good men to gather, good
for the nervous system and good for the soul. What can be lost in the details
or the telling is the sheer joy of freedom one gets for a few days. It’s a
special time in a special place. It’s a gift all of us give to each other. If
you are reading this and you haven’t done it… catch the next train going… up
that mountain. Peace. Out!
Dan is the Director of Counseling
Services for The Men’s Center of Los Angeles and long time staff member of The
Sacred Path Wisdom Council
Margie Stewart Johnson Obituary
MARGIE, the only official World War ll Poster girl, passed away
on Thursday April 26, 2012 at Providence Saint Joseph’s Medical Center in
Burbank. She was 92. Originally from
Wabash, Indiana, Margie attended Indiana University and began her career as a
model at the Charles A. Stevens Department Store in Chicago. Within a short
time she had posed for numerous ad campaigns and made her way to Hollywood
where she soon was signed to a contract with RKO pictures. Margie appeared in
twenty films, including “Bombardier,” “Wonderman,” and “Gildersleeve’s Ghost” before she was tapped
to become the “Face of the girl back Home” to every G I around the world.
Over 94 Million posters went out as part of a campaign to sell
War Bonds and to boost the morale of the troops. It was so successful that
Eleanor Roosevelt tried to stop the campaign, complaining that the boys were
becoming too homesick! But thousands of letters poured in to the White House,
and the campaign went forward. While in
Europe with the Bond Cavalcade of Stars she met and married Captain Jerry
Johnson. They were married nearly 58 years before his death in 2003. She arrived home at the end of the war. To
this day she has fans around the world who visit her website and send her
requests for autographed pictures.
This month she became a cover girl again when she appeared on the
cover of Reminisce magazine and had
an eight page spread outlining her career as a starlet to World War ll icon.
She was a true American hero and died as passionate as ever about supporting
our troops and the country she loved so much. She is survived by her son, Dr.
Stephen Johnson, her daughter-in-law, Fran, and their three children, Derek,
Ian and Dana. In lieu of flowers donations to the USO are appreciated.
Links to articles about Margie:
Blind Perspective, Vol. 7
Late April, Los Angeles, 1994. I’m on the second floor
looking down through the window as Dan and his buddy slowly lug a huge piece of
furniture towards the front door. The phone rings and I rush to catch it before the answering machine picks up.
“Hello, Michael here!” Breathless, I take the cordless into
the living room and flop onto my favorite chair.
“Michael, it’s Catherine. How goes it?”
“Catherine,” I say excitedly. Great to hear from you. I’m
doing very well. Believe it or not, Dan
is moving in as we speak.”
“Oh, my God, the U-Haul in the driveway already?”
“Well, you know we’re both on AIDS time, and our birthdays
are coming up.”
I hear a loud bang against the wall as Dan and his friend
maneuver a huge piece of oak furniture through the door.
“What’s that noise, Michael?” Catherine asks abruptly.
I gasp. “My God, it’s dark oak: It’s going to clash with
every piece of my furniture! I need to go make sure it’s put in the right
spot!”
“ Okay, sounds like you’ve got your hands full.”
“Let’s talk soon. Don’t be a stranger. We’ll do lunch,” I
say as I hang up.
Mama Girl jumps off my lap and hides under the sofa as I
approach Dan as diplomatically as possible.
“Dan, you don’t have a lot of furniture like that, do you?”
I ask.
“No, I just brought my favorite pieces.”
“I think they’d be perfect, ah, in the middle room,” I
suggest.
He looks at me and rubs his goatee.
“Is this too much too fast for you? You getting cold feet?”
“I guess I’m just used to my space in a certain way. I’m
sure I’ll adjust,” I say optimistically.
“Okay, the middle room it is. Anything for the birthday boy.
”I’ll be back in a half hour.”
I return to my favorite chair. Momma Girl jumps on my lap
and Zacky comes out of the closet after the coast is clear, meowing with
concern. I take them both on my lap and count my blessings. My right eye is
fogging up more with each month.
My Westminster clock begins to chime as the time for my
inevitable blindness closes in. How long,
I wonder. Zacky licks my finger and I rub the top of his head. We’re very lucky
to have Dan in our lives. I’m so fortunate to have my Griffins on my lap, Momma
Girl on my left, Zacky on my right. I close my left eye and look down at Zacky.
To my shock, all I can see is his head.
Zacky’s body is invisible.
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