This course is aimed toward anyone interested in this topic – whether you are a health professional seeking ways to support people who are grappling with these issues, or whether you are simply showing up as a human being doing your best to grapple with these issues yourself.
There is scholarship funding available for this course, which allows those with financial need to reduce the cost by as much as $100.
You will be given this option in the checkout cart. Please keep in mind that by paying as much as your financial situation allows, you’re increasing the support available to those in need with this and other related courses and events.
This course weaves together mindfulness and guided imagery, theoretical teachings, experiential large and small-group discussion and practices, and various media to provide a rich and engaging experience.
We find ourselves in an extraordinary time…
The recent Covid crisis has presented us with a strong taste of a globally shared crisis, and despite this particular crisis settling down, many signs point to the emergence of further, and possibly much more challenging, global crises that we personally and collectively face.
We see steadily increasing signs of the unravelling of many of the social systems many of us have generally taken for granted—government, economic, healthcare, political and international relations. Even more ominous are increasing signs of the breakdown of our deepest life support systems—the many Earth systems (ocean, terrestrial and climate) that our food web and our lives depend upon.
Understandably, many people are already experiencing strong reactions to this precarious situation, ranging from avoidance and denial on one extreme to overwhelming despair, anger or fear on the other extreme. Closely related to this, we notice increasing polarisations threatening to tear apart the fabric of our social relationships, from friendships and families all the way up to the national and international level.
And yet we also see the stirrings of people and organizations offering great care and kindness in the midst of this hardship – love in the face of fear, generosity in the face of scarcity.
Is it possible that such global crises may ultimately act as a catalyst for profound positive transformation, both personally and collectively? Can “breaking down” ultimately be an essential step in the path towards “breaking through” into greater resilience, harmony and health?
In this course, we will explore the spiritual underpinnings that unite all of humanity, and indeed all of life, a framework that allows us to dip into the deeper waters of our shared existence, a framework that can allow us to transcend the divisions of politics, religion and identity and meet in the “field beyond right and wrong.”
In particular, we will…
- Explore the concept of a universal spirituality – an Earth/Cosmos/Nature-based spirituality drawing from well-established nonsectarian frameworks of existential, psychological, ecological and systems perspectives.
- Consider how such a spirituality can support us, personally and collectively, to face these crises
- Consider how the principles of trauma healing, complex systems change, evolution, emergence and organismic wisdom inform this approach
- Bring mindful attention to our own feelings, needs and values around these themes and issues
- Learn how to empathize with and be heard by others who share different perspectives than us
- Connect more fully with our personal values and explore how these can act as our compass through difficult times
- Explore specific actions we can take to care for ourselves, others and our shared home
This training is divided into four 2-hour modules taking place once a week:
5-7pm U.S. Mountain Time – 4 consecutive Tuesdays, beginning March 11th, 2025
12-2pm NZ Time – 4 consecutive Wednesdays, beginning March 12th, 2023
See days/times in your time zone –>
Investment
Sliding scale: $175 – $75 USD
Please consider what you can afford – reaching further up the scale will support others who are unable to do so. Profits from this course will go towards making other similar events affordable to all.
Venue
Online via the Zoom interactive platform
Course Content
