Circle of Presence This new program meets 3 times, on the first Wednesday of the month. This Circle will be open to a 4 to 5 participants who will commit to meeting together for 2 hours each month from September through November, 2008. At the conclusion of this time the group will determine whether to continue meeting.
Wednesdays: September 3, October 1, and November 5.
10 am to Noon
St. Joseph Center
1501 S. Layton Blvd.
Milwaukee
Fee: $15 per session
Registrations due by Wednesday, August 27.
Call Rosie Bonk, SSND at 414-328-1808 for an initial conversation about any questions you have and to determine whether this is a good fit for you.
While spiritual direction often occurs one-on-one, it can also be experienced within a group setting, where people seek the face of God together in their daily events and relationships. It is an opportunity “for the soul to show up and offer its own guidance.” (Parker Palmer) This process simply allows us to see God’s love in our life more and more by sharing what we are comfortable sharing about what is happening in our lives. It is finding God in the story. As Carl Jung said, “Invited or not invited, God is there,” and in ways far bigger than imaginable.
If you are someone who is intentional about your spiritual journey, are willing to share as well as listen in a group, and are willing to pray for the other group members, this may be the blessing you have been looking for. Persons of varied faith traditions are welcome.
Rosie Bonk, SSND, is Director of Adult and Young Adult Ministry at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in West Allis and a free-lance speaker on a variety of topics related to prayer and spirituality. She is a graduate of the Shalem Institute in Group Spirituality and presently a participant in the Spiritual Direction Preparation Program at the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse.
Registration
Form
Spiritual Conversations: Holding the Sacred Questions of Sexuality 2008 Fall Workshop for Spiritual Directors
Thursday, September 25, 2008
9:45 to 10:00 am Coffee and Socializing
10:00 am to 3 :00 pm Program
St. Joseph Center
1501 S. Layton Blvd.
Milwaukee
Fee $35 including lunch
Registrations due by Monday, September 22
Partial scholarships are available. Contact The Center to BE at 414-672-5932
Increasingly, issues around adverse or addictive sexual behaviors arise in retreat settings or spiritual direction sessions to be addressed in light of the spiritual journey. These may be the personal behaviors of the seekers themselves or the behaviors of those with whom they are intimate. As spiritual companions, our purpose is not to diagnose or treat these problems. We are called, rather, to honor those who experience such distress and together with God, help them hold the spiritual questions and spiritual invitations these life challenges may bring.
Our companioning can be strengthened by a better understanding of the realities of the sexual behaviors that may be presented as well as their impact on the spiritual, psychological and physical lives of those who experience them.
In this workshop format, we first will hear results of current research around sexual addiction, sexual abuse and other issues of intimacy from professional therapists with faith-based backgrounds. This will be followed by discussion and questions. Then participants will draw upon their own experiences as directors to share their collective wisdom, questions and concerns in group conversation. Case studies will be used to enhance the process.
Bring your questions and experiences.
Our facilitator will be Kathy Coffey-Guenther, Ph. D., a psychotherapist and spiritual director integrating psychological and theological paradigms to assist in psycho-spiritual healing. She currently serves as Associate Director for the Faber Center for Ignatian Spirituality at Marquette University in Milwaukee. She is co-chair of the Community Advisory Board for clergy sexual abuse issues in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
Providing expert information will be Russ Pope, M.S. LPC, a Licensed Professional Counselor experienced in working with individuals and couples in sexual and relationship addiction, issues of abuse and pornography addiction. He is a counselor with New Life Resources, Inc., which provides counseling and psychotherapy services integrating faith-based values and principles and has trained under Patrick Carnes for treatment of sexual addiction and intimacy.
Registration
Form
Your Life is a Work of Art Saturday, September 27, 2008
9 am to Noon
St. Joseph Center
1501 S. Layton Blvd.
Milwaukee
Fee: $20
Registrations due Monday, September 22
We are all artists (yes, it’s true!) and our lives are our greatest works of creation. Every moment is a moment of creation, of art-making, and each moment of creation contains infinite possibilities. We can see this especially in those “soul-searching” times, for example when we experience significant transitions in our relationships or work; when we seek greater understanding of ourselves or of the Divine; or when we encounter physical, emotional or spiritual distress.
We can do things the way we have always done them, or we can look at the alternatives available and try something new, different and potentially more rewarding. When we become conscious of other possibilities we can begin to fashion our lives in ways which include more of what will lead us to our deepest desires and ultimate purpose.
In this interactive workshop we will learn to tune in to, recognize and act on the gifts and opportunities which come as messages from the Divine, often experienced through our bodies as colors or images, in all of the moments in our lives. We will practice meditation, body-centered awareness and visual journaling, a tool that can help us express feelings, sort out the seemingly random experiences of life and make more conscious choices and decisions.
All materials will be provided for exploring new methods of creatively expressing our lives as works of art.
Elizabeth Lewis is an artist, writer, arts educator and certified stress-management consultant. Her fiber works have been exhibited nationally. She travels widely presenting lectures and workshops on the healing power of art and writing.
Registration
Form
Fostering Wholeness, Embodying Spirit: Integral Movement for BodyMindSpirit Saturday, October 4
9:30-11:30 am
Founder’s Hall
St. Agnes Convent
320 County Road K
Fond du Lac
Fee: $15
Registrations Due Monday, September 29
No matter what our physical condition or our knowledge of movement practices, if we give ourselves permission to start with music that tunes our bodymindspirit toward wholeness and deeply listen to our response, we can contact our own "inner movement expert" in simple ways.
In this program we artfully blend music, meditation, relaxation, conscious breath, imagery, and various movement practices including muscle toning, yoga, Tai Chi Chih, and QiQong to generate joy, acceptance and gratitude for the life we are given...the one we continue to create.
Allowing quality music to open our hearts, we breathe consciously and move wisely. Incorporating reflection times, we foster an integration of our inner and outer worlds. We end our sessions with movement meditations. And all of it initiates a process we know as our inner medicine...a state of BEing natural ...spirit embodied.
These movements are intendedA for all fitness levels and may be easily adapted to your own body’s needs. If you prefer to write your reflections, please bring pen and paper.
Jean Scott of Madison is a counselor and retreat facilitator incorporating biofield bodywork, and movement practices. She has been incubating Integral Movement for decades and began offering movement sessions in 1996.
Her website is www.integralmovement.net
Registration
Form
Communal Labyrinth Walk Saturday, October 11
9 am to Noon: Open Walk
9 to 9:15 am: Introduction to the Labyrinth
St. Agnes Chapel at St. Agnes Hospital
430 E. Division St.
Fond du Lac
No Fee; No Registration Required
The Fond du Lac community has been blessed with the presence of an exquisite labyrinth within the St. Agnes Chapel at St. Agnes Hospital. The design of the labyrinth is embedded in the oak and walnut floor of this beautiful chapel, beckoning all to enter its prayerful, winding path.
Walking the labyrinth can be a rich spiritual practice for people of all ages and all faith traditions. It is a form of moving meditation in which we can find inner peace and come closer to the Divine.
The Center to BE will sponsor this communal labyrinth walk in the chapel and all are welcome. Drop in any time during the morning and stay as long as you can. For those interested in learning about the labyrinth and some ideas for how to walk, The Center to BE will present a brief introduction.
Take advantage of the gift of this special spiritual resource and join us as we walk the Sacred Path.
Simple Practices to Alleviate the Symptoms of Stress Milwaukee
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
6:30 to 9:30 pm
St. Joseph Center
1501 S. Layton Blvd.
Fee: $15
Registrations due by Monday, October 13
Stress and its symptoms can affect us physically, emotionally and spiritually. We may experience stress through headaches or pain in neck/shoulders. We may have trouble sleeping or feel fatigued, sad or anxious. We may find ourselves becoming critical, isolated or overwhelmed. We may feel distanced from the Sacred.
Although we can’t eliminate stress from our lives, there are easy and effective ways to alleviate its symptoms and live more at ease with it. This program teaches a number of the self-care practices featured in Training in Healing and Transformation, the intensive workshop we present each year in collaboration with CAPACITAR. If you’ve been curious about CAPACITAR, this program will give you a taste of what it is about.
Join us to learn gentle tai chi movement, calming breath work, simple finger holds and much more. All the practices are flexible enough to accommodate men and women of all ages and physical abilities. This program will show you how to select the practices that feel best for your body.
If you have attended this program in the past, come back for a refresher and to exerience the positive energy of doing the practices in community.
Marjorie Wilbur is the Executive Director of The Center to BE and a spiritual companion. She has taught these self-healing practices to a wide variety of audiences in Wisconsin.
Registration
Form
Reconnecting with Your Spirit Saturday, October 18
9 am to Noon
Asbury Lounge
First United Methodist Church
325 E. Franklin St.
Appleton
Fee: $20
Registrations due by Monday, October 13
Scholarships available.
As we are caught up in our day-to-day lives – which are so often focused on the external events going on around us – it’s easy to lose sight of the central core of who we are, the spirit deep inside of us that connects us to the Divine. We might describe this disconnection in a variety of ways: discontented, detached, feeling “off”, or being out of balance.
In this workshop, you’ll explore some of the reasons you might get disconnected from your spirit and how this manifests itself in your life. We’ll begin by discovering how your ideas about your spirit were formed and how those ideas shape your sense of self-worth. Then, we’ll look at ways your body and mind are affected when you’re disconnected from your spirit. Finally, you’ll have the opportunity to explore a variety of ways, both serious and playful, to reconnect with your spirit. Your choice of activities will include artwork, journaling, meditation, time in nature, body work, or sharing with others.
Sandra Christensen is an experienced adult educator and facilitator who has been teaching classes in personal development for over 20 years, including topics such as self-esteem, journaling, forgiveness, and finding balance and purpose in life.
Registration
Form
Awakening to Movements of the Spirit: An Autumn Day Retreat
Milwaukee
Saturday, October 25, 2008
8:45 to 9 am Registration and Coffee
9 am to 3 pm Program
St. Joseph Center
1501 S. Layton Blvd.
Milwaukee
Fee: $45 including lunch
Registrations due by Monday, October 20
Each of us is engaged in a spiritual journey. At times we may be totally conscious of this, but just as often we go through our days unaware of how both common and extraordinary occurrences can lead us where we are called: to deeper relationship with the Sacred.
Each of our journeys is unique, shaped by our individual experiences, following different pathways and unfolding at its own pace. Yet there are many characteristics all these journeys hold in common. The movement of the Spirit may guide us in ways that are not always clear or comfortable. Equally, that movement may draw us to moments of great awe and delight, times when we sense that we are part of something much greater than ourselves.
This program expands previous explorations of ideas and questions about the spiritual journey adding spaciousness for deeper contemplation and interaction. Using presentation, conversation, music, individual reflection and group processes we will identify and work with spiritual practices such as silence, self-knowledge, trust, wonder, gratitude and letting go, all of which can support us as we travel.
Nancy Anderson is a spiritual companion and leads workshops and retreats with a special focus on spirituality. She is also a consultant with Christos Ministries and faculty for RISEN (Re-Investing Spirituality and Ethics in our Networks) for the Madison hospital consortium.
Marjorie Wilbur is Executive Director of The Center to BE and a spiritual companion.
Registration
Form
Accessing Intuition Through the Intelligence of the Heart Saturday, November 1
9 am to Noon
Founders Hall
St. Agnes Convent
320 Highway K
Fond du Lac
Fee: $20
Registrations due by Monday, Obtober 27
Have you ever said , ”I just knew I should have listened to my intuition” or “I really had this gut feeling that something was wrong, but I didn’t listen”? The intuition is the inner “voice” that can provide valuable information about ourselves, our health, relationships and even the spiritual journey.
The intuition is a capacity we all possess for “knowing” in a special way. It is a divining instrument that guides us and a crystal that allows us to see with an uncanny interior vision. It can shed light on what needs illuminating and can give direction to our decisions. Ultimately, it helps us access the deepest place within where we are touched by Mystery/the Divine.
Why don’t we always listen to and trust this inner voice?
Using a mix of presentation, group interaction and body movement, this program will explore answers to that question. We will look at ways we block the intuitive signal. We will examine intuition’s potential for healing our lives and making wise decisions. We will learn some important ways to listen to and pay attention to the intuition. Finally, we will discuss the benefits of using the intuition as a guide to accessing the wisdom of the body/mind/spirit thus allowing us to live as more authentic, spiritual human beings.
Donna Bartolone, MS of Milwaukee, is a retired educator with 27 years of experience teaching adult learners. She has given many presentations and conducted workshops on spiritual topics. She is a graduate of the CAPACITAR Training in Healing and Transformation, at The Center to BE .
Registration
Form
Fostering Wholeness, Embodying Spirit: Integral Movement for BodyMindSpirit Saturday November 8
10 am -12 noon
In the sanctuary
Unity of Madison Church
601 Tompkins
Madison
Fee: $15
Registrations due Monday, November 3
No matter what our physical condition or our knowledge of movement practices, if we give ourselves permission to start with music that tunes our bodymindspirit toward wholeness and deeply listen to our response, we can contact our own "inner movement expert" in simple ways.
In this program we artfully blend music, meditation, relaxation, conscious breath, imagery, and various movement practices including muscle toning, yoga, Tai Chi Chih, and QiQong to generate joy, acceptance and gratitude for the life we are given...the one we continue to create.
Allowing quality music to open our hearts, we breathe consciously and move wisely. Incorporating reflection times, we foster an integration of our inner and outer worlds. We end our sessions with movement meditations. And all of it initiates a process we know as our inner medicine...a state of BEing natural ...spirit embodied.
These movements are intendedA for all fitness levels and may be easily adapted to your own body’s needs. If you prefer to write your reflections, please bring pen and paper.
Jean Scott of Madison is a counselor and retreat facilitator incorporating biofield bodywork, and movement practices. She has been incubating Integral Movement for decades and began offering movement sessions in 1996.
Her website is www.integralmovement.net
Registration
Form
Out of the Dark: the Blessings of Shadow for the Spiritual Journey Presented by The Center to BE and Casa Romero Renewal Center
Saturday, January 17, 2009
9 am to 3:30 pm
St. Joseph Center
1501 S. Layton Blvd.
Milwaukee
Fee: $50 including lunch
Registrations due by Monday, January 12
Scholarships available. Contact The Center to BE at 414-672-5932.
Swiss psychologist, C.G. Jung, said that understanding and integrating one's shadow side --that vast area of ourselves of which we are unconscious-- is one of the highest moral acts a person can undertake. To incorporate the shadow into our personality, rather than to project it onto the outer world, is to make a huge step in personal spiritual growth. Though the task is humbling, it grounds and makes real the true human beings we are meant to be.
In this program which will blend presentation and conversation, we will explore the idea and manifestation of the shadow both on a personal level as well as in the corporate, national and international setting. The projection of the unrealized self, which the shadow represents, on other individuals, groups, races, religions or classes has been the driving force behind the violent behavior we know only too well in our times. The shadow of one's personality as well as that of the world we live in must now be brought into the light of consciousness if we are ever to learn to live with one another with peace and respect.
Fred Gustafson, D. Min, is a trained pastoral counselor and Jungian Analyst practicing in Watertown and Milwaukee . He is also an ordained ELCA minister and the author of The Black Madonna and Dancing Between Two Worlds: Jung and the Native American Soul.
Registration
Form
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