ARTICLES
All
the Petals of the Rose Unfold
Insights
on Community
An
Exuberant Exercise in Authentic Community
Connections
& KVNF: Community Voices
New
Strategies for Healing: The Shift Toward Integrative
Medicine
August
2002 Events
Andrew
Weil, MD
All the Petals of the Rose Unfold
Sprinkling All the Petals
by David Hauze
I’m eager to be a part of All the Petals of the Rose - it’s
intention of birthing greater wholeness & unity through
community.
My wife, Tamara, and I will be participating musically, as
you know, & we’re very excited for the opportunity to
interface with two profound healers, Dr. Judith Boice, ND
& Evan Hopkins, MA, M Div. We have had the rewarding
experience of collaborating with Evan in recent workshops. We
feel very honored and grateful for the opportunity to not only
work side-by-side with Evan and Judith, but with the
participants of this symposium. As we all share invaluable
moments together we will be celebrating and further
cultivating the richness of this human experience.
I have come to understand, as we share new ideas, music
provides a vehicle which can sweep us up into an experience
which may otherwise become bogged down by left-brained
analysis. Music is like a “magic carpet,” a facilitator, a
“cosmic shoehorn,” enabling us to open to the new. It is a
platter upon which new feelings can be served to us. When we
experience “feeling” together as a group, there is a further
validation, allowing broader, deeper, and farther levels of
awareness and understanding. We, then, recognize magnificence
and radiance in each other and all Life, and ultimately in
ourselves.
Using our voices, literally creating vibration throughout
our bodies, is, in itself, a transformative, nourishing act
(like taking etheric vitamins!). And, when we sing together as
a group (a community of song!) we get the added benefit of a
whole group of spiritual beings having a human experience. It
creates a synergistic vibration which is equal to greater than
the sum of its parts. I like that! So, let’s all learn and
grow and skip and dance and sprinkle All the Petals of the
Rose together!!
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Insights on Community
by Dr. Judith Boice
In college I developed a strong passion for living and
working in community. I grew up in a suburban neighborhood,
which was a fairly tight, supportive community. At Oberlin
College I experienced a new level of community, living and
eating in the student co-op system, the oldest in the country.
As a passionate, opinionated student, I became convinced the
way to save the world was for people to learn to live in
community, practicing right relationship with each other,
Earth, and Spirit.
My first foray into practicing my vision was living at the
Bear Tribe, a mostly self-sufficient community founded by
Chippewa (Anishnabe) teacher Sun Bear. I received a grant from
the Mellon Foundation to study intentional communities, and
arrived at the Bear Tribe on New Year’s Eve during my senior
year of college. I spent the month of January living and
working there and discovered, to my relief, that I loved
living in community and working with the land.
After graduation from college I chose to travel to Britain,
hoping to continue my exploration of communities. I visited
the Findhorn Foundation in northern Scotland, famed for
growing enormous vegetables in the sandy soil. I stayed as a
guest and eventually became a member of the community, living
for a total of three years in the community. I also visited
Auroville in the south of India and lived and traveled with
traditional aboriginal people in Australia’s western desert.
All these explorations taught me the importance of living
in right relationship with other humans as well as the Earth.
I also began to see the "intentional" communities, founded on
intellectual and/or spiritual ideas, were much more fragile
than neighborhood or traditional communities. When people’s
ideas or spiritual beliefs changed, they left the community. I
became convinced that neighborhoods, where people are
committed to place first, are more sustainable forms of
community.
My aim for this day-long seminar is to offer insights about
building community right here in our own backyard. Evan and I
also hope to provide some of the tools necessary to succeed in
community life. Many people hope for utopia when building
community. In reality, communities become a microcosm of the
whole. Problems like greed, political maneuvering, apathy, or
anger do not dissolve; instead, they directly challenge
community members. Community also provides an opportunity for
deep bonding, joy, and celebration.
During our time together, we’ll be working with dialogue,
music, dance, and personal reflection to begin the process of
community building. I will offer an experience of
"attunement," the ability to listen deeply to spirit, as a
tool for decision-making in groups. Singing and dancing are
also powerful tools for developing harmony, literally and
figuratively. I hope to address the full breadth of
possibilities in community and offer a catalyst for people to
begin to build the type of community they want here, in this
place, at this time.
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An Exuberant Exercise in Authentic Community
by Evan Hodkins
Sometimes a crisis will stimulate an exquisite experience
of community. Fear is a great agent for bonding. We're really
good at defending against a threat, at discovering who we are
in reaction to what we oppose.
But deep in our true hearts, what we really yearn for is
this utter excitement of total mutually-fortifying aliveness,
a felt-togetherness, rich in audacious color, zest, and verve,
some gorgeous expression of we-centered "love-mischief," way
beyond easy political slogans and fear-based reactivity.
Come, be a part of a splendid weekend of shared-hearted
togetherness, spiritual resonance, quantum paradigms, and
soul-deep celebration. Surely there must be some alternative
to this culture of despair.
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Meditations
Soapbox of the President ...
by Larry Lemser
An Appeal for Voluntarism
Our membership is the
life-blood of The Whole Life Network. If more volunteers are
willing to contribute some time and effort to our projects, we
will be more successful in achieving our three-fold mission of
promoting environmental awareness, holistic health and
spiritual development.
The following standing committees (core groups) need your
help. (Hours and mileage are tax deductible) If you have an
interest in any of these endeavors, pick up the phone and call
the chairperson. When you give, you help hold the Light and a
piece of that Light will shine from your heart: KVNF Radio
Programs - Josh Hayward - 325-0535 or Arlyn MacDonald -
252-0908; “Connections” Articles and ads - Marilyn Huseby -
252-1040; Grant Preparation - Merilee Shank - 252-9152;
Community Connections Event - Marilyn Huseby - 252-1040; Whole
Life and Learning Expo (aka Health Fair) - Larry Lemser -
240-0234
Especially in view of all the bad news in the world today,
what could you do to work with other of your fellow members of
your network to create more love, peace, health, and
abundance?
Membership Drive
Sue Lemser, Membership
chairperson of The Whole Life Network, announces a Membership
drive that involves everyone. Here's the challenge; each
current member is being asked to recruit one new member. If we
were all successful, the obvious outcome would be to double
the membership and thereby the ability of our network to
fulfill our Mission.
Here's our sales pitch - Join the Whole Life Network and be
a part of a fourteen year old group of dedicated individuals
that are concerned with holistic health, environmental
awareness and spiritual consciousness. You will receive a
mailed subscription to Connections, which is now a special
section of Transitional Times. You will get discounts to all
events sponsored by the Whole Life network. For example, the
non-member cost of the upcoming All the Petals of The Rose is
$65 for both Friday night and Saturday. For the same two days,
the member pays only $45.
With just a small amount of effort, each member can bring
in one new member. If you are reading this and you are not a
member, you can use the registration form in this paper to
become a member. Ask yourself, wouldn't it be a growth
experience to join with others in my own community to create
more health, peace and love?
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Connections & KVNF: Community Voices
Community Voices
Whole Life Connections, the
radio program of the Whole Life Network on KVNF, has a special
program in store for the Western Slope. August’s show will
feature guests Allan Joel and Stephanie Yeh in a program
entitled, “The Way of Shamanism”. Joel and Yeh combine their
arcane knowledge in running an international school,‘The
Esoteric School of Shamanism and Magic’, based in Olathe. They
practice and teach from age-old principles of Universal Law.
During the show, they will discuss the simple beauty of
Shamanistic tradition and how the principles of nature can be
of great benefit for ordinary day to day life. Be sure to join
co-hosts Arlyn Macdonald and Joshua Hayward as they lead a
lively discussion on healing and magic with Alan Joel, Dr. of
Acupuncture for 30 years, and Stephanie Yeh, current member of
the Board of Directors of the Whole Life Network. Tune in at
noon on Thursday, August 22nd, to the Midday Edition on KVNF
radio and get ‘connected’.
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New Strategies for Healing: The Shift Toward Integrative
Medicine
Barry Bittman, MD: September 12, 2002 Montrose Pavilion,
7-9 p.m.
From Kaleidoscope: For those of us who know medical
science alone does not provide all of the answers to a healthy
and productive existence, we have a wonderful opportunity to
learn of the newest supportive approaches to health care.
Mark this date on your calendar, September 12, 2002 at the
Montrose Pavilion, 7-9 p.m. That is the time that you will be
able to attend in person a presentation from the most
respected of sources. Barry Bittman, MD is a neurologist,
author, international speaker, award- winning
producer/director and a leader in the integrative medicine
movement. In this upcoming public engagement, he will discuss
what it means to integrate the power of the mind, body and
spirit with conventional medicine.
Dr. Bittman is CEO and Medical Director of The Mind-Body
Wellness Center, a comprehensive, interdisciplinary outpatient
medical facility in Meadville, PA, that offers such approaches
as Qigong, Tai Chi, Yoga, Massage, Therapeutic Touch, Stress
Reduction, Biofeedback, Guided Imagery, Music Therapy, etc.,
in addition to providing state-of-the-art traditional medical
diagnostic and treatment services. Dr. Bittman has pioneered a
new paradigm for treating the "whole person". One example is
Insights for Living Beyond Cancer, a researched -based program
he developed with Bernie Siegal, MD. He has also created
similar programs for individuals facing other challenging
illnesses, such as asthma, cardiovascular dis ease, chronic
lung dis ease, and diabetes.
Based on his conviction that recreational music-making is
an effective therapeutic strategy in conventional medical
settings, Dr. Bittman led a team of researchers who recently
investigated the biological effects of group drumming music
therapy. Dr. Bittman can be heard on National Public Radio
(www.mind-body.org) as host of the integrative medicine weekly
program, Mind-Body Matters.
The host of Dr. Bittman's visit to the Western Slope is
Kaleidoscope, a wellness program helping all individuals,
families and caregivers challenged by changes in life,
including physical illness, emotional stress and other causes
of personal crisis through retreats, workshops, classes and
community resources. Kaleidoscope is a collaborative effort
between Montrose Memorial Hospital, Hospice and Palliative
Care of Western Colorado and members of the medical and
general community. Special thanks to Montrose Memorial
Hospital for making Dr. Bittman's engagement possible.
For more information, please contact Maria Hatcliffe,
240-7294 or Lynn Carretta, 240-7359.
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August Events!
*Aug 23-24 Whole Life Network’s All the Petals of
the Rose: Come, be a part of a splendid weekend of
shared-hearted togetherness, spiritual resonance, quantum
paradigms, and soul-deep celebration.
*Aug. 29 @ 12 Noon Whole Life Network, KVNF Radio
Show presents guests Alan Joel and Stephanie Yeh in a program
entitled, “The Way of Shamanism.” Joel and Yeh combine their
arcane knowledge in running The Esoteric School of Shamanism
and Magic based in Olathe.
*Sept. 2 @ 6:30 PM Monthly WLN Board of Directors
meeting at WLN office meeting room.
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Andrew Weil, MD
The noted author, lecturer, and expert on alternative and
complementary medicine presents:
"The Future of Medicine is Integrative"
Sunday, Aug. 25, 3 pm, Baldridge Hall, United Methodist
Church, Montrose, Co.
Tickets: $20/advance $25/at the door
Tickets and information, call Rocky Mountain Holistic
Health Center, 626-9877
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