This year the annual Centers’ Gathering 3-6 May, 2021 takes place once more under unique circumstances. Not only are we online rather than in person, we are also re-emerging from over a year of a grave pandemic which has deeply affected the whole world. And of course, it has had a profound effect on the activities of our centers. Some have closed temporarily, some have shifted online, others are uncertain how to proceed. In all cases, we face unique opportunities in considering how we can emerge in a way that speaks to the profound challenges of our times and build resilience personally and collectively.
[Read more…]Magic Wands and Community Data
Adapted from an original blog by Ben Scott-Brandt and Justine Johnson, Retreat Center Collaboration
Our friends at the Retreat Center Collaboration (RCC) hosted a recent community call with our friends at Retreat Guru that will inform our HCN Virtual Gathering in May. We invite you to contemplate the question posed to the retreat centers present; “If you were given a magic wand what would you wish for personally, for your center, and for the world at large?” It was an engaging way to harvest the needs and challenges in conversation, rather than via a survey, and we welcome your input too as we strengthen our collective work.
Inner Leadership and our Consciousness of Money
We’ve been exploring the resilience of centers in different ways over recent webinars; from pricing analysis of programming, to co-creating a care first world, and keeping an eye on the horizon and the bottom line in preparing to re-open.
There’s growing interest in financial literacy and the link with leadership and we’re delighted to welcome back Karen McAllister. Karen holds the unique position of being a founding member of Clear Sky Retreat Center, responsible for fund development, a Mindful Money coach and spiritual teacher.
Mentored by Lynne Twist, global activist, fundraiser extraordinaire and author of the Soul of Money, and Deborah Price, founder of the Money Coaching Institute, Karen brings a lived experience of how this work can transform the culture of a holistic center. She offers money coaching internationally and will share real life examples of different behaviours that show up around leadership and money.
[Read more…]Exploring the Different Dimensions of Re-Opening
With the rollout of vaccinations taking place around the world and people in different stages of lockdown, the opportunities for centers to re-open for in person guest programs varies vastly. This week’s webinar helps navigate the many considerations involved for both participants and staff. Come together as we explore the practical to the emotional. From being mostly at home it can be disorientating for staff to go back to work or for participants to attend a gathering again. We all need to feel safe and prepare ourselves for the long haul.
[Read more…]Announcing the 2021 Virtual Gathering: The Long Game
The dates are now set for our annual gathering and once again we’ll be meeting in the Virtual Space. Save the dates 3 – 6 May and know that heartfelt connection, soulful nourishment and thought provoking inspiration will fill the space. We look forward to meeting in person when that’s possible once more and right now embrace the opportunity for your entire staff and support community to participate in live sessions.
Building on the success of our first Virtual Gathering in May 2020, and weaving in feedback from the network, we’re excited to share the unfolding schedule with you over the coming weeks. Throughout the event sessions are designed for powerful interaction and intimate engagement in groups large and small, meeting and learning from peers in other centers, celebrating the spirit of collaboration and mutual support.
[Read more…]Co-creating a Care First World
Following on from our recent webinar focused on Pricing Analysis of Holistic Programs, we deepen into the importance of meaning and money, mission and margin, vital for our centers to thrive in their role and relevance in the world.
Join us as we explore the shift from a Money First to a Care First attitude and its application across sectors to co-create positive change in the world. In Care First, money serves the well-being of people and the planet and is a unifying force.
[Read more…]Pricing Analysis of Holistic Programs
Keeping a center going during these uncertain times often means fundamental operational changes, from what services we are able to offer, to how much they should cost. In this webinar, deepen your understanding of your center’s financial viability and discover tools and variables to use as you explore the sustainability of your current business model.
[Read more…]A Pilot Initiative for the Lunar New Year
By Jenyng Wu
Friday, February 12, 2021 is the Lunar New Year. In my home growing up it was the Chinese New Year. We would spend the day saying things like ‘May the New Year be full of happiness,’ and ‘Congratulations and good fortune to you.’ Blessings are shared, gifts of food symbolic of health and prosperity are bestowed, and firecrackers pop as dragons dance to celebrate the ‘new.’
Chinese New Year is also commonly known in East Asian cultures as the Spring Festival, marking the end of winter and the beginning of spring in the lunisolar calendar. It’s only appropriate then that the Holistic Centers Network, an organization representing a network of international centers, will be piloting an initiative, “Act Local, Think Global” to celebrate the tradition of community, wellness, and hope.
[Read more…]Nice is not Enough: Anti-Racist Practice for White People
A half-day online program with Dr. Robin DiAngelo, author of the bestselling book
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People to Talk About Racism
Many white people who are committed to racial justice ask: How do we work through our personal barriers and create and carry out effective actions for change?
This half-day session is for white people who have a general understanding of whiteness and systemic racism and seek to deepen their anti-racist analysis and practice.
[Read more…]The Psychedelic Renaissance
We are living in the midst of a modern renaissance of psychedelic research. After decades of a culture war on drugs, the taboo is finally thawing, allowing the true story and benefits of these extraordinary compounds to emerge.
Now, for the first time, The Open Center is bringing together the world’s leading experts from the scientific, medical and research fields for an engaging 6-week series exploring the past, present and future of psychedelic research.
The Open Center is pleased to present:
The Psychedelic Renaissance: Past, Present and Future
February 22nd – March 29th
Moderated by clinical psychologist and professor, Anthony Bossis, who is currently conducting FDA-approved psychedelic research on the effects of psilocybin, this dynamic series will feature in-depth presentations, thought-provoking Q & A sessions and breakout sessions. Join us and explore the world of psychedelics like you never have before from the leading minds in the field.