Holistic Centres Archives - Holistic Centers Network

Come Alive at The Haven

July 4, 2012 by Centers' Gathering 2 Comments

The Haven is located on beautiful Gabriola Island, BC, Canada and for more than 25 years has offered programs for personal and professional development and growth. People leave The Haven with skills to be fully alive, have healthy relationships and communicate effectively.

At the heart of The Haven are the five-day Come Alive, which we run one or two times every month, and the 25-day Living Alive Phase programs. These were created by The Haven’s founders Bennet Wong and Jock McKeen before The Haven itself existed and continue to have enormous popularity and impact.

Come Alive is an intensely personal experience and one that is not easy to put into words. So we’ll let you hear the experiences of some recent (some not so recent), Come Alive attendees, so you can hear in their words, what their experience was like, what they remembered, and what they brought away from the program.

Come Alive at The Haven from Chris Finlayson on Vimeo.

Findhorn 2012 – Exploring the Topic of Eldercare

March 19, 2012 by Centers' Gathering 1 Comment

One of the hot topics of community life is eldercare and we will explore this during the 2012 Gathering. Here we introduce you to members of the Findhorn Foundation who have been invited to join the participants and engage in the discussion.

Stan Stanfield, a long-time member of the Foundation, has been involved in a wide range of its educational activities, including focalising the Education department. He is a friend of Ralph White, co-founder of the Holistic Centres Gathering, from their time in Cluny Maintenance in the 1970’s. Stan has recently written his memoirs about his life on the spiritual path and at the Foundation, which will be published by Findhorn Press in 2012. An active member of the Cluny family and beyond the age of retirement, Stan will share his thoughts on the role of elders within the community. [Read more…]

Findhorn 2012 – Staffing and Volunteers

March 12, 2012 by Centers' Gathering Leave a Comment

During the 2012 Gathering we will explore a variety of topics, including staffing and volunteers. The following members of our community have been invited to join the participants and each session is co-created by all involved, sharing experience and learning from each other.

Monica Bohni, is focaliser of the Spiritual and Personal Development Team and involved in our staff intake programme LEAP (Living Essentials Apprentice Programme) where people apprentice and learn the ways in which we live together here at Findhorn. [Read more…]

Findhorn 2012 – Fundraising and Manifestation

March 5, 2012 by Centers' Gathering Leave a Comment

We will explore various topics during the 2012 Gathering, including fundraising and manifestation. Members of the Findhorn Foundation have been invited to join the participants to share their knowledge and experience, and learn from the exchange of ideas and information. Each session is co-created by all involved and promises to be an interesting and interactive meeting.

Debbie Herron originally worked in rural and inner city community development specialising in regeneration. She then lived on the Isle of Erraid, one of the most beautiful of all the Hebridean Islands off the West Coast of Scotland, to learn more about living simply and sustainably in community. [Read more…]

Findhorn 2012 – Governance and Decision Making

February 29, 2012 by Centers' Gathering Leave a Comment

During the 2012 Gathering we will explore the topics of governance and decision making and the Chair of Management of the Findhorn Foundation has been invited to join the discussion. Each session is co-created by all involved and is an opportunity for participants to share their experience and learn from the exchange of ideas and information.

Ana Rhodes Castro has been living and working in the Findhorn Foundation since 1994. Ana has been a member of the Central Management team over the last seven years, six of those spent being responsible for the area of Spiritual and Personal Development. This comprised of internal trainings, conflict facilitation, supervision and other internal structures that support the Findhorn Foundation to function gracefully and efficiently at an individual and collective level. [Read more…]

Findhorn 2012 – Education, Programming and Communications

February 20, 2012 by Centers' Gathering Leave a Comment

During the 2012 Gathering we will explore a variety of topics and members of the Findhorn Foundation will join the participants to engage in the discussion. Over the next few months, until the Gathering commences in May, we will introduce you to some of the members of our community who have been invited to share their knowledge and experience, and learn from the exchange of ideas and information.

Representing Education:

Yvonne Cuneo, originally from Australia, has over the past 11 years worked in the Maintenance Team, been Head of Communications and a member of the Management team. Yvonne is now a member of the Building Bridges Team, a sacred dance teacher and a Game of Transformation facilitator. She combines co-creating programmes for the corporate world with writing the Foundation’s email newsletter and creating and delivering bespoke programmes for visiting groups.

[Read more…]

Exploring Holistic Education – Sharings and Introductions

February 17, 2012 by Centers' Gathering Leave a Comment

COMPONENTS OF HOLISTIC LEARNING

By Dave Till and Christine Lines

This is the eight article in our series on Holistic Learning, to read the introduction and view the other components to follow please click here.

8. Sharings and Introductions

Experience Week, one of the core programmes of the Findhorn Foundation, introduces deep sharing and deep listening the ‘Findhorn’ way. In the welcome circle, everyone is invited to introduce themselves in turn, share about how they feel and their inspiration for being there. The focaliser of the group begins and leads by example.

All the other participants are invited to listen with an open heart and open mind and welcome each individual through their attention. It is a time to simply listen, not to comment or give feedback, making it a safe space for everyone. Groups form in a circle to reduce a sense of hierarchy and increase the sense of connection. [Read more…]

Findhorn 2012 – Exploring the Topic of Sustainability

February 4, 2012 by Centers' Gathering Leave a Comment

The opening session of the 2012 Gathering will explore the topic of sustainability and members of the Findhorn Foundation will join the participants to engage in the discussion. Each session is co-created by all involved and promises to be an inspiring meeting. Over the next few months, until the Gathering commences in May, we will introduce you to some of the members of our community who are excited to be involved…

Ana Rhodes Castro has been living and working in the Findhorn Foundation since 1994. During this time she has worked within a variety of areas in the organisation. Ana has been a member of the Central Management team over the last seven years, six of those spent being responsible for the area of Spiritual and Personal Development. This comprised of internal trainings, conflict facilitation, supervision and other internal structures that support the Findhorn Foundation to function gracefully and efficiently at an individual and collective level.

[Read more…]

Exploring Holistic Education – Feedback Loops

January 23, 2012 by Centers' Gathering Leave a Comment

COMPONENTS OF HOLISTIC LEARNING

By Dave Till and Christine Lines

This is the sixth article in our series on Holistic Learning, to read the introduction and view the other components to follow please click here.

6. Feedback Loops

Based on his experience with the Findhorn Foundation College, Dave believes, “In any holistic programme you need good feedback methods to adjust and shape the programmes. This is particularly true of any programmes that are groundbreaking.” (Refer to the article on learning contracts for the value of clear feedback!)

Staff and students need to jointly assess their experience at the end of any course and the course needs to be modified accordingly. Feedback sheets and verbal sessions are common tools in the College. As holistic methods grow and evolve, feedback is essential for this to continue in the right directions.

Dave continues, “On the Findhorn Community Semester (FCS) programme at Findhorn, the structure was changed after every programme on the basis of feedback information from students and staff. Feedback sessions were also quite good fun.”

After any retreat or workshop, feedback sheets give participants and facilitators the opportunity to learn from each other, receive appreciation and weave insights and ideas into future programmes, for the benefit of all involved. It’s healthy to know what we’re doing well and where we can improve. [Read more…]

Exploring Holistic Education – Learning Contracts

January 9, 2012 by Centers' Gathering 3 Comments

COMPONENTS OF HOLISTIC LEARNING

By Dave Till and Christine Lines

This is the fifth article in our series on Holistic Learning, to read the introduction and view the other components to follow please click here.

5. Learning Contracts and Learning Sets

Learning contracts are self-created contracts with yourself to encourage definite learning goals. These can be helpful for both participants and leaders of a group. Dave explains, ‘Within the Findhorn Community Semester programme, we created learning contract sheets that encouraged students to look at all the areas of holistic learning and set themselves targets.’

This was introduced on the advice of the Human Potential Research unit at Surrey University. However, as Dave continues, ‘In practice, some FCS students really hated the linear thinking behind the process and just tore theirs up! This rebellion became a great learning for staff, and we happily let them rebel and then adapted accordingly. We let the students who didn’t want to fill in a linear chart choose some other way of creating a contract with themselves or even in some cases ignore the process altogether!’

Dave considers this valuable feedback and a key learning situation happened when students expressed their dismay and dissent. It’s also a great example of holistic learning at its best. When challenges are approached from a more holistic perspective, creative alternatives are often the result. [Read more…]