Holistic Centers Network

The 2012 Gathering and Two Day Group Transformation Game

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The Holistic Centres Gathering is traditionally five days of discussion, presentations, sharing and learning, as well as an experience of the host community. The Findhorn Foundation, who are hosting the 2012 Gathering, traditionally offer seven day programmes, hence this year there are two options.

The five night option commences on Saturday 12 May and concludes on Thursday 17 May. The seven night option concludes on Saturday 19 May and includes an interactive group version of the Transformation Game, played in teams around a path on the floor.

The Group Game provides a unique opportunity for personal learning and group experience as well as time to integrate the experience of the Gathering. It will enable you to focus on areas that interest you both individually and collectively, to work creatively together to bring insight and resolution to them and explore ways of moving forward together, supporting each other with our work around the world in our respective centers and communities. [Read more…]

The Network of Light – Then and Now

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“Scattered around the Earth are untold thousands of individuals, small groups and communities quietly creating a society based upon the unity of the human family and co-creation with the forces of nature. Part of our work at Findhorn is to link with a wide range of these centres, organisations and individuals to reveal an emerging pattern that we call the ‘network of light’.”

Reading these words recently in the Faces of Findhorn, published in 1980, I had a strong feeling this was the voice of my friend Ralph White, who I’d met two years earlier at the Holistic Centres Gathering in Hawaii. I sent him an email and he wrote straight back saying, “Yes, I recognize those words. They’re what I felt all those years ago and they’ve actually been proved true. It’s a wonderful thing!” [Read more…]

Findhorn 2012 – Education, Programming and Communications

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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…]

Findhorn 2012 – Exploring the Topic of Sustainability

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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.

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Exploring Holistic Education – Feedback Loops

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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…]

Great Reasons to Attend the 2012 Gathering

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1. Join the first Gathering in Europe since 2000, after a decade in Canada and the US, meet participants from all over the world, representing different communities, business models and spiritual traditions

2. Experience the founding principles of the Findhorn Foundation – inner listening, love in action and co-creation with nature – as they are woven into everyday life within the community

3. Explore practical topics such as sustainability, education & programming, marketing & PR, governance & decision making, fundraising, staffing & volunteers, and children & eldercare

4. Connect with like minded souls dedicated to a more holistic, positive and sustainable future and gain insight into the work taking place all over the world [Read more…]

Fundraising Ideas to attend the 2012 Gathering

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If you’re keen to attend the Holistic Centres Gathering at the Findhorn Foundation in May 2012 and wondering how to fund your participation and travel related expenses, read on!

Staff here in the Foundation receive a small monthly allowance and often need to be creative to fund their travel to visit family or attend conferences etc., so we understand the financial restraints that people in other communities might also be experiencing.

[Read more…]

Exploring Holistic Education – Emotional Awareness

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COMPONENTS OF HOLISTIC LEARNING

By Dave Till and Christine Lines

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

4. Emotional Awareness

In 1995, Daniel Goleman, author and science reporter, published his now well known book, “Emotional Intelligence”, five years after reading an article in a small academic journal by two psychologists, John Mayer and Peter Salovey.

Mayer and Salovey offered the first formulation of a concept they called “emotional intelligence”. Holistic educators categorised this learning as “EQ” and the phrase is now part of everyday language, along with “IQ”, previously the standard of intelligence.

In the early years of the Findhorn Foundation (FF), the focus was on action rather than emotion, however today in work departments within the Foundation there is the opportunity for people to share their feelings during a brief check-in at the beginning of each shift and develop their EQ.

Feelings are valued. Sharing is an important component of the essential FF programmes such as Experience Week and other FF workshops, and personal development / human potential workshops all over the planet. [Read more…]

Memories and Miracles

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The Memories & Miracles memory stick, celebrating 50 years of the Findhorn Foundation, is now available to order online.

The Foundation has created this commemorative 4 GB USB memory stick with photos of Now and Then, Nature, and Community Life. It also has videos, some of Eileen’s guidance, an audio of Peter, a history of key moments and a copy of our 2012 brochure. There is also plenty of room on the stick to store your own files.

All the proceeds from the sales of Memories & Miracles will support the ongoing work of the Foundation enabling us to develop new workshop space, expand our outreach programmes, and continue to increase our sustainability into the next 50 years and beyond.

Next year is an exciting year with many special events planned as part of our birthday celebrations. Please click here to view the full calendar of workshops, programmes and conferences.

If you work in a Holistic Centre and would like to visit the Findhorn Foundation to create your own memories of the community here, we invite you to the International Holistic Centres Gathering – The Network of Light in May 2012.

Happy festive season, and welcome to our 50th birthday year!

News courtesy of www.findhorn.org

Happiness and Holistic Education

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Pottering in the garden the other day, I suddenly realised why I’d never really enjoyed school and how the whole subject of holistic education has now become so fascinating. To incorporate the emotional and spiritual self, as well as the mental and physical, feels so fundamental. No wonder I felt something was missing in those early years; a conscious foundation of peace and happiness.

I was born the year before the term “gross national happiness” was coined in 1972 by the King of Bhutan, the tiny, remote Himalayan kingdom. The phrase symbolised his commitment to building an economy that would serve Bhutan’s unique culture based on Buddhist spiritual values. The unique approach, in many circles, of placing spiritual values first.

The assessment of gross national happiness (GNH) was designed in an attempt to define an indicator that measures quality of life or social progress in more holistic and psychological terms than only the economic indicator of gross domestic product (GDP). Results of the 2010 survey to measure the peace and happiness of the nation can be viewed online. [Read more…]

There is a planetary transformation of consciousness and these centers give people hope.

Ralph White

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