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| A Quarterly Newsletter from
the Foundation of the Sacred Stream |
ISSUE 13 |
DECEMBER 2008 |
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| Note from the General Manager |
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 Welcome
to our final newsletter of
2008. It has been an exciting year for the Sacred Stream and I
want to thank you all for your support and participation. I
especially want to thank those of you who have donated time, energy and
finances to some of our very important programs, such as the
Scholarship Fund and Team Roma. Your generosity has made it
possible for students to continue their studies and for our colleague
and friend, Roma Smith, to manage the challenges of her recovery.
Your support has also helped us grow in many ways and we have many fond
memories as we transition into 2009. One of the highlights
of this past year was a special visit from Buddhist scholar Robert
Thurman. The event sold out and we were able to raise nearly six
thousand dollars for Tibet House. We look forward to expanding
this visiting teacher series in 2009 with His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s
principle interpreter, Thupten Jinpa, who will be visiting us sometime
this spring. Dr. Jinpa is a distinguished Buddhist scholar,
author and professor of Buddhist Studies at McGill University.
Our upcoming semester is filled with old and new courses, beginning
with the Intro to the Shamanic Journey in January, followed by classes
on Relationships, Buddhist Psychology, Integrated Energy Medicine and
Moon Lodge (the first in a series of courses offering support for
members of the birthing community) to name a few. In August, we
return to the Orkney Islands in Scotland, and while it seems far from
now, the early registration deadline is coming up in March!
Whatever you do this holiday season, all of us at the Sacred Stream
wish you peace, good health, and joy in these changing times.
Wishing you well,
Laura Chandler, CHT
General Manager
Foundation of the Sacred Stream
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| Excerpt
from "The Buddhist Cosmos" - A Lecture by Robert Thurman for the
Sacred Stream Community |
 On October
8, 2008, the Foundation of
the Sacred Stream hosted Robert A. F. Thurman in a benefit for Tibet
House, a non-profit organization devoted to the preservation and
promotion of Tibetan culture. The evening began with Dr. Thurman
signing copies of his new book, Why the Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of
Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet, and the World, for the 50
people who had gathered to hear him speak about "The Buddhist Cosmos:
Death, Life, and History as Evolution.”
Dr. Thurman is a
scholar of
international renown and we were very fortunate to be able to invite
him to speak. His unique take on the relevance of Buddhism to American
culture and politics, and his wit and creativity in weaving ancient
Buddhist wisdom and popular Western ideals made his talk as
entertaining as it was informative. As the evening progressed, Dr.
Thurman demonstrated his deep engagement with the group by addressing
specific aspects of his talk to the interests of certain individuals,
addressing them by name. (At one point, he even broke into
French--demonstrating a very decent accent!--to address Marion
Lovinger, a native French speaker, on a point of interest she had
mentioned during their brief conversation during the reception. )
Dr. Thurman’s
reflections on the
future of Buddhism in the West and the emergence of meditational
therapies were of special interest to the Depth Hypnosis Practitioners
who were present. Some of his remarks on this subject follow.
Before we can guess
where Buddhism is
headed in the West, we have to state what we think Buddhism is. Arnold
Toynbee, in 1971, said that the most important event to happen in the
West in the 20th century would be seen in retrospect by historians as
the West's encounter with Buddhism. He was not speaking of Buddhism as
primarily a religion. He saw Buddhism as movement of the axial age. The
axial age is an era which began about 2500 years ago where you have the
pre-Socratics, Confucius, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Zoroaster, and the Upanishad
seekers in the East. Through their discoveries, they were participating
in the turning of the world, which is why this was called the 'axial
age.'
Read
On
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| Featured
Practitioner: Geoff Walker |
 I’m proud to be the first
Certified Depth Hypnosis Practitioner in the Pacific Northwest. I
have an MA in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Expressive
Arts Therapy from CIIS in San Francisco, and have significant training
in Drama Therapy from the Living Arts Counseling Center in Oakland,
CA. I’m also a Certified Hypnotherapist. It is exciting to
bring this work to a new locale.
My work centers on bridging the gap between the internal and external
worlds. Most people find they are at a loss for words when asked
to verbalize their internal experiences. My intention is to help
people find those lost words by supporting them in creating stronger
connections between the different aspects of self (the social, private,
intellectual, and spiritual selves, for instance).
To bridge my own gaps, I practice karate, tai chi, and yoga. I
meditate, journey, and practice mindful breathing. I make music
with my friends, and I create visual and written art by myself.
These interconnected threads; individual and social, internal and
external, physical, cerebral, and spiritual, weave together to create a
tapestry with strong surface and interior components, where the back is
as beautiful and intriguing as the front. Each individual
practice informs and compliments the others, which gives me access to
my fullest self of the moment, and the tools to continue my own growth.
I believe that through increased intrapersonal interaction (meditation
and journeying), mindful physical activity (yoga, etc.) and imaginative
interpersonal expression (being creative with others), I am creating
greater opportunities for my own wholeness and life-long
satisfaction. Each of my personal practices offers me ways to
better understand people wherever they are on their own path.
The aim of my professional practice is to encourage people to create
their own opportunities and to find their own personal path to
wholeness. Through the use of Depth Hypnosis, art, and movement,
my clients are able to see through their old patterns and actively
develop new skills to deal with life in ways that are increasingly
appropriate and satisfying. For many people it’s the first time
they feel that they have a hand in their own development and destiny.
I believe that each person has the necessary skills for self-healing
and development. The only problem is that they don’t know where
to look on their own. I see my job as helping people determine
how and where to look. It’s a strange business – my hope is to
help my clients not need to see me. The most satisfying part of
my work is when a client decides they no longer need to come, but want
to, for greater growth.
I live and work in Camas, Washington, which is very near Portland,
Oregon. I love the balance of small town and big city, and enjoy
sharing the peace of my private office with the people of my
community. There are few things as beautiful as being witness to
the renewal of a person’s interest in life and living.
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| Sacred Stream Call for Submissions |
We would like to invite you to send
in writing, art, & photos inspired by your practice for
consideration in our Quarterly Newsletter. We especially need journeys
for our "Journey On It" section. Submissions include, but are not
limited to:
- Articles
- Journeys
- Poetry
- Photography
- Graphics
- Drawings
Please note that due to the number of entries, we may not be able to
publish your submission. However, everything will be considered. Please
email your submissions to info@sacredstream.org with the subject line
"Newsletter Submissions." Thanks in advance for your contribution.
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| Sharing the Sacred Stream |
If you've benefited from
classes at the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, and would like to share
the experience with others, please consider purchasing a gift
certificate or making a tax-deductible donation to the Foundation of
the Sacred Stream's scholarship fund or general fund.
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| Journey On It..."A Journey to the Heart" |
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By Tim Jones
The
shamanic journey is a method of
working in an altered state and is achieved by using sound, such as a
repetitive drum beat. It is called "shamanic" because working in
an
altered state in this way is found in most indigenous cultures.
However, it is not limited to shamanism. The journey can be
described
as an active form of meditation and is very useful in exploring the
psyche and enhancing personal growth. Our
purpose in offering this column is to create a forum, like those
created in our classes, where people engaged in a shamanic journey
practice may deepen their work with the journey, and their
understanding of the journey as a tool for healing. The journeys shared
here are offerings meant to shed light on the reader's own process. We
invite you to contribute a journey, or simply receive the journeys in
the sacred manner in which they are intended. To submit a journey for
consideration, please email us at info@sacredstream.org.
 During the past few months I noticed changes
with my
heart. It started skipping beats and it began fluttering in series of
rapid, shallow beats. The fluttering was more irregular than the skips
and a lot more disconcerting. These experiences became more noticeable
when I was trying to relax or just trying to go to sleep. This
was all new and I wasn’t sure what to do.
Eventually I saw a doctor who had me do a series of tests, including a
24-hour heart monitor. She concluded it was nothing serious “unless it
bothered me,” something about ventricular contractions. Although I felt
better that whatever was happening to me was not life threatening, it
was still a constant reminder that something was just not right.
I decided to try a journey on the following question: What do I need to
do to heal my heart? I’ll do whatever it takes.
As the drumming began, I encountered a group of mean looking, ugly,
malevolent faces. This had never happened before when beginning a
journey, and I didn’t know who they were at first. But then I realized
they were faces of my own fear reflected back to me. I brushed them
aside and then continued on my normal path to the lower world. I
noticed a look of astonishment on their faces as I moved past them.
Read
On
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| ASK ISA: This Month’s Q & A Addresses
“Power and Integrity” |
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Can you talk about
issues of personal power in Shamanic Practice and in Buddhist thought?
 I think the most fundamental issue
that people deal with is power - and how to hold it properly. Issues
around power manifest in a myriad of ways - from addiction to
autoimmune issues. This is why people come for help.
I have found that working with power and helping people step more fully
into congruence with their power is a subtle dance. Some people do not
have enough internal structure to hold power and need work to develop
those structures. Others have a lot of configurations around their
power and need help breaking those configurations down so they can
release the power (which is generally bound in wounding) that is buried
within the structures.
I work with students and private clients who come through one of the
variety of doors the Foundation of the Sacred Stream offers to the
deeper levels of consciousness expansion. The main training programs
are Buddhist Psychology, Integrated Energy Medicine, Depth Hypnosis,
Earth Wisdom and Applied Shamanism. As a matter of interest to people
looking at issues from a shamanic perspective, I have found that the
students coming in the door of Applied Shamanism are the ones that are
most interested in issues of personal power - and they are often the
ones who have the most intricately articulated patterns around power.
Read
On
Do you have a question
you'd like to ASK ISA?
Email info@sacredstream.org
with ASK ISA in the subject line and we will select one question each
month to include in this column.
Isa
Gucciardi, Ph.D., is the Founding Director of the
Foundation of the Sacred Stream and the primary teacher for the
Foundation's training programs in Depth Hypnosis, Applied Shamanism,
Huna, Buddhist Psychology and Integrated Energy Medicine.
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| Fall Calendar & Community News |
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San Francisco Free
Events:
Spring Equinox Drumming Circle
Sunday, March 22; 6pm
Free
For directions, please RSVP to info@sacredstream.org
Free
Teleclasses:
Teleclasses are
interactive distance learning courses similar to a
conference call, and taught by Isa Gucciardi, PhD. Each participant can
just listen and absorb, or engage in the discussion. You do not need a
computer to participate in a teleclass. All you need is a telephone and
you can call from anywhere!
Ask Isa, Q & A: The
Shamanic Journey
Thursday, January 8; 6pm PST, 9pm EST
Ask Isa, Q & A: Women's
Spiritual Biology
Thursday, January 15; 6pm PST, 9pm EST
Ask Isa, Q & A: The Cauldron of
Relationship
Monday, January 19; 6pm PST, 9pm EST
Ask Isa, Q & A: What
is Buddhist Psychology?
Monday, February 2; 6pm PST, 9pm EST
Ask Isa, Q & A: What is Integrated
Energy Medicine?
Wednesday, February 18; 6pm PST, 9pm EST
To register, contact info@sacredstream.org
or
415-333-1434.
 Free
Talks:
Free Talk: The
Shamanic Journey at Elephant Pharmacy in Berkeley
Saturday, January 24; 3pm
1607 Shattuck (at Cedar), Berkeley, CA 94709
Destination
Studies:
Ancient Scotland: Before the Druids
August 21 - 28
Registration Deadline: May 15, 2009
$2795; Early Registration: $2595 by March 20
San Francisco Training
Programs, Workshops, and Events:
Advanced Depth Hypnosis
Part I: January 9 - 11
Part II: January 16 - 18
Friday: 7pm to 10pm
Saturday: 10am to 7pm
Sunday: 10am to 7pm
(Please note: Sunday, January 18th, 10am-3pm)
$1285
Depth
Hypnosis Supervisory
Group
Thursdays, January 22, February 19, March
19, & April 16
7:30pm to 9:30pm
$225; Early Registration: $200 by January 1
Introduction
to the Shamanic
Journey
Saturday & Sunday, January 31 &
February 1
10am to 4pm
$250; Early Registration: $225 by January 10
This course is a prerequisite to most of our
training programs!
Moon Lodge:
Women's Spiritual
Biology
Saturday, February 7
9am to 9pm
$295; Early Registration: $275 by January 17
Winter Meditation
Sunday, February 8
9am to 12pm
$20
Buddhist Psychology Studies, Level I
Wednesdays, February 18, February 25, March 4, & March 11
7:30pm to 10pm
$295; Early Registration: $275 by January 28
 Relationships I
February 21 & 22
10am to 4pm
$295; Early Registration: $275 by Janaury 31
Integrated Energy Medicine, Level I and II
March 6 - 8
Friday: 6pm to 10pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10am to 7pm
$590; Early Registration: $550 by February 13
Relationships II
March 21 & 22
10am to 4pm
$295; Early Registration: $275 by Feb. 28
Buddhist Psychology Studies, Level II
Wednesdays, March 25, April 1, April 8, & April 15
7:30pm to 10pm
$295; Early Registration: $275 by March 4
To register, contact info@sacredstream.org
or
415-333-1434.
New
England Classes and
Events:
Spring Equinox Drumming Circle (Rhode
Island)
Sunday, March 22; 6pm
Free
For details, please contact Katharine Rossi
Summer Solstice Drumming Circle
(Rhode Island)
Sunday, June 21; 6pm
Free
For details, please contact Katharine Rossi
Free Talk:
Healing Techniques in Shamanism
at All That Matters
Thursday, July 30; 6pm
315 Main St., Wakefield, RI 02879
Introduction to the Shamanic Journey
Thursday, July 30; 7:30pm to 10pm
Friday, July 31, 2009; 10am to 6pm
$250
315 Main St., Wakefield, RI 02879
Register at info@allthatmatters.com or 401-782-2126
Applied Shamanism Level 1 & 2
at All That Matters
Saturday & Sunday, August 1 & 2; 9am to 9pm
$795
315 Main St., Wakefield, RI 02879
*Prerequisite: Introduction to the Shamanic
Journey or equivalent
Register at info@allthatmatters.com or 401-782-2126
Depth
Hypnosis
Foundation Course
Thursday - Tuesday, August 6 - 11
$1800
315 Main St., Wakefield, RI 02879
*Prerequisite: Introduction to the Shamanic
Journey or equivalent
Register at info@allthatmatters.com or 401-782-2126
For more information
on upcoming classes, please
visit our calendar page.
Please visit our websites for more information:
www.sacredstream.org
www.depthhypnosis.com
www.hunaspirit.com
 Community
News
On-Going Practice Group
in Rhode Island
The
next meeting of the Rhode Island practice group will be on Sunday,
January 11 from 3:30 to 5:30 PM. The group will also meet Wednesday,
February 11 at 6:30 PM and Sunday, March 22 at 3:30 PM. For details
about this
meeting or to find out about future meetings, contact Katharine
Rossi.
The Foundation
of
Sacred Stream Space Clearing Society
The Space Clearing Society is a group of people
who have been trained in shamanic healing practices ranging from power
retrieval to spirit releasement. The members of the Society are
dedicated to providing space clearing services to the community. The
Society’s particular focus is to work in spaces where the healing arts
are practiced or where healing is needed. The Society meets once a
month. If you would like to engage the services of the Society, please
contact info@sacredstream.org.
Home for New England
Drumming Circles
Sara Abernathy has
generously opened
her large, Victorian home in Providence, RI for the Foundation
of the Sacred Stream's Solistice and Equinox Drumming Circles. Thank
you, Sara! The next drumming circle will take place at 6 PM on Sunday,
March 22. For the complete schedule of drumming circles in New
England, please check the Foundation of the Sacred Stream's calendar.
For more information about the Drumming Circles, please contact Katharine Rossi.
The Foundation of the
Sacred Stream is on San Francisco Yelp
If you are
considering taking a workshop with us, please check out the reviews on Yelp.
If you have taken a workshop (or several!) please consider
writing a review.
Soccer Without Borders
Soccer Without Borders is a non-profit community
organization which the Foundation of the Sacred Stream supports with
your help and donations. Soccer Without Borders' mission is to use
soccer as a vehicle for positive change in the lives of marginalized
youth. Based in San Francisco, CA, USA, Soccer Without Borders works
locally and internationally to help young people develop their bodies,
voices and minds. Soccer Without Borders recently organized an AYSO soccer
team for refugee youth from 12 countries in Oakland, CA. For the
latest news about Soccer Without Borders' work with refugee children in
Oakland, CA, please see:
http://oaklandnorth.net/2008/11/10/twelve-countries-six-languages-one-high-school-team/.
For additional
information, visit www.soccerwithoutborders.org
or contact info@soccerwithoutborders.org.
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