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An Insight into The Way of Council with Lori Austein

Lisa — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:19:00 +0000

Here is a closer look at Lori’s story, the woman who teaches The Way of Council at O.U.R. Ecovillage through Royal Roads University.

When I arrived on Vancouver Island from Los Angeles six years ago, I knew that I needed to make a new home, a new community for my soul’s work, The Way of Council. I knew that I needed to find a place to hold council trainings in which the land was truly stewarded; a place where a person could be in council with one’s self, with other people and with the nature of which we are a part. Fortunately, I landed in the Cowichan Valley, home of O.U.R. Ecovillage. What I immediately understood upon meeting Brandy Gallagher was that O.U.R. Ecovillage understands that sustainable community includes
stewarding the land and also includes keeping human relationships alive, free, open and constructive, both in times of joyful community celebration and in times of conflict. As a demonstration site offering itself up to be witnessed by all who seek a way different from the dominant paradigm, O.U.R. Ecovillage is a onderful place to hold Council.

I began my training in Council in 1998 with Joe Provisor who currently serves as Director of the Ojai Foundation’s Council in Schools Program and is the Program Expert for the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Council Practitioners Center and began my active work with Council then. I continued training with Jack Zimmerman and Gigi Coyle, authors of The Way of Council and other mentors and elders in the process which continues today. In fact, I can hardly wait to return to the Ojai Foundation next month to sit in a circle of my peers and continue exploring my edges with this work.

I have used Council with youth as part of the Palms Elementary School Council Project and with several classes at Sunrise Waldorf School. I have trained educators in Prince Rupert to facilitate Councils with their students. I have used Council for blessing ways, birthday celebrations, with co-housing groups and organizations such as O.U.R. Ecovillage, Yarrow and Windsong. I’ve used Council with parents of kindergarten children, sharing their feelings and thoughts as their children leave early childhood for the grade school. With a 5Rhythms teacher, I have used Council with women to understand just a little bit more about how they come to know themselves and I have used Council with my husband, both to sustain and nurture our marriage and to bring the practice to other couples.

In Council, people are invited to speak deeply and only from their own experience and perspective. There is no one right way to view things, only the understanding of another’s point of view.

I find Council particularly suited to eliciting presence and heartfelt participation around emotionally charged experiences in a way that allows for relationships to develop or deepen. It also allows us to hear ourselves, often in a new way. Through the practice of empathic listening and learning to monitor one’s own emotional activity, Council encourages going beyond one’s position with which one might have entered the circle and allowing something new to emerge.

Council does not seek to create concensus, but allows for and recognizes the arising of a “cohesive group wisdom” which is a harvest of diversity, where the sum is greater than the total of the parts. A vision arises that includes everything expressed as a recognition that each member of the circle carries a piece of the collective wisdom. Decisions taken in Council can take longer to arrive it but they hold and are supported because everyone has been heard and all viewpoints are included.

One of the ways in which we practice monitoring one’s own emotional activity is by slowing down and breathing when radically different points of view are spoken into the circle. Also helpful is the awareness that we speak into the circle without directing our perspective at any one person. It is amazing to witness oneself being triggered, breathing and listening from the heart and then truly hearing the other. Allowing those sometimes radically different perspectives to have their space in the circle leads to greater wisdom for all.

In my experience the questions used in Council seek to delve under the surface. Silence in the form of deep listening is participation as is sharing in any language or form. In fact one is invited to listen with one’s whole being to better receive both what is spoken and that which is unspoken. This allows us to respond from a place deeper than personality. The circle weaves a tapestry of community that is palpable.

I am obviously passionate about Council because I believe that Council energizes people in a different way by creating a container safe enough to allow us to show up in our authentic, vulnerable wholeness. I look forward to the opportunity to sit with you, hear your stories and weave our collective wisdom on the beautiful land so lovingly cared for at O.U.R. Ecovillage.

Click here to register now for The Way of Council Level I at O.U.R. Ecovillage taught by Lori Austein on behalf of Royal Roads UnIversity

Co-op Corner

Cindy — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 03:50:49 +0000

Wherever co-operatives are found, and no matter for what purpose the model has been adopted, they reflect the will of people to work together in order to have a measure of control over their future, improve some aspect of their lives, and contribute to the betterment of their communities. Two of the seven international principles guiding the growth of co-ops are Democratic Control by Members and Member Economic Participation. Co-operatives are owned by members and meant to be democratically controlled by them through an elected board – which in turn is accountable back to the members. Co-operatives encourage Economic Participation by members as a way of demonstrating that they are invested in their own business ventures.

OUR Ecovillage Co-operative is coming into an exciting time of new growth and expansion. We are undertaking a fall membership drive and major capital financing campaign to raise the necessary monies for purchasing this beautiful 25 acres property here at Shawnigan Lake. Below is a brief description of these actions. More details will be coming soon but we encourage you to contact us if you are interested in membership in the co-op and/or supporting the co-op/ecovillage in any of these ways.

1. Welcoming new members to the co-op: OUR is a “multi-stakeholder” co-op. This means there are several categories of membership. These include: agricultural stewards, sustainable enterprise stewards, educational stewards, community stewards, and long term residents called Hearthkeepers. Sustainable Enterprise stewards form a group of members who operate green businesses on site that support the ecovillage’s vision and mission. Community Stewards can include anyone who wants to be involved in some way to support the co-op/ecovillage – these people may or may not live in the geographical area but demonstrate support in a variety of ways. Each class has the right to be represented on the board of the co-op and will contribute to developing a strategic plan for their membership class, which may be in conjunction with on-the-ground operational teams composed largely of summer residents. Membership in the co-op is $5,000.

2. RRSP and Investment Shares: We are currently setting up a self-directed RRSP program through the Canadian Co-op Worker Federation which will allow members and non-members to purchase membership and investment shares in the co-op. Investment shares are $1,000 each. We hope to have this share purchase option available within the next month.

3. Partnering with the Land Conservancy: OUR Ecovillage Co-operative has partnered with the Land Conservancy of BC to place a covenant on the land and protect this 25 acre parcel into the future. The Land Conservancy has agreed to accept tax-deductible
donations for this purpose and has listed OUR Ecovillage on its website as a property the public may contribute their donations toward. Protect OUR Ecovillage Forever campaign here.
4. Commemorative Conservation Scattering Grounds: As part of the agreement with TLC, and in partnership with the Green Burial Council of North America, OUR has also developed the first conservation scattering ground for dispersing human remains – in an ecologically sensitive manner. Individuals or families can make arrangements for having their (non-toxic) ashes scattered on the property in part by making a tax-deductible donation to TLC who channels that donation back to OUR. We have already had strong expressions of interest from the broader community that they are supportive of these efforts. This program will also position OUR to be the benefactor of bequests that families wish to make in memory of loved ones.

These are a few of the ways OUR Ecovillage Co-operative is creating ways to invite greater involvement by our community of supporters in helping us to achieve the vision of creating a thriving sustainable model ecovillage. We hope you will consider joining us in this exciting adventure.

To find out more please contact Patrick Jackson, President of OUR Ecovillage Co-operative, patrick@ourecovillage.org or Joy Emmanuel, Co-op Member Education Coordinator, joye@telus.net.

Co-op Week October 17-22

Another opportunity to find out about OUR Ecovillage Co-operative is by joining us for a social, tour, meals and/or presentation during Co-op Week October 17-22.

Monday, October 17th – private meeting

Saint Michael’s University High school Social Studies 10 class attends “Creating Cooperation: Youth Moving forward in Sustaining Community”
All day program with presentations and hands on cooperative project

Tuesday, October 18th – open, please RSVP

3-5pm “Come and meet OUR Cooperative Board and OUR ECOVILLAGE” – Wine and Cheese gathering.

Wednesday, October 19th – private meeting

T’Sourke Nation Elders Gathering and “Mentorship and Cooperation in Community: Walking the Red Road” presentation.

Thursday, October 20th – evening concert, by donation.

OUR Ecovillage is totally delighted to host an impromptu acoustic concert from Morelove on Thursday night, October 20th as part of Coop week. Morlove an experimental folk band created by the banding together of songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Corwin Fox and folk-pop singer-songwriter Miss Emily Brown. They will be joined by other members of their band.

Donations are requested at the door to help defray the costs of the band. Tell all your friends to come enjoy an intimate night of soul stirring music at O.U.R. Ecovillage with Corwin and Emily and the Ecovillage crew!

Door opens at 7.30pm for O.U.R. Kombucha and Kefir aperitifs, concert at 8pm.

please note – due to a scheduling mishap, the following event will not happen: University of Victoria Co-op week Presentations and keynote (Brandy Gallagher – OUR and Deborah Curran – Lead lawyer for F.O.G. [finance, ownership, and governance for commonshare projects] Research Program) with “The Center For Cooperative and Community Based Economy”

Saturday, October 22nd

Morning tour with available lunch pre-registered
OUR ECOVILLAGE Cooperative presentation on the new “Commemorative Conservation Legacy Project: a green burial option” and OUR Coops partnership with The Land Conservancy of BC.

10am-12pm Site Tour – Costs: Tour $15 & Lunch $9 - please reserve for lunch.

Join us for the tour and come and explore this amazing community. Please call to register and for more information: 250-743-3067

A Food Secure Community

Lisa — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:33:08 +0000

This post from on of our Sustainable Food Production Skillbuilder interns, Keith “Kirk” Schlesinger who has taken on food security on the village in a major way. (My nomination for “Villager of the Month” … hehe… imagine we actually had that.)
As the time of the 2011 “Insight into GMOs” Symposium on 17-18 September fast approaches, O.U.R. attention is definitely on this issue! The topic has opened up a whole range of concerns, expectations and desires around what we consume to nourish each of O.U.R. bodies, minds and spirits. A general consensus favouring taking a clear stand on GMO & GE food has emerged through a community council about the meaning of food, followed by a series of presentations at the regular Wednesday community lunchtime meeting, culminating in a special evening gathering devoted to exploring making this ecovillage a “GE-Free Zone”. A GE-Free Zone means that no genetically modified seeds will ever be planted and genetically engineered animal feed will ever be offered for consumption by O.U.R. cows, chickens, sheep, goats and pigs. We now have a draft declaration in hand and are preparing to introduce it as a proposal to the new “General Circle” that sits atop O.U.R. Dynamic Governance system now coming online.

But that is only the beginning. “Seeds and feeds” represent stage one of a long, challenging process of turning the “Good Ship Ecovillage” steadily onto a course toward healthy local food production and purchase. One clear guidepost of O.U.R. intention is the new food centre now under construction using a number of natural building techniques, which will be named the” Zero Mile Eatery”.

Just the Zero Mile concept means became clearer to many of us who attended the first beginning-
of-the-month “Deconstruction Dinner” on September 1st. The dinner is named in honour of Jon
Steinman’s great 5-year co-op radio series “Deconstructing Dinner”, and Jon will be one of the featured presenters at O.U.R. GMO Symposium.

Among the things that came up for some preliminary deconstruction: Lining up local farmers committed to organic practices while staying within the kitchen budget, balancing on-site production with off-site purchases, keeping up with the dynamics of growing seasons and occasional weather surprises, capturing information about local food and prices so that everyone on-site can help find things out in the wider community without asking for the same information over and over again, and an ever-changing population on-site during the many programmes offered between March and November.

We quickly realized that every single one of the new governance circles, ranging from Hospitality to Human Resources, will likely have one or more important roles to play in advancing the GE-Free Zone, organic food, and a dependable food supply. No one circle can take on food security by itself.

The way to handle this may well turn out to be the creation of a “Food Security Task Force” or similarly named group. With a long-term hearthkeeper as coordinator, the task force could draw upon the energy and talent of shorter-term residents and programme participants to support the often over-committed hearthkeepers and interns. The task force would also likely play a role in the new dynamic governance model. Figuring out just how this will work will be challenging, but it should also prove highly beneficial to advancing new ways of community decision making from which other organizations and communities may one day benefit.

The immediate goal is a safe, reliable, nutritious food supply for O.U.R., but the story will hardly end there. As Carolyn Herriot, author of The Zero Mile Diet, recently said at a local food security panel, “I am not safe until my neighbour is well fed.” This is simultaneously a spiritual, ethical, and practical approach to food security. It is a path that O.U.R. seems increasingly eager and capable of following amongst its neighbours in the Cowichan Valley and beyond.

O.U.R. Change we wish to see…

Cindy — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 21:04:06 +0000

O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE is always a hub of activity, with many people coming and going through our gates, but you just never know when someone famous is going to be sitting beside you. Well, little did we know, Brandy has been in a film or 2 over the years and now The Land Conservancy has asked O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE what it mean to be the change we wish to see in O.U.R. world.

Inspired by the words of Mohandas Gandhi, the ‘Be The Change’ campaign will help with the completion of important projects such as the Wild Hills & beaches Campaign, Clearwater Wetlands and Wildlife Corridor, Brooks (Gowlland) Point Regional Park, and expansion of the Horsefly River as well as assist in the continued stewardship of the special places already under their care.

One of those special spaces is O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE. With the collaboration of the Green Burial Council of Canada, TLC, and O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE, we are all thinking of a way for future generations to inherit what we leave behind. OUR change we wish to see is the pilot project of the Commemorative Conservation Scattering Grounds. This project is an amazing way to leave a legacy of ones life while protecting the land in which we steward.

Many beloved British Columbians have stepped up to be the change they wish to see in the world and I would invite everyone to check out the videos that TLC has produced to inspire the change you wish to see and donate to this awesome cause!

Movie Monday: Threshold Celebration

Lisa — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:39:53 +0000

I cannot believe how amazing my life is sometimes. This weekend, I rolled lazily out of bed after a night of dancing and excellent hang out time by the fire (to say good-bye to our amazing Skillbuilders. Moment. Of. Silence). I moseyed on up to the kitchen to fix my self some eats and then sauntered, tired and worn up to Taj II where I had the pleasure of attending the Threshold Celebration Symposium.

Here is a livestream of the event for ya, which helps to convey the amazingness of the vibe.

And voila, the symposium speakers for the Creating Community Connections around the End of life Journey, just in case you want to know more!

Cari Burdett (organizer, vocalist)

Cari Burdett is the inspiration behind this community event and is director of Lila Music Centre, where she leads the Threshold Singers and other music making joy.
The initial spark behind this celebratory symposium was to introduce the ‘Threshold choir’ to the larger community and to collaborate and meet others in the greater community who work with the end of life journey; as it can often seem like a lonely road to travel. As soon as the pieces started to come together, it was clear that there are many diverse and beautiful ways that one can find comfort and support for the end of life journey right here in the Cowichan Valley. It is very exciting that we are all coming together to inspire and support each other in this important and sacred work.
Cari leads the Threshold choir where people of all ages come together to enjoy the benefits of singing, to create harmony and pure joy, to experience singing for others in need whether at bedsides in the hospital, in care homes, for memorials and/or during vigils. Everyone is welcome to join the Threshold singers, all levels invited to come and share in the magic of singing. Cari is mother of three young beauties and performs in many styles from classical, to folk and improvisation. More information here www.joythroughmusic.com

Jan Alexander (Threshold Choir)

Jan is the director of two Threshold Choir singing groups, one on the Sunshine Coast (Sechelt), the other in Vancouver. Both choirs have been meeting for about two years and sing regularly for those who are sick or dying, or in need of deep nurturing & healing song. Jan brought this work to Vancouver, after singing for three years with the Threshold Choir in Santa Cruz, CA. She found the sacred songs and compassionate voices brought her profound healing and solace after the loss of both her mother and sister. Spirituality has always been one of Jan’s deepest inspirations, and this is evident in her work. She holds a Master of Arts in Creation Spirituality with Matthew Fox, additionally she’s had experience living in a women’s monastic community. In the past few years she has also had the opportunity to learn more about home funerals by attending two workshops in California with Jerrigrace Lyons of Final Passages. Besides the leading the choirs, Jan is passionate about her full-time work as a Teacher-Librarian in Vancouver public schools.

Chris Bertin (Musician, Moonrise Music, Instrument Maker)

weaves magic into his music and his hand built instruments. His journey as a musician began when he touched a drum for the first time 20 years ago and has taken him on a powerfully transformational journey all over this continent, having blended his unique percussive style to many musical genres; rock, folk, funk, jazz, world beat, and electronica; he now focuses more on music as a healing modality and brings this intention to any musical sharing he is involved with.
Chris lives in the Cowichan Valley with his wife Ali and their three beautiful children. He teaches and leads a percussion ensemble, Deep Percussion and often hosts events that are geared towards the healing and transformational power of music. His work can be seen at his website: www.moonrisemusic.ca

Elli Boray

Elli’s openness to the end of life journey is born out of her war experiences as a child and her ongoing relationship with her friends on the on the dementia wing. “They might not speak , or make sense , but their feelings are all there. Yes, they can love!” Her background in rituals includes both children and adults. Mandalas are part of her spiritual journey: “From LOSS to JOY and GRATITUDE …”

Susan Blackwood (Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant)

is a Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant with Pathways Ceremony. Within her work she calls upon a wealth of knowledge and resources of ceremony to create a unique experience for her clients. Susan has worked in groups and individually to create a safe environment to mark and celebrate a rites of passage. She also is also an Integrative Energy Healing Practitioner living in Victoria, British Columbia. She has been involved in the Alternative Health and Healing field for over 20 years.

Stephen Faulkner (Home Care)

Stephen Faulkner was born and raised in NZ and received his medical degree from the University of Otago before moving to Canada in 1981. He has lived and worked as a family doctor in Duncan for 30 years but has recently semi retired for medical reasons. His interests over the years have included flying (he was a bush pilot in NZ), all areas of conventional health care (anaesthesia, obstetrics, emergency medicine, geriatrics, palliative care, aviation medicine, opening Duncan’s first Walk-in clinic), men’s health and spirituality, First Nations spirituality (especially the Cowichan longhouse traditions), natural building, the life and poetry of William Blake and exploring the nature of the human condition and human consciousness through poetry, music and walking in the woods.

Amy Hanson (Bodyworker & Vocalist)

Amy Hanson is a ARC Bodywork Therapist and Threshold Choir member. She has had twenty years experience bringing open understanding, revelation, clarity and peace to clients in many aspects of life. Her personal journey of grief began 25 years ago with the passing of her sister to cancer. It was a turning point and inspiration for her own healing. The arduous path of little support and perceived alienation developed in her a enduring compassion and understanding for those experiencing their own grief. Currently, she enjoys singing with the Threshold Choir at every opportunity and is passionate about offering deep healing sessions from her Shawnigan Lake home. www.AmyHansonBodywork.com

Gretchen Hartley (Cowichan Valley Exec. Dir.)

has worked with the Cowichan Valley Hospice as Executive Director for the past seven years. “It has been a privilege to be able to support the work of hospice volunteers as they companion people through their end of life and grief journeys. I am constantly awed by the heart and skill that Hospice volunteers bring to this precious work.”
Gretchen has an M.S.W. from Carleton University and before Hospice worked in services for women.

Ko Chen Hawkes (Art Therapist)

has been interested in this process of dying, “Crossing the Threshold” fo some time. Having participated in wakes, prepared the wake box with supplies and anticipated her Mother death’ she was determined to have this experience be as natural and harmonious as possible. Having taken care of her Mother for 7 years, when she passed this April at the age of 98 all the preparation came to fruition. The slide presentation is result of this experience.

Dorothy Heath (Healer, Vocalist)

is a local musician and healing arts practitioner. She plays improvisational inspirational flute and piano music and sings with the Threshold Choir. She is happy to offer comfort and support to people through music and song. In Corvallis, Oregon she worked for Hospice Services providing massage and included song and music in her sessions. She has recently opened Station Street Healing Arts with a team of other healing art practitioners in downtown Duncan. There she combines her love of music and art with other healing modalities, including Reiki, Massage, and Acupressure.

Rev. Elaina Hyde-Mills (Spiritual Care at CDH)

Elaina is professionally trained in ministry as a Hospital Chaplain and has been employed in Health Care for 20 years at a number of different hospitals. Her services are available to everyone as time permits. She is also an ordained priest of the Anglican church. Her job is not to persuade or to proselytize, but to practice deep active listening, so that the patient’s own spiritual strength is accessed, and the patient’s internal process of spiritual and emotional healing is activated, within the time available. She is also trained in various healing modalities: body and energy work, Healing Touch, Reiki, Anointing through Touch, Bereavement Counseling, Psychology, Counseling, as well as Christian healing practices. She acts as a liaison with the community spiritual and religious leaders to address patients’ spiritual and religious needs. She is the Chair of the Palliative Team at CDH.

Shelley Kuecks (Hospice)

is the Client Services Coordinator at Cowichan Valley Hospice Society. She did her volunteer training in 2006 and began working as staff in 2007. She was drawn to Hospice because she wanted to strengthen her awareness of death as a natural part of life…a part that must be acknowledged if one is to live fully. She has always been drawn to working with people and finds that being in the hospice setting gives her incredible fulfillment in that area, both in working with clients and with getting to know the amazing volunteers. She is the parent of two older teens who gives me plenty of practice with the communication skills I’m constantly learning.

Marnie Lamb (Bedside Singers)

Singing was an integral part of Marnie’s childhood through choirs at school, church, and summer camp. However as often happens when people grow up, she then lost touch with the musical thread of her life. After earning an Honour BA in Psychology at the University of Western Ontario in 1977, Marnie worked as a medical secretary in Ontario before moving to Victoria in 1998. She rediscovered her love of singing by joining the Gettin’ Higher Choir in 2000, and subsequently became a Victoria Hospice volunteer in 2005. Marnie was able to combine these two passions by co-founding the Songs of Passage bedside singing pilot project at Victoria Hospice in 2007. Since then, the Bedside Singers have become a well-respected member of the patient support team at Victoria Hospice.

Annette Lampson (Vocalist)

Annette lives in the Cowichan valley with her family with three children. She trained as a solo singer and conductor in Germany, and now works at Glenora Farm as a director for the Music Program for Adults with Special Needs, which includes a beautiful, perfoming Hand Bell Ensemble. She also runs courses in Choral Singing, teaches voice to all ages and, and gives performances in classical and folk styles. She is certified in Therapeutic Singing according to the School of Uncovering the Voice, and has sung at the passing of friends and family, and at memorial sevices. She is looking forward to sharing some songs that are very close to her heart.

Sara Marreiros (Vocalist)

Sara Marreiros is an inspiring singer who talents are known for her Fado singing, in her native language of Portuguese. Sara is active in collaborations using vocal improvisation as a tool to awaken the heart. Her singing initiatives with healing and singing for those in palliative care include singing in Sound Journeys events in Vancouver, singing with Laurel Murphy at the Callanish Society in Vancouver and most recently with Deep Listening – sound journeys with local Cowichan musicians. Sara Marreiros lives in the Cowichan Valley and is happy to share her voice in this event. www.saramarreiros.com

Pashta MaryMoon (singing, Cindea)

is a 58 year old grandmother, whose background is in social activism and pastoral care. She is visiting clergy for hospitals (10 years) and federal prisons (20 years), and has training in general and sexual-abuse counselling. She is a graduate of the Justice Institute Mediation training, and presently training in ‘Aging and the law’/’end of life’ issues. Pashta is also singer/songwriter who originally (and wrote) for anti-war and social concerns demonstrations, and specific rites of passage. She was one of the co-founders of Songs of Passage (offering regular Bedside Singing to the Victoria Hospice unit), and then founded En~chanting Beyond to focus on supporting people who are dying outside the Hospice unit, birthing mothers, and people with dementia. Pashta is also developing a Death Midwifery Practice and a co-founder of Canadian Integrative Network for Death Education and Alternatives (CINDEA). She has been an active member of the Society of Friends since 1970; as well as being the Elder priestess of Kala-vi (Universalist Wicca). She has 30 years of experience in developing and leading personalized ceremonies for rites of passage including funerals/memorials/requiems.

Don Morris (home vigil, ceremony, burial)

serves as outreach director of the Green Burial Council in Canada. In addition, he has recently begun providing guidance for family directed, home funeral vigils. His professional background includes body-centered psychotherapy, funeral directing and volunteer coroner and hospital chaplaincy work. He helped co-found CINDEA, the Canadian Integrative Network for Death Education and Alternatives to help understand and promote death midwifery. Don enjoys hiking, bicycling, photography and travel; his favorite destination – the Amazon rainforest where his dear spiritual family resides. Don believes we benefit when dying, death, human and natural ecology merge.

Adola McWilliam (home vigil, ceremony, burial)

Born in Amsterdam 1933, Adola now lives on Glenora Farm which is part of the worldwide Camphill Community. She is a curative teacher, social therapist and a consultant for Waldorf schools. On Glanora Farm community members mostly pass away in their own house and the whole community holds a vigil for three days and nights. They keep a vigil box ready that can be lent out but the services do not extend to the wider community at this point. However, the public is invited to join in Christian Community funeral service and they are willing to give advice.

Massimo Pintus (Musician)

was born and raised in Sardinia, Italy. Massimo has been working with musical improvisation since 1997 exploring music and consciousness with trained musicians and ‘untrained’ musicians. In 2000, Massimo was a founding member of ‘Ghaun’, a music ensemble that explored musical improvisation with new music instruments. This inspired him to build and create his own musical instruments, which he is currently doing with www.gaiatoneinstruments.com. His instruments include hand forged and tuned metal works such as gongs, rods, glockenspiels and sound sculptures. He enjoys creating instruments designed for individuals and their specific needs and wishes whether for healing, work with children, performance, nature sculptures or meditation. Massimo lives in the Cowichan Valley with his three children and wife, where together they teach and make music at Lila Music Centre.

Marilyn Rummel (Harpist, composer, teacher, performer and music therapist)

studied music education, with flute as her main instrument, at Western Washington University, and taught in the Cariboo for many years. She began studying harp about 30 years ago, and has since studied harp in Canada and in Paraguay. After playing for the last months, and moments, of her mother’s life she pursued the idea of Therapeutic Harp, bringing Tina Tourin’s International Harp Therapy Program to Island Mountain Arts in Wells, BC. about 10 years ago.

Since moving to the Cowichan, Marilyn has become a busy teacher, composer, publisher and performer, and is looking forward to more time and opportunity to explore Therapy work with the harp.

Hazura Sangha (social worker, poet, multifaith support)

was born in Punjab, India, in a traditional SIKH family. He completed masters degree in Sociology in 1963 and immigrated to Canada in 1987 and worked in the Ministry of Social Services until 1996. In the wake of 9/11 episode, he worked in a Multifaith group through Duncan Intercultural Society. In 2002 Hazura was awarded the BC Multicultural award and Cowichan Valley Volunteer of the year in 2003. He is also the author of 3 punjabi poetry books.

Erica Schade (Green Burial Land Trust Conservation Project, O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE)

was Green Burial Project Assistant this last winter at O.U.R. ECOVILLLAGE. She had the pleasure of working with The Land Conservancy of BC and The Green Burial Council, in the planning and opening ceremony of the Commemorative Conservation Scattering Grounds at O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE. She continues to be an advocate of all matters Green – including Land Conservation and sustainable end of life practices. When she isn’t involved in Community Projects or Politics, Erika can be found honing her artpreneurial skills – with her most recent en-devour being to design an Eco-friendly Jewelry Collection. www.erikalaurendesign.com

Alison Smith (Palliative Home Care Coordinator)

has been a nurse for over 35 years. She graduated from the British Columbia Institute of Technology with diplomas in both Psychiatric and Registered Nursing. After working in a number of hospitals in BC, Scotland and New Zealand, Alison decided that she would like to venture into nursing in the community, so she enrolled at the University of Victoria and obtained a degree in nursing. She then headed to an “Outpost Nursing Station” in Northern BC. In 1986, she returned to Vancouver Island, having obtained employment with the Ministry of Health (now Vancouver Island Health Authority) in Home Care Nursing. It was here she felt I had found her calling. For the past ten years, she has worked at the Palliative Care Coordinator for Home & Community Care.

KaaSay Nancy Watters, MA, CCC (Therapist)

is a member of the Wooshkitan Eagle clan of Southeast Alaska, as well as a psychotherapist, vocalist, Reiki Master and sound therapist in private practice. In 2005 she founded the Sacred World Song project so that people could experience the healing power of music and world chant. Recently she has been using the pure, penetrating tones of Alchemy quartz crystal singing bowls, blended with her improvised vocals, to create soothing, heart-opening music that brings deep relaxation. She offers bedside singing, private sound therapy sessions, workshops and concerts through http://nancywaters.com.

Ted Wright (Bopoma Music)

Ted Wright’s love for Shona music began with Marimba Muzuva in 1993. He has been a teacher of marimba, mbira, chipendani and gumboot dancing for many years, organizes the annual Zimbabwean music/dance gathering Nhemamusasa North (held annually at O.U.R. Ecovillage), and teaches workshops, school groups, and ongoing classes as director of Bopoma on Vancouver Island. He has travelled to Zimbabwe three times, studying and performing with many of Zimbabwe’s top traditional musicians. During his time in Zimbabwe Ted played the mbira – the instrument of the ancestral spirits – at spiritual ceremonies and gained a firsthand view of how the spirits of the dead are integral in the communities of the living.

2011 Threshold Celebration

Lisa — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:36:53 +0000

June 23 & 25, 2011

Join us to create community comfort and support around the passage of dying by coming together to open you heart and release fears around the end of life. You will learn about choices and possibilities that are available around you and experience choices for the end of life journey.

What will be happening?

Many groups and individuals in the Cowichan Valley are working in beautiful and healing ways for this important journey of life. At this event we will meet and exchange ideas, connect and become inspired by new ways and thoughts around the end of life.

Who should attend this celebration?

The truth is that everyone who is living, will die! All those who would like to learn about death and release fear… remove the fear… or relax the fear around death are welcome to attend and participate in this discovery of the threshold; no experience is necessary! This includes:

elders
children of our elders
youth
all care givers who work with end of life palliative care work
spiritual counselors, counselors
priests, hospice workers and volunteers

Detailed Schedule

Thursday June 23rd, 2011 : Threshold Sweat Lodge to prepare the self

Time	Description
1:00	Sweat Lodge Fire is lit / Mentors & Speakers arrive
3:00 pm	General Public arrives
3:00 pm	Sweat Lodge
6:00 pm	Potluck Supper
8:00 pm	Closing

June 25th, 2011: Threshold Celebration

Time	Description
10:00 am	Check In
10:30 am	Symposium Begins with Keynote Speakers
12:00 pm	Q & A from audience with Cari
12:30 am	Lunch
2:00 pm	Story & Cedar Roses with Tousilum, Elder Cowichan Tribes
3:00 pm	Nature Mandala Rituals, Memorials & Every Day with Elli Boray
3:45 pm	Snack
4:00 pm	Green Burial Ceremony workshop with Don Morris, Pashta MaryMoon, Elli Boray & Susan Blackwood.
5:30 pm	Open contemplation time
6:00 pm	Supper
7:30 pm	Evening Concert: Music On Wings
9:30 pm	Closing

What should I bring?

Bring whatever you might need! Here are some suggestions:

money, to donate
food if you don’t want to buy lunch and dinner
snacks & water bottle for self care
note pad
layers of clothing
a flash light for night time wanderings
heart. soul. self.
specifics for sweat lodge (see protocol)

Please note that wheelchair accessibility is limited, but please call 250-743-3067 to make arrangements.

Symposium speakers for the Creating Community Connections around the End of life Journey

Cari Burdett (organizer, vocalist)

Jan Alexander (Threshold Choir)

Elli Boray

Susan Blackwood (Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant)

Stephen Faulkner (Home Care)

Amy Hanson (Bodyworker & Vocalist)

Gretchen Hartley (Cowichan Valley Exec. Dir.)

Ko Chen Hawkes (Art Therapist)

Dorothy Heath (Healer, Vocalist)

Rev. Elaina Hyde-Mills (Spiritual Care at CDH)

Shelley Kuecks (Hospice)

Marnie Lamb (Bedside Singers)

Annette Lampson (Vocalist)

Sara Marreiros (Vocalist)

Pashta MaryMoon (singing, Cindea)

Don Morris (home vigil, ceremony, burial)

Adola McWilliam (home vigil, ceremony, burial)

Massimo Pintus (Musician)

Marilyn Rummel (Harpist, composer, teacher, performer and music therapist)

Since moving to the Cowichan, Marilyn has become a busy teacher, composer, publisher and performer, and is looking forward to more time and opportunity to explore Therapy work with the harp.

Hazura Sangha (social worker, poet, multifaith support)

Erica Schade (Green Burial Land Trust Conservation Project, O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE)

Alison Smith (Palliative Home Care Coordinator)

KaaSay Nancy Watters, MA, CCC (Therapist)

Ted Wright (Bopoma Music)

Brandy Gallagher
Tousilum

Sounds great! How do I register?

Registration for the Sweat Lodge and the Threshold Celebration day are required.

Description	Cost
Sweat Lodge to Prepare the Self	by donation
Threshold Celebration (whole day includes lunch, dinner, concert)	$40*
Threshold Celebration (half day)	$20
Threshold Celebration Concert

* this is the minimum cost that covers the expenses for the programme. We would be honoured to receive any amount in addition that brings you joy to give. 100% of the proceeds go toward the Cowichan Valley End of life Journey organizations

JOIN the LILA Music Centre Mailing List

OUR Policies

Lisa — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 23:08:52 +0000

Visitor policy

Refund / Cancellation Policy

Drug, Alcohol & Tobacco Policy

Refund / Cancellation Policy

Privacy Policy

Visitor Guidelines

O.U.R. Eaters’ Food Manifesto

Visitors Handbook

Waiver & Release of Liability

Visitor policy

Introduction
This policy comes in the context of the recognition that O.U.R. Ecovillage is engaged in nothing
less than culture shift on a personal and global level. This often means we are also engage in the
development of new conceptual frameworks to discuss some of our policies and agreements.

Stimulating this learning is a core element of O.U.R. mission. The conversations arising out of these policies can be as important as the policies themselves.

Intention of this Visitor Policy

To support the culture of co-creation at O.U.R. and beyond.
Support the upkeep and stewardship of all common spaces, infrastructure and amenities of our community (used by everyone).

Policy
1. People may host family, close friends or intimate partners coming specifically to visit the
resident and who wouldn’t come otherwise in their personal living space, or camping, for
the following lengths of time before they may be required to complete a Resident Agreement
and Role Agreement.

Long-term Residents (living onsite for longer than 3 months):

up to 7 consecutive days.
maximum of 10 days/month
on condition that the visitors’ presence is supportive of O.U.R. vision and their own
wellbeing.

Interns (in programs of 4 -12 weeks):

up to 3 consecutive days
maximum of 6 days/month
on condition that the visitors presence is supportive of O.U.R. vision, their own wellbeing and the interns’ ability to participate in the program.

If the visitor is family, close friends or intimate partners coming specifically to visit the
resident and who wouldn’t come otherwise, they will pay the family/long-term resident rate
(adults $10/night, kids 7-12 $5/night). All other visitors will cover their costs at the general
rate. This does not include food.

2. Each resident has 1 free night per month to use as they wish for visitors. These cannot be
banked or traded.

The person being visited is responsible to ensure:

the visitor signs a waiver when arriving on site.
the visitor behaves in an appropriate manner while at O.U.R. Ecovillage. This includes
ensuring that children are supervised at all times, giving feedback to friends if required

The person being visited is responsible to ensure:

the visitor signs a waiver when arriving on site.

the visitor behaves in an appropriate manner while at O.U.R. Ecovillage. This includes
ensuring that children are supervised at all times, giving feedback to friends if required,
ensuring the site policies mentioned in this document are respected, recycling is rinsed, etc.

all fees are paid promptly
any damage to property of any individual or organization at O.U.R. Ecovillage is ultimately the responsibility of the person being visited.
the visitor is educated about and invited to participate in O.U.R. Ecovillage culture and
activities. This includes introducing them to the Handbook referenced above, inviting them
to Council (if appropriate) and helping them adapt to village life at O.U.R.

Refund / Cancellation Policy

The workshop fee will be refunded in full (minus administration fee) if you notify us at least one month prior to the workshop start date. Following that, all payments are forfeited.

Drug, Alcohol & Tobacco Policy

O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE is a high visibility demonstration space; we also support folks to be fully present to themselves and to all other relationships. We therefore do not allow illegal drugs or their use on O.U.R. Property.

Tobacco use is allowed in designated areas, which will be shown to you during a tour of the property. If you are unsure, please ask.

Alcohol use is permitted on site only after work hours. It is not permitted during working hours and can be grounds for dismissal.

Please also have a look at O.U.R. Information Handbook & Visitor’s Guide (PDF 2.1MB)

Privacy Policy

Statement and Purpose
O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE (O.U.R. Community Association and O.U.R. Ecovillage Cooperative) respects and upholds an individual’s right to privacy and the protection of his or her personal information. O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE is committed to ensuring compliance with applicable federal and provincial privacy legislation.

Implementation
O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE is accountable for personal information supplied by organizational supporters and obtained, through lawful prospecting measures, for the purpose of providing information and recruiting additional supporters.

Purposes of Collection, Use, and Disclosure
O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE collects and uses personal information about existing and prospective organizational or campaign supporters, including its staff and associates; Board and sub-committee members; students: interns: participants; donors; volunteers; and e-list subscribers. Personal information is collected for the following purposes:

Administration, management, and reporting of business and activities related to O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE
Dissemination of information and coordination of events pertaining to O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE
Coordination, administration, and management of matters related to O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE volunteers
Administration and management of matters related to O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE donations
Recruitment of additional O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE supporters, including participants, donors; volunteers; and e-list subscribers.

Staff and Associates’ Privacy Policy
O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE staff and associates are requested to provide some personal information, including names, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, social insurance numbers, and verification of eligibility for employment in Canada. Any O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE staff or associates exposed to personal information concerning organizational supporters abide by strict confidentiality guidelines outlined in the O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE Confidentiality Agreement.

Board and Sub-committee Privacy Policy
O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE Board and sub-committee members are requested to provide some personal information, including names, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, positions or titles, representing organizations (if any), and issues of interest or concern. Board and sub-committee members consent to receive O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE-specific and related information and communications.

Supporter and Participant Privacy Policy
O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE supporters are requested to provide some personal information, including names, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, positions or titles, representing organizations (if any), and issues of interest or concern.

Donor Privacy Policy
When organizational supporters provide cash or in-kind donations to O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE, personal information is collected, including names of the individual or group, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, the date the donation was received, and details related to the type of gift received. Since O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE is not a registered charity, the organization cannot issue charitable tax receipts directly to donors, but can do so through one of our fiscal sponsors. Organizational donors consent to receive O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE-specific and related information and communications, electronically or by mail, unless otherwise indicated; all direct mail solicitations provide donors with the option to discontinue future mailings and to protect their contact information from being exchanged with other groups.

Volunteer Privacy Policy
When organizational supporters offer volunteer support to O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE, a broad range of personal information is collected, including names, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and information pertaining to skills, abilities, interests, and professional and voluntary experience for the purposes of volunteer placement.

E-list Subscriber Privacy Policy
When organizational supporters subscribe to the O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE e-list, personal information is collected, including names, representing organizations (if any), email addresses, and issues of interest or concern. O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE may also request and collect other information, such as mailing addresses and telephone numbers, to communicate O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE business non-electronically. E-list subscribers consent to receive O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE-specific and related information and communications. All email communications to subscribers include an option to unsubscribe from the O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE e-list.

Prospective Supporter Privacy Policy
The O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE uses lawful prospecting measures to broadcast its mission, objectives, and news, as well as to recruit additional organizational supporters. Email distribution lists for prospecting purposes may be generated from public online directories/guides, internet research, and telephone inquiries. All O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE communications to prospects, both print and electronic, include options for prospects to unsubscribe from our contact database.

Consent for Collection, Use, and Disclosure
O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE usually seeks consent when collecting, using, or disclosing personal information. Since personal information is used to communicate O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE business, consent for the collection, use, and disclosure of information is assumed amongst organizational supporters. O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE may also communicate related issues of interest. Individuals or groups may withdraw consent for collection, use, and disclosure of personal information at any time, subject to contractual or legal restrictions and reasonable notice.

Limits of Collection of Personal Information
O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE collects personal information only for the purposes identified in this policy. O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE uses only lawful methods to collect information and does not collect information indiscriminately.

Limits of Use, Disclosure, and Retention of Personal Information O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE does not use or disclose personal information for any purpose other than those for which it was collected, except with consent or as required by law.

O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE does not sell, trade, or rent information to third parties without securing consent from individuals concerned. If personal information is disclosed to third parties once consent is obtained, the O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE will ensure that appropriate security undertakings, such as confidentiality clauses in contractual agreements, are employed to protect the transfer and use of information.

Personal information is retained only as long as the information is needed, or as required by law.

Accuracy of Personal Information
O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE attempts to ensure that personal information in its possession is accurate, current, and complete for the purposes for which it was collected. Occasionally, the organization relies on volunteer support to confirm or correct information; in such cases, appropriate security undertakings such as Confidentiality Agreements are employed to protect the use of information by O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE volunteers.

Safeguards for Personal Information
The O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE is committed to the safekeeping of personal information to protect it against loss, theft, unauthorized access, use, duplication, modification, or disclosure. O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE uses a variety of physical, administrative, and electronic security measures to protect its personal information.

Access to Personal Information
Organizations, groups, and individuals associated with the O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE have the right to access their personal information. O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE’s Privacy Officer will assist with all requests for information. In certain exceptional situations, O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE may not be able to provide access to certain personal information. If access cannot be granted, O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE will provide a written explanation of the reasons behind the request refusal.

Questions or Concerns Regarding O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE’s Privacy Compliance
Questions or concerns regarding O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE’s compliance with this policy can be directed to the Office Manager

Visitor Guidelines

Guidelines For Visitors At O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE

Please do not bring any pets onsite.
Staff person responsible: see office to confirm who is on duty that day. Please let the staff know one week in advance and they will advise the cooks if meals are needed.
During summer programs, visiting family and friends are always welcome as long as it does not impact on maximum numbers already onsite, the cooks, or the work projects. Students are responsible to put information on the visitor board, introduce his/her guest at the community circle, provide guests with a tour of the ECOVILLAGE and show them O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE procedures for chores, dishwashing, the community process, etc. If they would like a comprehensive tour let us know and the office folks will organize a time/date.
Work site visitors checking out education programs through ‘TOPIA: The Sustainable Learning Community Institute’ may be welcomed to participate in the onsite work if it is feasible for the team. Until folks have a necessary level of training they will need to work with others on the site and often will participate in less specialized tasks. The teachers/facilitators/participants need to be informed ahead of time so that they can decide how to use the energy, the numbers of people, as well as have time to nominate a project leader to oversee the volunteers and do quality control. ‘Skillbuilder’ participants (see ‘Programs/Events’ page for more info on these programs) must supervise their own friends and/or family members if they are helping on site. A staff person will clear volunteers with the designated site leader before giving them the go ahead. The site leader, and any other needs of the week, will be determined at the first Community Meeting of the week.
Skillbuilder classes are primarily for apprentices and participants enrolled in focused educational programs…if someone is wishing to attend a topic class please make this request to the Program Coordinator for the School (check with the office who this is).
Community Meetings are a daily way for visitors to introduce themselves and become part of the overall group process and understanding of O.U.R. Community. We ask that recognition is given to the work and challenges which have already been experienced within the summer, and that participation in the community meeting is supportive of the folks who live/work onsite on an ongoing basis.
Generally O.U.R. Council Meetings (also known as The Heart Circle) are open to folks only if they are planning to be here a minimum of one month. If other facilitators/guests/teachers wish to participate, please contact a regular council member in advance of the meeting.
Children are a welcome part of O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE. We ask that the parent/guardian take full responsibility and supervision for their kids while on site. The building sites, woodworking shop, and gardens are potentially dangerous areas and children must have adult supervision at all times in these areas.
Waiver: All residents and visitors must sign a waiver when arriving and before working anywhere onsite. If you are completing volunteer, staff, or resident agreement, the waiver is included on those forms.

Food Manifesto

O.U.R. Vision is to joyfully share food as medicine for O.U.R.selves, O.U.R. land and for O.U.R. broader worlds socioeconomic, ecological and political systems. O.U.R. core approach works toward collaborative respect with all of O.U.R. living companions: animals, plants, micro-organisms and of course humans.

We try to keep O.U.R. food affordable, accessible and healthy. O.U.R. ideal is to eat organic and GMO-free. O.U.R. ability to do this is limited by the cost.
We strive towards eating a nourishing diet of natural, whole foods, prepared for maximal enjoyment and appropriate nutrition, inspired by traditional cooking wisdom. We aim to use carefully prepared whole grains over refined carbohydrates, and include unrefined fats and wholesome sweeteners in moderation.
We work to grow O.U.R. own organic foods in line with traditional and contemporary wisdom, towards regeneration of the land and wholesome nourishment of O.U.R.selves as Eaters.
We do O.U.R. best to support small-scale, local and organic food systems when we are unable to provide for O.U.R. needs on this land.
We trust mixed farming (which includes raising plants and animals for food) to be a sound way of keeping O.U.R. land and O.U.R.selves both productive and vital, and continue to deepen O.U.R. skills and understanding of how to best do this.
We honour the role that plant-based eating plays within the multi-faceted spectrum of personal and planetary healing. We prepare and offer primarily plant-based food options to our guests. In line with O.U.R. guiding vision, we also give thanks for some compassionately-raised animal foods in O.U.R. meals.
We value collective eating as a community building practice, an antidote to many of O.U.R. world’s ills.
We respect each Eater’s choice in selecting what is appropriate for her-/himself from amidst O.U.R. food offerings.
While we aim to accommodate O.U.R. guests’ needs, we are not yet able to cater to complex individual food requirements nor severe allergies. However, O.U.R. guests may store small quantities of food to meet their specific needs. Vegan and Raw Food Eaters, while respected and warmly welcomed, may not always be satisfied with O.U.R. food offerings. Please let us know in advance about your needs and preferences so that we might consider them.
Together, we are still learning how to do all of these things. We welcome constructive feedback, and
appreciate your respect for O.U.R. ongoing process.
In line with the practice of holistic medicine, we welcome the experiences of personal and collective discomfort (often known as a ‘healing response’) that accompany the shifts away from unwholesome food relationships.
We are all Eaters, We are all Eaten. May we all be well.

Visitors Handbook

Please download and read O.U.R. Information Handbook & Visitor’s Guide (PDF 2.1MB) before arriving onsite.

Waiver & Release of Liability

For insurance purposes, everyone who comes on sight must sign a waiver. Please download, print, sign and mail (or scan and email) the form to OUR Ecovillage when you register.

Where to put my sadness…

Lisa — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:13:13 +0000

The recent earthquake and subsequent tsunami and nuclear disaster in the North of Japan has brought the world together in a mix of sadness, fear and gratitude for every little bit of life we have. The feeling at the ecovillage is no different. In our council circles, check ins and meetings news of the recent developments are offered, and we all sit with the weight of the message on our shoulders. We, who live in a place that is supposed to be the answer to these sorts of issues.

But even here, where we farm, work together to build relationships and strive for sustainable lifestyles, we feel how the ‘idea’ of ‘ecovillage’ slips beyond our grasp. There is always interfacing with the rest of the world through fund-raising, challenging legal structures, and creating precedents, and every one of us finds ourselves wrapped up in these heady tasks, hands far from the soil and food that we need to survive.

If this tragedy, just across the ocean, has brought my attention to anything it is how I might continue to keep our hands in the soil, so to speak, even as I work with the rest of the village to change the social structures that have continued to exist beyond their time. I am reminded to take walks, spend time in the gardens, hold the hands of the children and friends and feel the life around me vibrating with health. Then, I feel the need to drop into the depths of my being to feel the fear and sadness about what might be coming next, and let it fall from me to be absorbed back into the earth from where it came. From this space, held in the universe, I have the courage continue with my purpose here, more whole and aware than I was before, knowing that I could be welcoming the dance with my own mortality at any moment.

I guess that I am reminded that all of this, the pain, the sadness, the courage, the strength, the seeking, the love is actually what my life is all about. I’m so grateful for this life!

Herbal Medicine Foundation Course

Lisa — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 21:42:45 +0000

April 19th – May 24th, 2011

Instructor Lynn Armor will guide you through this hands on course that explores the science and the art of using local plants for your healing and the healing of those around you. This course includes a comprehensive exploration of growing, harvesting, formulating and preparing various herbs that are locally available and easily cultivated. Students will come away with their own herbal first aid kit and a deeper understanding of their relationship to the plants around them.

What will I be learning?

This is a hands on course with many hours designated to working in the garden with plants. You will also receive:

a comprehensive history and introduction to medicinal herbs
extensive study into the properties of western herbs
hands on work in the organic and biodynamic growth of herbs
how to gather your herbs
formulating your own herbal preparations
how to develop your herbal first-aid kit

Who will I be working with?

Lynn M. Armor is a holistic Health Professional who has spent the past 25 years working with all aspects of health. She holds a degree as a Natural Health Councilor (N.H.C.) specializing in Biological Immunity Analysis and Nutritional support systems. She is also certified as a herbologist (C.H.) and received post graduate certification in Herbal Therapeutics.Lynn has trained with several North American native medicine herbalists. Lynn continues ongoing intensive work with world renowned herbalists such as Susan S. Weed, David Winston, David Hoffman, and Christopher Hobbs.

Lynn uses this immense knowledge to grow a thriving herbal business and clinical practice. In her herbal practice she has spent the past 10 years developing and perfecting herbal formulae to meet very specific needs of her clientele. All of Lynn’s herbal products are made by hand, with the whole plant, which has been grown organically and bio-dynamically or carefully wild crafted using all the energetic and alchemical knowledge Lynn has available to her.

Detailed course outline

Classes are held on 6 Tuesday evenings and 3 Saturdays as follows:

Date	Time	Description
Apr 19	7 – 10pm	Brief History, Plant Parts, Harvesting & Planting
Apr 23	9:30am – 5pm	Herbal characteristics
Apr 26	7 – 10pm	Herbal chemical principals
May 3	7 – 10pm	Herbal terminology
May 7	9:30am – 5pm	Herbal measurement – old & new
May 10	7 – 10pm	Herbal Preparations: procedures for making; formulations
May 17	7 – 10pm	Language of the plant kningdom: Oriental & Cherokee
May 21	9:30am – 5pm	Assessing Client conditions
May 24	7 – 10pm	Types of herbal therapies

The class descriptions are only approximate as curriculum depends a lot on the student base. Plus an additional 20 hours committed garden time over the season.

Sounds great! How do I register?

The cost of this comprehensive herbal medicine foundation course is $450.00. Begin the registration process by clicking on the link below.

The Way of Council II (Closed to O.U.R.)

Lisa — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:50:31 +0000

March 19 & 20, 2011

You have been invited to participate in this course because you have a deep connection O.U.R. Ecovillage. This course course offers the opportunity for us to go deeper together into the practice of The Way of Council. It is designed for those who have experience in facilitating Council circles or other forms of circle work or those who have completed The Way of Council – Level I.

Course Outline

During this weekend course, we will explore the importance of working with the “shadow.” We have to allow ourselves to be disturbed, to be moved, to get out of our “comfort zone.” Then the circle becomes alive. Sometimes powerful energies are released and the challenge for the facilitator is how to serve the circle so that it remains safe and the energies contained. When this occurs, magic happens.
We will also explore the specific forms of Council for varied situations and the challenges of bringing Council into the different parts of our lives. We will share stories, light and dark, of the subtleties in the roles of Witness and Facilitator. Leadership and challenging situations are also on the menu. And, by the way, we will also have some fun together by using exercises, games and other practices that contribute to council!

Who will I be working and learning with?

You will be connecting deeply with others who’s hands are at the core of O.U.R. Ecovillage including our instructor Lori Austein. Lori is an educator, lawyer and mediator, as well as a trainer and facilitator of the Council process. After spending five years working with the Council program at Palms Middle School in Los Angeles, the last two as co-coordinator, Lori is very experienced in the uses of council in education. She has led student rites of passage retreats at the Ojai Foundation and has cofacilitated both Council and Council for Educators trainings. Lori is a member of the Leadership Circle of the Ojai Foundation’s Center for Council Training. She is currently introducing Council to Vancouver Island, her new home. Devoted to increasing the use of Council, she eagerly strives to live in The Way of Council.

Sound’s great! How do I register?

Lori has offered the group a discounted rate of $100 per person for this incredible course. Please begin your registration by clicking on the green registration button below!