This year’s Body, Mind SoulFood is an exciting program of talks on natural healing, well-being, martial arts demonstrations, and music & dance performances.

 Like to know more? Here are the details of the program, speakers and presenters…

For times and locations please visit the Festival Program

You can find the Civic centre and the Day & Evening College on the Winter Magic 2007 Map

Opening Ritual
Katoomba Day & Evening College

Blessing and solstice ritual to establish intention and set the tone for Body Mind & Soul Food.

 

Indigenous healer Dianne Ussher will open this year’s Body Mind and Soul program with a blessing and ritual. As a member of the Dharug people, Dianne will bring good intention to the activities of the day, acknowledge the traditional owners, and bring the ancestral medicine that comes with them.

The opening blessing will be followed by a Solstice ritual conducted by Glenys Livingstone, who facilitate a simple ceremony wherein participants may recall their sacred depths, and the sacred depths of Place and Moment. It will be a celebration of the Creative Cosmos within each particular self present, in relationship with each other. Glenys understands such rituals to be an invitation to participate in a Poem. Together we will set the tone for Mind Body Soul nourishment.

Speakers
Diane Ussher is an indigenous empathic healer.

Glenys Livingstone Ph.D., author of PaGaian Cosmology: Re-inventing Earth-based Goddess Religion will have CD’s of meditations from her book, and talks she has given, be present for conversation and have her book for sale.
link to: Article by Glenys Livingstone

Qi Gong Massage or “no needle" acupuncture is a combination of remedial massage, acupressure and energy healing.  Qi Gong Massage borrows on the theory and diagnosis of Traditional Chinese Medicine to bring the body back to a state of balance where it can then begin to heal itself.

The Qi Gong component of the massage involves directed energy techniques such as visualisation to bring the major charkas into alignment.  The acupuncture points are seen as minor charkas and are also brought into balance using massage, acupressure and Qi Gong.

Speaker
Michelle Jacobs is an acupuncture and remedial massage therapist, with over 20 years experience. She specialises in working with muscle/skeletal systems.

Detailed Profile for Michelle Jacobs

Craniosacral Therapy
Katoomba Day & Evening College

Gentle bodywork with profound effects
 

Craniosacral Balancing is a gentle yet profoundly effective treatment for a variety of physical ailments and symptoms. At the same time, it addresses psychological or emotional aspects which are so frequently associated, directly or indirectly, with the physiological ones.

The craniosacral system involves all the bones of the head, the spinal cord, and the sacrum as well as the related membranes and the cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid, which is created in the head, circulates through the spinal cord to the sacrum, manifesting as a pulse which is called the craniosacral rhythm. This rhythm is so subtle that most of us never experience it within ourselves, yet it is as tangible and constant as the breath itself.

Speaker
John Sager has been practising Craniosacral Balancing for the last 8 years. He trained with "Craniosacral Australia", and has taught Tai Chi for over 15 years

Detailed Profile for John Sager

ChakraDance™ – dance yourself to life
Katoomba Day & Evening College

CHAKRADANCE™ is a dance practice for the body, mind & soul, using
spontaneous dance, guided imagery, meditation and world music.
 

Music & dance have been used throughout the ages for enjoyment & ceremony.  CHAKRADANCE ™ utilises our natural desire for movement to balance the energy centres. The music resonates to the frequency of each centre, activating inner experiences.

There is no right way to CHAKRADANCE ™ as everyone has their own   rhythm and movement. By surrendering to the music and dancing from the  inside out, we can harmonise our chakras and strengthen our state of  health and well-being, allowing us to feel more fully alive!

Presenters
Lisa and Jackie offer CHAKRADANCE ™ workshops, courses, private group bookings & retreats

Detailed Profile for Lisa at CHAKRADANCE ™
Read an article about a CHAKRADANCE ™ experience

All cells in the body need to communicate properly with each other to achieve optimal health. Glyconutrients are the missing link in nutrition and are directly invloved in effective cell to cell communication. Modern farming methods have depleted these vital nutrients from our food.

Find out more about this important discovery, and the impact they can have on supporting your journey towards optimal health.

Speakers
Jenny Hayward  has 10 years experience in a variety of natural health therapies. Tailored natural health solutions for your circumstances/goals.
Detailed Profile for Jenny Hayward

Julie Merrick ND BHlthSc. Practical advice for health from the inside out. Specialising in ‘Hemaview Live Blood Analysis’.
Detailed Profile for Julie Merrick

 Ta Ke Ti Na – Rhythm for Evolution
Katoomba Day & Evening College

Live music and a presentation on the Ta Ke Ti Na process.
 

Percussionists Nicholas Townsend and Justine Bristow come together to give a concert in an exciting musical collaboration – blending the instrumental sounds from many cultures, powerful archetypal drumming and provocative vocal harmonies to form a unique musical atmosphere that is both a performance and a meditation at the same time.  They will follow this with a short presentation on how one can learn to use rhythm as a pathway for transformation through the Ta Ke Ti Na process.

As musicians our intention is to guide ourselves as well as the listener into the unknown, to let rhythm touch the deeper layers of our being and ultimately invoke a state of inner silence.

Presenters
Nicholas Townsend has been a musician for 15 years. His extensive experience with other healing modalities including 12 years of Alexander Technique.

Justine Bristow has 15 years experience in classical music as a professional flutist with many of Australia’s and New Zealand’s leading orchestras including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and has a Masters degree in music performance.

Both Nick and Justine have travelled to the USA over the past ten years to study intensively with the developer and co-developer of the TaKeTiNa process Reinhard and Cornelia Flatischler.

Detailed Profile for Nicholas Townsend and Justine Bristow
Article on Ta Ke Ti Na

How is it that NLP gives us freedom? It gives us freedom by allowing us to understand our brain and our mind. Have you ever wondered why 2 people at the same party can have totally different views on what happened? Have you noticed how quickly your emotions can change? These are determined by what we are thinking and how we process information in our mind.  So if we can understand what is going on in the mind and how to use that, we are going to have a lot more choices and a lot more freedom. Most people feel like something else is running them and they don’t have a choice about their emotions, about their thoughts, they are just coming in and saying things unannounced, uninvited, that is because people don’t yet understand how to use their mind to its full potential.

To be able to communicate what is going on for us allows us enormous freedom and asserts our presence, personality and our ability. Understanding how our unconscious mind speaks to us as well as understanding our conscious mind provides us with this ability. We have contact with our conscious mind all the time; it’s the voice in our ear chatting to us. The language of the unconscious mind is definitely speaking a different language; it thinks in symbols, this is why we dream in pictures.

Speaker
Theresa Lynch  is a Neuro Linguistic Master Practitioner and Trainer

Detailed Profile for Theresa Lynch

Rapidly restore happiness with EFT


Discover how you can resolve your own emotional upsets and become cheerfully centred just by tapping on acupressure points.
 

Biologically and spiritually we are meant to be happy.  Whenever we are not happy it is a sign that our acupuncture energy is out of balance.  But this, of course, relates to our thoughts, feelings, memories and any fears of the future we may have.  Tapping on acupressure points while the mind is in contact with a disturbing stimulus enables us to rapidly sort ourselves out and regain inner cheerfulness.  Come see how this is done.

Speaker
Andrew Gaines has 30 years experience as a psychotherapist, and for three years was a trainer in the Australian Association of Somatic Psychotherapists professional training program.

Detailed Profile for Andrew Gaines

How can we find the INNER PEACE and BLISS that is our true nature?  In this Spiritual talk, Rìcananda Daly will discuss and explain how we can all find more Peace and Balance in our lives.  Be inspired to connect more deeply with all of life.  Get the answers to your questions on spiritual living and what it means for you.

This is a wonderful opportunity to share Spiritual Truths in a loving and joyful environment.  Take the Magic of Meditation with you as people from all walks of life join together to close the day with meditative peace, prayer and thanks for all that has been received.   

Speaker
Rìcananda Daly is a member of the spiritual family at the Self Realization Meditation Healing Centre in Mount Wilson. Natural Spiritual Healing, Progressive Counselling and Transformation Hatha Yoga are available from qualified, experienced practitioners at the Centre.

More information on Self Realization Meditation Healing Centre at Mt Wilson

Aikido is based on the flow of universal life energy called "Ki" that permeates and surrounds all things.  Aikido translated means "Way of harmonising ki" or "Way of the harmonious spirit". It is a peaceful, yet dynamic martial art that uses flowing, circular movements.  These are used to redirect, transform and neutralise the energy of any attacking force in order to restore harmony and balance to any situation.

Aikido enables us to deal with any attack in a calm and centred way using the principle of "non-resistance" and is based on a spirit of non aggression and non competition. In its highest form, Aikido goes beyond the physical aspects and connects us to the deeper, underlying movements of nature and the universe.  Training develops and integrates this spiritual connection and unifies it with our mind and body creating a powerful state and rhythm that flows on to and benefits all areas of our lives.

Aikido can be used as a powerful tool for spiritual and personal development, health, fitness, meditation or for any other purpose, making us more aware of opportunities and our inner power.

Presenter
Ken McLean has trained in aikido and aiki healing arts for over 35 years.
He founded Shin Sen Dojo, a traditional dojo training centre dedicated to the refinement of one’s self that develops the body mind and spirit, in 1980, in Sydney. In 1994 he established Shin Sen dojo in Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains.  He is recognized as a leading teacher in aikido and ki energy cultivation and is also Australia’s longest serving macrobiotic teacher and shiatsu practitioner.

 
A 40 minute introduction to Shintaido. Join in , warm up your body and experience the power of expanding your world. Snapshot: healthy exercise warm-ups; using voice with opening exercises; learn a core form (Tenso); practice with a partner.  Demonstration of Taimyo kata. No special clothing required.
Michael will also be offering Traditional Japanese Shiatsu with Quantum Touch healing. This is a seated, clothes on, 20 minute massage using shiatsu (acupressure) and  Quantum Touch healing. Cost is $20. See website for further details: www.quantumtouch.com

Presenter
Michael De-Campo became an internationally recognised Shintaido instructor in May of 2000 in Haguro Japan while attending the 7th International Shintaido Conference.
See website for further details of Shintaido: http://www.shintaido-australia.com/

Kate McManus, Energetic Healer Civic Centre Seniors’ Lounge On the anniversary of becoming a Reiki Master, my home burned down. Just a few years previously, I experienced the loss of a home due to a partnership breakup and the suicide of my stepson shortly after. Such traumatic experiences of hardship and loss also cleared away external obstacles and connected me to life at its deepest level. I was presented with the opportunity to reclaim parts of myself with whom I had lost touch and choose values which would support a new life I rebuilt, not physically but metaphysically.
The Flower, Gem and Environmental Essences combined with Reiki were integral to my healing. I have experienced first hand their ability to release limitations to growth while providing gentle support and love. I expanded my knowledge of Chiron (The wounded Healer) Astrology and was able to apply it to the life lessons presented to me. Such knowledge has empowered me to move gracefully through the cycles of life and change.