Alternatives: Spring / Summer 2012

A LTERNATIVES St James’s Church / Piccadilly / London Spring/Summer 2012 Programme

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS

Events inspiring heart, mind and soul

WELCOME

alternatives.org.uk

Welcome We warmly welcome you to our Spring/Summer programme. We have many inspirational events with leading presenters in contemporary spirituality and personal growth.

This year, we are celebrating our 30th anniversary. Alternatives was founded in 1982 with the vision that St James’s Church could be a place of light and hope for London. As the current directors, we continue to hold the vision that Alternatives is a beacon of light inspiring the exploration of spirituality and personal growth. And now with the benefit of the internet, the ethos of our programme is available throughout the world. Our monthly enewsletter is now requested by people in 84 countries and our talks and podcasts are downloaded by thousands of people worldwide.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank and honour all the people over these years who have served on our board, on our staff and on our volunteer team. Your generous contributions of energy and love have made Alternatives what it is today.

Elizabeth Anara Wong

Alternatives Friends Membership Become an Alternatives member and gain many benefits. You can become a member at our website or by sending us a cheque.We have four categories:

Richard Dunkerley & Steve Nobel Co-Directors

Friend - become a Friend for £25 a year. You will receive the programme three times a year and have priority entrance to our busiest talks.

About Alternatives

Good Friend - become a Good Friend for £50 a year. Same benefits as Friend, plus you receive free entrance to three talks per year and a Coaching Circle (worth £50), and 15% discount on workshops (saving almost £10 on a full-price workshop) - a saving of £59 if you book three workshops a year.The more workshops you attend the more you save.You also will receive our CD 'Eternal Delight: Songs For The Soul’ (14 tracks from various artists who have played at Alternatives, including Deva Premal, Chris James and Chloe Goodchild).

Alternatives explores world spirituality and personal growth through regular events and online resources.

Based at St James’s Church, Piccadilly since 1982, Alternatives is a not-for-profit organisation serving a global audience.

A Friendly Disclaimer We take great care in selecting our presenters and equally we ask you to use your discernment regarding opinions and information presented. We recognise that quick solutions to some issues are not always possible. Although St James's Church, in its openness of heart and mind, includes Alternatives, the ideas in this programme are not necessarily representative of the church itself.

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Free Online Resources We have lots of articles, podcasts and past talk recordings freely available on our website.

You can print e-tickets for events booked online (although an eticket is sent automatically sometimes it gets lost in cyber space).

You can print certificates of attendance for workshops and soul of coaching events.

You can leave feedback for events you have booked online and attended.

You can send a beautiful ecard to as many loved ones as you wish.

You can amend personal details to receive either the printed programme and/or e-newsletter.

And finally if you book online for a Monday talk you receive for free the recording as an MP3 (although a few talks are not recorded.This is down to the discretion of the presenter).

Business Friend - become a Business Friend for £100 a year. Same benefits as Good Friend. Plus a free classified advertisement on our website for up to six months (worth £75). And 25% off one advert in our e-newsletter (worth £25).

Life Friend - become a Life Friend for one payment of £1000. Free entrance to our talks and Soul of Coaching events for life plus 3 free workshops per programme for life.

Our front cover includes many of our covers over the past 10 years.

Thank you to all the people who have contributed their photographs.

Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter at alternatives.org.uk

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS This year we are proud to celebrate our 30th anniversary. This programme was founded at St James’s in Spring 1982 and was inspired by the vision of the then Rector, Donald Reeves.We would like to thank St James’s Church and its staff for welcoming us these 30 years.

We have greatly appreciated the personal support of the three Rectors during this time: Donald Reeves, Charles Hedley and Lucy Winkett.

Donald Reeves was Rector of St James’s from 1980 to 1998 Walking down Piccadilly on a cold January evening in 1979, I walked past St James’s Church. It was closed. The courtyard was empty.There was no sign of life – only a pool of darkness.

Suddenly I had a clear vision that St James’s Church could be a place of light and hope for London. For a moment the pool of darkness was transformed into golden sunlight.

I forgot all about that moment, until later that year I was invited by the then Bishop of London to be the Rector.I had the broadest of job descriptions “I don't mind what you do”, said the Bishop,“as long as you keep the church open”.

I wanted to make St James’s a place of healing, of celebration of the arts,and a place of meeting where all are welcome.I wanted to celebrate William Blake who was baptised at St James’s. I wanted to bring together people who wanted to learn about Christianity, who may be disillusioned by the Church.

A significant part of the jigsaw puzzle was the birth of Turning Points and then later of Alternatives. Over the years I have admired the way in which Alternatives has developed. It is, as I was informed recently, “a really exciting programme – I always enjoy coming when I can”.

So this message is one of congratulations and good wishes for the next 30 years.The range of speakers Alternatives has attracted over the years is simply stunning – no other organisation I know of in the UK manages to attract such a diverse, broad spectrum of speakers. So thank you Alternatives for what you contribute to dispelling the darkness and bringing golden sunlight to Piccadilly and in to the world.

Pilgrimage of Sight

What Our Audience Says Alternatives is a beacon – an invaluable crossroads for people of many faiths and none who seek a deeper expression of higher aspirations.

I strongly believe that Alternatives has pioneered the world of the new spirituality.

Long may it continue.

What a wonderful service Alternatives gives to us spiritual seekers. A truly spiritual oasis in the heart of Piccadilly...with food for the soul, inspiring and top notch speakers. Bless you and keep shining your light.

Even though I live in Paris,Alternatives is a place of great solace for me. Thank you Alternatives for holding this space for the world.

Coming to Alternatives each week is like touching upon a little oasis of peace and calm in the chaos of life in London. It is a chance to breathe deeply and delight in the energy of something which is joyful and meaningful.

Alternatives has been instrumental in introducing me to a diverse yet like minded community of people who are open to questioning the truth of their own lives and that of the world itself.

Coming to your Monday talks has helped me to find myself again, and is providing me with an opportunity to rebuild my life in a bigger and better way than ever before.

I am so grateful for the Alternatives talks I’ve attended at St James’s Church.They are all unforgettable experiences.

Pay on the door for talks or book online

Brian Whelan

Malcolm Stern is co-founder of Alternatives In 1982 I danced in an event at St James's called the Cosmic Celebration, a creation of the Sufi leader Pir Vilayat Khan honouring the masters, saints and prophets who had shone their light on the path. I remember the then Rector, Donald Reeves, standing up at the end and declaring that every church in the land should have a cosmic celebration.

From this experience and from Donald’s vision for St James’s, Turning Points was born with myself and Sabine Kurjo as co-directors.

Sabine and I were utterly passionate about creating a wise and interactive forum and our passion fed and inspired others. We started hosting huge names like Ram Dass, Thich Nhat Hanh, Robert Bly, and Elisabeth Kubler Ross and at times attracted audiences of 900 people.

In 1989 Turning Points transitioned into the Alternatives programme. For me, Alternatives is a lighthouse, which is sending a message of hope, inspiration and potential to all those who drink at its well. In these troubled times, the non-denominational journey of exploration fills a need in our society and creates a network of support and love. If we are to survive and evolve as a species, love, compassion and wisdom will be our guides and I believe Alternatives is a worthy torch bearer of those values.

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CELEBRATING 30 YEARS Richard Dunkerley is co-director of Alternatives I first came to St James’s in the 1980s when a friend told me about “this extraordinary church in Piccadilly”. I hadn’t previously associated any church with that adjective, but she was so right.

I particularly liked the welcome that St James’s gave to all spiritual traditions. I felt most at home at the Alternatives talks on Monday evenings and became a regular. After a 4-month stay at Findhorn in 1993, I joined the team and became a director in 2000.

I continue to be enthusiastic about Alternatives and what we do. I love the variety and creativity of my role in the organisation and particularly appreciate the teamwork involved in creating and holding our programme.

Alternatives has enriched my life immeasurably and has been a place of soulful personal growth. It is very satisfying to know that our events make a positive difference to many lives.

Alternatives is an amazing organisation with an inspiring ethos and flourishes through the energy, imagination and generosity of many people.

Steve Nobel is co-director of Alternatives I started coming to Alternatives in the early 1990s as amember of the audience.From the beginning it felt like an amazing oasis of peace and wisdom in a very busy world. Over the years Alternatives presenters have stretched my thinking and understanding.

I met many fabulous people within the organisation. In 1997 I began working part time in the office.

By 2000 I was appointed a director. I believe the past 12 years have been the happiest years of my working life.

I love that Alternatives makes a positive difference in so many people’s lives. I also love the caring family atmosphere created within the team of office staff and volunteers. These are all the people that help to make Alternatives such a unique place.

We live in a world that has largely forgotten about the importance of living an authentic life. This is why Alternatives is so relevant today. My vision and wish for Alternatives is that it continues to do such great work for many years to come.

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What Our Presenters Say Thank you, Alternatives, for holding such a marvellous space for transformation and enlightenment.

Marianne Williamson I greatly admire what Alternatives is seeking to do in widening horizons. I have attended several talks and have always come away with new thoughts and ideas. So keep exploring, keep questioning, keep pushing the limits – we need you.

Michael Meacher MP Alternatives is a world class organisation inspiring positive change.

Deepak Chopra Thank you Alternatives for being a constant source of inspiration in my life. Thank you a thousand times over for your service to the world.

Robert Holden

Alex Stewart

Lucy Winkett is Rector of St James’s St James’s Church is a place that is important for many different people for different reasons. The worshipping community on Sundays and during the week is glad to host other groups and communities too; and Alternatives is one of the longest associations that we have. Originally a church project, and now an independent organisation, Alternatives has over its thirty years, provided an open space where people who are seeking spiritual enlightenment, truth, fulfilment or comfort have found a welcoming and nurturing set of relationships that has enabled many to grow and develop as people.

The Christian traditions are ones that celebrate the presence of God not only as the creator of all that is, but also as present deep within humanity, and in each person. It has seemed to me, as the new Rector, that it is in the best tradition of Christianity that everyone is welcome into this sacred space, whoever we are and whatever our background. This we do warmly, in a spirit of friendship and adventure, and wish Alternatives a very happy 30th anniversary.

I always have a wonderful experience when Alternatives hosts me. Thank you Alternatives, I am so grateful.

Byron Katie Alternatives is at the centre of the postmodern spiritual movement in this country.

Barefoot Doctor Alternatives is a place of hope. I certainly remember my time with you so fondly. It’s so important for you to continue.

Dr Patch Adams In a changing world, it’s a beautiful thing that Alternativs has been here for 30 years.

Lama Surya Das In all my years of travelling the world, I have never come across another organisation like Alternatives.Whenever I come to St. James’s I feel personally blessed.

Brandon Bays May you know the difference Alternatives has made in our lives. Our journey with you was truly inspiring for our hearts.

Michael and Rickie Beckwith St James's Church is the doorway into the sacred heart of the living Holy Spirit in all of us. I loved being at Alternatives...it was the highlight of my UK visit.

Bhagavan Das My experience of presenting at St James's has always been extraordinary.The world is a better place because Alternatives is here.

Susan Jeffers Alternatives? There is no alternative!

Tony Buzan

Don't insist on going where you think you want to go, ask the way to the spring – Rumi

TALKS Wednesday 18 April Soul of Coaching: Metaphor and Clean Language WENDY SULLIVAN Soul of Coaching is a continuous, monthly professional development group for anyone interested in learning more about different approaches to coaching.You do not have to be a coach to attend.

This evening is led by Wendy Sullivan.

Using a client’s personal metaphors in coaching allows possibilities to emerge that are not available to the client at an everyday cognitive level.

7pm–9pm £15/£10 concs The October Gallery 24 Old Gloucester St, WC1N 3AL

Your Pictures – Meditation

7pm Talks at St James’s Church Pay on the door for our Monday talks or book in advance via our website.

Our talks are in St James’s Church unless stated otherwise. Doors open at 6.30pm. The talks start at 7pm and end at 8.30pm. Vegetarian food and books are available afterwards.

Concessions are for full-time students, over 60s, jobseekers and DLA. Please bring proof to show at the door.

Alternatives Friends have priority entry at our busiest talks where stated. Please show your Friends card at the door.

Getting to St James’s St James’s Church is on the south side of Piccadilly, opposite Swallow Street and 200m from Piccadilly Circus.

Nearest tubes are Piccadilly Circus and Green Park. Free car parking is available after 6.30pm in St James’s Square.

Access St James’s is accessible to wheelchairs via a ramp at the Piccadilly entrance. If arriving by car, wheelchair users may find it more convenient to alight in Jermyn Street, and move via Church Place at the side of the church to the main Piccadilly entrance. There is an accessible toilet in the church foyer.

For those with hearing impairments, an induction loop operates in the Church.

Margaret Pinsent

Wednesday 11 April Sacred Masculine, Divine Feminine MATTHEW FOX The survival of our species requires, among other things, a healthier balance between Yin and Yang, Feminine and Masculine, energies. The Goddess has been returning to Western consciousness for decades through the women’s movement, feminist scholarship, Goddess rediscoveries, and more.We will explore some of the rich and hopeful implications of that achievement with special emphasis on the return of the Black Madonna. It is also time to resurrect the “sacred masculine” as well so that the Goddess may have a proper consort. Much of what passes for masculinity in our culture and religion is anything but sacred. It is toxic, and this toxicity affects not only men but also women in their roles as mothers, sisters, spouses, and human beings. Discover how we can we invite this sacred marriage into our own lives and into the world.

Matthew Fox is a radical theologian, spiritual activist, and founder of creation spirituality. He has written 30 books that have been translated into 43 languages including Original Blessing, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, A Spirituality Named Compassion, and The Reinvention of Work. www.matthewfox.org £10/£5 concs

Pay on the door for talks or book online

Monday 16 April Making a Living Without a Job BARBARA WINTER Are you ready for the satisfaction, freedom and creative challenge of jobless earning? While the conventional wisdom may still be telling you to get a job, this talk will show you new possibilities for working when you want, where you want and how you want.

Barbara Winter will give you the basics you need to join the ranks of the joyfully jobless. You will learn how to recognise and manage obstacles you will face, how to create multiple profit centres, how to design a work life that’s perfect for you, and get paid on top of that. Whether you want to make the transition from employee to entrepreneur or create another source of income, do not miss this talk.

Barbara Winter is a teacher, entrepreneur and self-employment advocate. Thousands of people throughout the US and Canada have attended her popular seminars and discovered their own entrepreneurial spirit. She is the author of Making a Living Without a Job. www.joyfullyjobless.com £10/£5 concs Barbara Winter is leading a workshop Making a Living Without a Job on Saturday 21 April – see page 10.

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TALKS

Lisa Ratcliffe

Monday 23 April A Return to Love MARIANNE WILLIAMSON With social, financial and political tumult erupting throughout the world, we may wonder where love fits in.

What place does a tender heart have in within the chaos of modern society? At a personal level isolation, anguish and suffering does not have to be an intrinsic part of the human condition.

Modern society is so consumed with success, competition, and acquiring material things that we forget that love, joy and wonder are also part of everyday life. It is our birthright to experience joy and to open to love in all its forms. What value does life hold if we cannot love or allow ourselves to be loved? Join Marianne Williamson this evening for an inspiring exploration of love, healing and miracle consciousness.

Marianne Williamson is one of the world's most respected spiritual teachers who has helped millions reconnect to their spirituality and find inner peace.

Marianne has written many books, including the international bestsellers A Return to Love, Everyday Grace and The Age of Miracles: Embracing the New Midlife. www.marianne.com £15/£10 concs Alternatives Friends Priority Entry THIS TALK IS LIKELY TO SELL OUT. ADVANCE BOOKING VIA OUR WEBSITE IS REQUIRED. Marianne is leading a workshop A Return to Love on Saturday 28 April – see page 11.

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Monday 30 April Awakening to Intimacy ELI BUREN This talk is about living in the fullness of relationship. The human body & mind is built to relate - to touch and to be touched - by each other, and by life itself. Our true happiness and wellbeing is cultivated in dynamic relationship with the world, and with our own essential nature. We are awakened and rejuvenated through experiences of union. Whether with companions, in a full breath, or simply being in nature, we deepen our sense of aliveness and connection with all that is. In every moment there is always the potential to connect, and we can choose this as our way of life.This evening is dedicated to the understanding, cultivation and practice of living this potential.

Eli Buren has been dedicated to the evolution of awareness since 1998, with specific trainings in yogic embodiment, spiritual practices, meditation, somatic studies and how these disciplines can be lived in a down to earth manner. Eli has served for 6 years as one of David Deida's teaching assistants. Eli holds a private practice in San Francisco. www.eliburen.com £10/£5 concs Monday 7 May Bank holiday – no talk

Monday 14 May Chakra Meditation SWAMI SARADANANDA The word 'chakra' is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning 'wheel'; but perhaps even a better translation would be spinning wheel.There are seven primary or main chakra points with about a hundred smaller secondary chakras.

Each of your chakras is an antenna that is constantly receiving and transmitting energy. How smoothly your chakras function determines how fully you inhabit your body, how successful you are in your relationships and how much inner peace you enjoy.You can use your chakras to connect more fully with other people and experience enhanced inner peace. Each one is a door that can be opened to greater energetic, psychic and spiritual knowledge. Or it can stay closed, causing you remain within your present limitations. This evening offers chakra meditations to assist you in finding true inner freedom and wellbeing.

Swami Saradananda has worked with the Sivananda Yoga Centres for almost thirty years. She served as director and main teacher of their centres in New York, London (Putney) and Delhi. She is the author of several books including The Power of Breath, Chakra Meditation, Teach Yourself Yoga, Yoga Mind and Body and The Essential Guide to Chakras. www.FlyingMountainYoga.org £10/£5 concs Swami is leading a workshop Chakra Meditation on Saturday 2 June – see page 13.

Wednesday 16 May Soul of Coaching: Effortless Fulfilment STEWART LANE Soul of Coaching is a continuous, monthly professional development group for anyone interested in learning more about different approaches to coaching.You do not have to be a coach to attend.

This evening we have Stewart Lane presenting on Effortless Fulfilment which uses ground breaking research to provide practical easy to use tools to change your life and find joy and success.

7pm–9pm £15/£10 concs The October Gallery 24 Old Gloucester St, WC1N 3AL

There is no way to happiness...happiness is the way – Thich Nhat Hanh

TALKS Monday 21 May Your Journey To Enlightenment RICHARD LAWRENCE We are all on the journey to enlightenment - be it long and slow or quicker and more intense.The choice is ours to make. At the heart of this journey lies service to others. One cannot find enlightenment in these days unless love-directed service to the world is at its core. This takes bravery to turn to truth, more bravery to accept it and even more to live it. This evening is an ideal opportunity for all of us to make a start, to renew our progress or even just to refuel and charge up our batteries.

Learn practical techniques to energise and empower your journey, and discover the secrets of bravery, love and positive karma.

Richard Lawrence is the author of twelve books on spirituality, psychic abilities and extra-terrestrial life, translated into nine languages. He has written for a wide variety of magazines and national newspapers, including the Daily Mail and The Observer. Richard is the executive secretary of the Aetherius Society for Europe. www.richardlawrence.co.uk £10/£5 concs Monday 28 May The Four Desires ROD STRYKER According to ancient Yogic tradition, your soul has four distinct desires: the desire for purpose, the drive to become who you are meant to be; the desire for the means (money, security, health) to prosper in this world; the desire for pleasures like intimacy, beauty and love; the desire for spiritual fulfilment and lasting freedom. Learning to honour these four desires is the key to happiness, and to a complete and balanced life. But how can you discern what will truly satisfy your desires? How can you increase your capacity to achieve them.

What if your desires seem to conflict with one another? Is it really possible to live a spiritual life while also wanting material pleasures and success? In this talk, Rod will outline the practical and powerful approach to embodying the highest principles of yoga without ever doing a yoga pose as well as how these ancient teachings allow us to thrive and realise a complete and balanced life.

Your Pictures – Meditation

Roseanne McDonald

Alternatives has hosted me many times over the years. It’s an inspirational place for people to explore their spirituality, expand their consciousness, and transform their well-being. Congratulations Alternatives on your 30th anniversary.

Deepak Chopra Rod Stryker is the founder of ParaYoga, and is considered to be one of the pre-eminent yoga and meditation teachers in America. He has taught yoga for more than 30 years having trained with internationally renowned teacher Kavi Yogiraj Mani Finger. He became a dedicated part of this spiritual lineage that includes some of India's leading past yoga masters. He is author of The Four Desires. www.parayoga.com £10/£5 concs

Your Pictures We are always looking for pictures to use in our programme and on our website which in some way illustrate some of the aspects of what Alternatives is about. So we are having a regular competition to build up a library of images (either photographs or art), which we may use.

We pay £25 for pictures used in our programme. Each programme will have two themes for your submission which for the Spring/Summer are: Connection Celebration Hi-res digital images only please and a maximum of 3 pictures per theme. Email your pictures by 1 July to Richard at richard@alternatives.org.uk

Pay on the door for talks or book online

Monday 11 June Self-Love and Miracles GABRIELLE BERNSTEIN In this talk, Gabrielle Bernstein will tell you how an intoxicatingly happy and baggage-free life is possible if you are willing to break your fear-based habits.

Through personal memoir and modern interpretations of A Course in Miracles, Gabrielle will guide you to release the blocks to your authentic power to increase your awareness of miracles.

This talk is about transforming all that interferes with your true confidence.

Gabrielle will share spiritual tools to guide you to become more inspired and connected in every area of your life— from work to romance to friendships.

Prepare to be led on a journey of new perceptions where your hang-ups will melt away, resentments will release and a childlike faith in joy will be reignited.

Gabrielle Bernstein is the author of Add More ~ing to Your Life: A Hip Guide to Happiness and Spirit Junkie. She has a weekly radio show on Hay House Radio and is founder of the social networking site HerFuture.com for women to inspire, empower and connect. www.gabbyb.tv £10/£5 concs

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TALKS Monday 18 June Summer Solstice and 30th Anniversary Celebration ALTERNATIVES TEAM & FRIENDS Tonight we celebrate Alternatives 30th anniversary and the Summer Solstice.

The evening starts with short contributions by two of our co-founders, Donald Reeves and Malcolm Stern.

The current Rector of St James’s, Lucy Winkett, will also say a few words.

The evening continues as a celebration of the Solstice with magical ritual, chanting, song, meditation and dancing.

Civilisations have for centuries celebrated the first day of summer otherwise known as the Summer Solstice or Midsummer. As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky. The Summer Solstice is a wonderful time to celebrate the magic of life and consciously manifest your dreams. Nikki Slade will help to liberate our voices and Beats Ecstatic drummers will invite us to a dancing finale.

7pm–9pm £10/£5 concs Wednesday 20 June Soul of Coaching: Life Changing Conversations SARAH ROZENTHULER Soul of Coaching is a continuous, monthly professional development group for anyone interested in learning more about different approaches to coaching.You do not have to be a coach to attend.

Conversations are an important tool for moving forward at work and in our personal life.Yet how often do we feel we’ve missed crucial opportunities or failed in our communication? Expert psychologist and coach Sarah Rozenthuler presents 7 keys to communication success.

7pm–9pm £15/£10 concs The October Gallery 24 Old Gloucester St, WC1N 3AL

facebook Follow Alternatives on Facebook and Twitter.

Click on the links from our website homepage.

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The Wedding Party

Herewood Gabriel

It’s a blessing that an organisation like Alternatives exists on the planet today.Their events inspire growth, action and the evolution of consciousness. Now that's a reason to celebrate! Happy anniversary, Alternatives!

Cheryl Richardson Monday 25 June The Art of Being ALAN LOWEN In tonight’s talk, Alan will discuss the blessings, challenges, the meaning of surrender, the paradox in the masterdisciple relationship and the extraordinary conclusion to his life as a sannyasin (disciple). He will continue the exploration into the causal links between opening to our feelings, learning to love, experiencing total presence and awakening to the spiritual dimension.

Alan Lowen has been leading personal growth workshops for 37 years. His first mentor in the human potential field was Dr Carl Rogers. In 1977 he became a disciple of Osho Rajneesh, and lived in his ashram, continuing to lead his workshops there until 1986. A few years later he founded The Art of Being as a path of self-realisation and spiritual awakening. www.artofbeing.com £10/£5 concs Alan is leading a workshop The Art of Being on Sunday 1 July – see page 16.

Monday 2 July No talk today as there is a Beethoven festival all week in the church.

Monday 9 July Living From the Inside Out MICHAEL NEILL Have you ever been somewhere where the taps were mislabelled and you thought you were turning on the cold water and wound up getting burned?

What if it all the problems in your life were the product of a misunderstanding that simple? Whether you are looking to make breakthroughs in your relationships, career, health, finances, or just wanting to experience less stress, insecurity and fear, join Michael Neill this evening and prepare to have your world turned inside out!

Michael Neill is an internationally renowned success coach and the author of You Can Have What You Want, Feel Happy Now! and Supercoach. He has spent the past 21 years as a coach, mentor and creative spark plug to celebrities, business leaders, and people who want to get more out of their lives.

His books have been translated into 13 languages, and his public talks and seminars have been well received at the United Nations and around the world. www.supercoach.com £10/£5 concs Alternatives Friends Priority Entry

It’s not what you look at that matters, it's what you see – Henry David Thoreau

TALKS Monday 16 July Earth Pilgrim SATISH KUMAR Satish Kumar has been a pilgrim since at the age of eight when he joined the brotherhood of wandering Jain monks in his native India. Later he walked the length and breadth of India persuading landowners to donate a portion of their lands to the poor, and in the 1960s he made an 8,000-mile pilgrimage for peace, which included walking from India over the Himalayas to Paris via Moscow, carrying no money and depending on the kindness of strangers.

In his 50th year, Satish undertook another pilgrimage - again carrying no money.This time he walked 2,000 miles to the holy places of Britain - a venture he describes as a celebration of his love of life and nature. In his talk, Satish will draw on this personal experience and also his understanding of the spiritual traditions of both East and West. He will examine the inner and outer aspects of pilgrimage.

Satish Kumar is a former Jain monk and long-term peace and environment activist He has been editor of Resurgence magazine since 1973 and was the guiding spirit behind the founding of Schumacher College where he is still a visiting fellow. He is author of You Are, Therefore I Am; A Declaration of Dependence,The Buddha and The Terrorist and Earth Pilgrim. www.resurgence.org/satish-kumar £10/£5 concs

Wednesday 18 July Soul of Coaching: Spiritual Psychology NICOLA PHOENIX Soul of Coaching is a continuous, monthly professional development group for anyone interested in learning more about different approaches to coaching.You do not have to be a coach to attend.

This evening, spiritual psychologist Nicola Phoenix guides you through the 8 strategies and actions to help you to reclaim the connection with your authentic self and how to live your life from this powerful view point.

7pm–9pm £15/£10 concs The October Gallery 24 Old Gloucester St, WC1N 3AL

Monday 23 July Spirit Guidance GORDON SMITH No message from a medium is as powerful as that direct personal connection with your own guide and this connection is a pathway to spiritual development. Gordon Smith believes that our guides are waiting for us to invite them to share their wisdom with us. In this talk Gordon will introduce you to some of the best practices and exercises for opening your awareness to Spirit. He will talk about ways of joining with others to make a connection together and ultimately form a Circle if people want to expand their connection.

Gordon will share experiences from his own mediumship circle and speak about how linking in this way can help to expand our individual consciousness.

Gordon Smith is one of the world’s top psychic mediums. He has been featured in numerous television documentaries and is the author of several books including his latest Intuitive Studies. www.gordonsmithmedium.com £10/£5 concs Alternatives Friends Priority Entry Monday 30 July The Mystery Experience TIM FREKE Life is a mystery about which we tell stories. We each have a personal story that helps us to navigate the world.The problem is that we can easily mistake the story for reality. If you want to awaken to the deep mystery of life you have to see beyond your personal story.

It is perfectly safe to step out of your story. Paradoxically it is easier to relax into the mystery when we have a strong sense of our story. When we are fully conscious about what we know and do not know then we can fall in love with the magnificence of existence.This is an evening to remember how to wonder and stay ‘deeply awake’.

Timothy Freke is a philosopher who is pioneering a simple new way to experience a profound spiritual awakening. His books include The Laughing Jesus, Lucid Living, How Long is Now? and his latest The Mystery Experience. www.themysteryexperience.com £10/£5 concs

Michael Howe

August We take a break in August and there are no talks. Have a great summer!

Monday 3 September The Mindful Manifesto JONTY HEAVERSEDGE & ED HALLIWELL Each moment of our lives is so precious yet many of us spend our time anticipating the future, fearing, planning and worrying, or dwelling in and regretting the past. Studies have found that mindfulness training can protect people from depression, reduce their stress levels, help them manage chronic pain, drop compulsive behaviours such as smoking or over-eating, and even cope better with cancer and other serious illnesses.

Join Ed and Jonty will bring us up to date with some of the latest findings on mindfulness and discuss how we might apply this in our lives to improve our own health and wellbeing.

Dr Jonty Heaversedge is an inner city GP in South East London. He has also become a familiar face on the television, having presented 3 series of Street Doctor for BBC1. He is the coauthor of The Mindful Manifesto. www.drjonty.com Ed Halliwell is a mindfulness teacher and writer. He is co-author of The Mindful Manifesto and writes regularly for The Guardian on meditation and well-being. www.edhalliwell.com £10/£5 concs

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life – Steve Jobs

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WORKSHOPS Saturday 14 April

Mindfulness for Joyful Living SHAMASH ALIDINA Do you find it difficult to control your racing mind?

Looking for a way to step back and have greater clarify in your life? Want to stop taking the stories in your mind so seriously, and want to experience the joy of living in the present moment? Then this workshop is for you.

Mindfulness is a way of developing greater focus and joyful calm, and offers a way of reducing stress, anxiety and depression in a clinically proven approach. By practising mindfulness meditations, you become more aware of your surroundings as well as your thoughts, emotions and body in a warm, friendly and accepting way.This gently transforms your state of mind from habitually worrying or stressing out, to a greater sense of freedom, choice and peace.

In this workshop you will experience some extended core mindfulness practices including the body scan and mindful sitting meditation; enjoy a sense of greater focus and relaxation; learn how to integrate mindfulness in your daily life.

Lisa Ratcliffe

Saturday 21 April

Making a Living Without a Job BARBARA WINTER Ready to leave behind the nine-to-five world and start building something on your own? Don't know where to start? Millions of people have already traded in their corporate lifestyle for the satisfaction, freedom and creative challenge of jobless earning. So can you.This workshop is for everyone who has dreamed of being their own boss, as well as for those who are out of work, soon to be out of work, or wishing they were out of work! On this day you will learn how to: * Design a work life that's perfect for you; * Recognise and manage the obstacles you'll face; * Get started quickly with little or no money; * Find support and resources for building momentum; * Develop multiple income channels; Besides these basic business-building tools, this workshop is also an exploration of entrepreneurial thinking and attitudes.

Barbara Winter is an author, teacher, entrepreneur and selfemployment advocate who overcame her early notions that work equalled drudgery after starting her first small business. She publishes Winning Ways, the newsletter for the joyfully jobless and is the author of Making a Living Without a Job. and Seminar in a Sentence. www.joyfullyjobless.com 10.30am–5.30pm £65/£55 Good Friends/£40 Concs Columbia Hotel, 95 Lancaster Gate, W2 3NS

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Shamash Alidina is one of the UK's top mindfulness trainers. He is author of Mindfulness for Dummies and Relaxation for Dummies and has featured in several newspapers and magazines. He has been teaching mindfulness for over 10 years. www.learnmindfulness.co.uk 10.30am–5.30pm £65/£55 Good Friends/£40 Concs Park Crescent Conference Centre 229 Great Portland St, W1W 5PN

Sunday 22 April

The Natural Mystic THOMAS MOORE We tend to connect mysticism and spirituality with special practices of meditation, yoga, and lifestyle associated with an old tradition. Another way to be spiritually alive is to appreciate the deep implications of ordinary experiences like making a home, parenthood, study, travel, teaching, healing, making art, and even playing.

The lives of natural mystics teach us how to be spiritual today without losing the deep pleasures of life and the world’s beauty and sensuality. It is mysticism in the world and not away from it. A life work naturally flows from the union of person and nature.

This workshop will take specific lessons from natural mystics and show how to be spiritual in an ordinary way and how to sense the sacred in all aspects of life.This approach makes for a grounded and personally vivid spirituality suited to our times.

Thomas Moore PhD is the author of Care of the Soul and fifteen other books on deepening spirituality and cultivating soul in every aspect of life. He has been a monk, a musician, a university professor, and a psychotherapist, and today he lectures widely on holistic medicine, spirituality, psychotherapy, and the arts. www.careofthesoul.net 10.30am–5.30pm £65/£55 Good Friends/£40 Concs Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent’s Park Road, NW1 7AY

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart – Carl Jung

Your Pictures – Movement

Laurel Hart

Saturday 28 April

Sunday 29 April

A Return to Love MARIANNE WILLIAMSON

Emotional Balance ROY MARTINA

Modern society is so consumed with success, competition, and acquiring material things that we forget that love joy and wonder are also part of everyday life. It is our birth right to experience joy. It is our birth right to open to love in all its forms.What value does life hold if we cannot love or permit ourselves to be loved?

What is the connection between our spiritual journey and the attraction and cultivation of relationships?

How do we best prepare ourselves for love? What are the deeper forces at work in fostering, and sometimes destroying, our relationships? What part does the masculine/feminine dynamic play in understanding romantic relationships? What is true intimacy and how is it achieved? How can a romantic relationship best become a portal to spiritual growth?

Join Marianne Williamson for an in-depth inquiry into love and romantic relationships as a personal force for transformation and healing. Engage in a deeper investigation as to where your own blocks to love deflect the miracles that are your natural right as the child of a loving universe.

Some 90% of your emotional reality is determined by your subconscious mind.Today will show you how to work with the subconscious mind to end self-sabotage, eliminate blocks and break karmic links, and master your destiny.

Emotional Balance is a modern method based on the science of emotional therapy. Emotional Balance will give you the power to shift from a fear-based reality to an awareness of the oneness of all. In just a few minutes, most emotions can be transformed and you will be able to reconnect with your own source of power.When you are connected to that source, you will know true inner peace and harmony.

Today you will learn about going beyond your self-sabotage mechanisms to really achieve what you want.

You will go through how to eliminate blocks and break karmic links with Emotional Balance.You will learn a variety of highly effective techniques that will put you on the path to inner peace and harmony.

Marianne Williamson is one of the world's most respected spiritual teachers who has helped millions reconnect to their spirituality and find inner peace. Author of the Powerful Beyond Measure prose often mis-attributed to Nelson Mandela, Marianne’s books including the international bestsellers A Return to Love, Everyday Grace and The Age of Miracles: Embracing the New Midlife. www.marianne.com 10.30am–4.30pm £75/£64 Good Friends/£55 Concs Tuke Hall, Regents College Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, NW1 4NS

Roy Martina MD is a medical doctor specialising in health coaching (preventive medicine) and personal development.

He is the author of more than 50 self-help books which have sold in their millions. His latest book is Emotional Balance. www.roymartina.com 10.30am–5.30pm £65/£55 Good Friends/£40 Concs Park Crescent Conference Centre 229 Great Portland St, W1W 5PN

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WORKSHOPS Sunday 6 May

Zen: Letting Go of Enlightenment EDWARD BROWN Enlightenment is often viewed as an experience that will make all the difference. Rather than enlightenment, what will make all the difference is your willingness to work with and respond to what is arising.To access your inner resources and to activate and utilise your unique gifts.To realise you have choice.

The aim of this workshop is for you to wake up to reality. Edward will encourage you to become a driver of your own life rather than a passenger.This is attained by learning to trust your observations and perceptions, and acting with choice and wisdom on what you see and observe.

This means taking a firm hold of the wheel and begin realising and expressing the gifts of who you are, the power and capacity of your own aware presence.

The day includes some sitting meditation, some walking meditation, some basic simple chi gung, and also some basic exercises in grounding and boundary work.This day is open to all, you do not have to be Buddhist to attend.

She Embraces Her Genius

Susan Abbott

Saturday 12 May

Live Your Most Passionate Life JANET BRAY ATTWOOD What one thing can change your life....passion.When you have it, life is exciting, thrilling, fulfilling. Problems become challenges to overcome. Doors open in ways you couldn't have predicted. Nothing can stop you.The Passion Test provides a simple, effective way to discover your passions.

On this day you will discover: * The 5 things that matter most to you; * The Passion Test Formula for creating whatever you choose to have in your life; * How to effortlessly choose in favour of your passions; * The secret that will guarantee a passionate life; * The 7 principles to living a passionate life.

In this exciting and life transforming workshop, Janet will help you gain a level of clarity about your life that you may never have had before!

Janet Bray Attwood is a visionary, transformational leader and co-author of The Passion Test and From Sad to Glad. She has taken hundreds of thousands of people worldwide through The Passion Test process. She is also a certified facilitator of The Work of Byron Katie and has taught transcendental meditation for over 40 years. www.janetattwood.com 10.30am–5.30pm £65/£55 Good Friends/£40 Concs Rembrandt Hotel, 11 Thurloe Place, SW7 2RS

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Edward Brown began Zen practice in 1965 and has also done extensive vipassana practice, yoga, and chi gung. He was ordained as a priest by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi in 1971.

He leads regular sitting groups and meditation retreats in Northern California and offers workshops internationally. www.peacefulseasangha.com 10.30am–5.30pm £65/£55 Good Friends/£40 Concs Columbia Hotel, 95 Lancaster Gate, W2 3NS

Sunday 20 May

Resonate Your Dreams NIKKI SLADE Through the voice we can connect to our true self. By connecting with our true sound we release the social noise that binds us from within.This allows a new space from which we can give voice to our dreams.

Today Nikki will invoke the voice resonance journey with the practice of 'chanting from the heart' or Kirtan to inspire bliss and grace to resonate your dreams into the world.Through sound, gentle movement and partner work you will attune to the highest outcome for your daily lives.

You will learn how to tap into and align with the innate power of your inner voice and discover being at the source of the music of your life. Learning to become a vibrational match to the experiences you would like to attract allows synchronicity and magic to unfold in your life.

Nikki Slade has pioneered voice and sound work in the UK since 1990. Formerly an actress, Nikki was inspired by the power of sound through the sacred chants of Eastern traditions. She now leads individual and group voicework to business people, performers and the general public. www.freetheinnervoice.com 10.30am–5.30pm £65/£55 Good Friends/£40 Concs St Mary Abotts Centre,Vicarage Gate, W8 4HN

The path of spiritual growth is a path of lifelong learning – M Scott Peck

WORKSHOPS Saturday 26 May

Creating Menstrual Health ALEXANDRA POPE & SJANIE HUGO WURLITZER Do you find menstruation a hassle, feel disconnected from your cycle or at war with your body? Do you suffer from menstrual problems? Would you like to learn n a new approach to healing and discover a personal development jour ney custom made for you?

In this workshop for women, you will learn a new way of understanding yourself that is deeply healing and liberating.When a woman understands the natural power of her menstrual cycle – physically, psychologically and spiritally – she unlocks an inner resource that transforms her relationship with herself, others and the planet.

In this experiential and highly informative workshop you will learn n how to restore your connection to the creative and spiritual resources of the cycle and use this knowledge to heal symptoms and experience a new feeling of power and possibility.

Your Pictures – Movement

Roseanne McDonald

Saturday 2 June

Chakra Meditation SWAMI SARADANANDA The word 'chakra' is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning 'wheel'; but perhaps even a better translation would be spinning wheel.The chakras are not in the physical body, yet influence every aspect of your body and mind.This workshop will deal with the functions and reciprocal influences of the chakras on each other and on the unconscious and conscious minds. How smoothly your chakras function determines how fully you inhabit your body, how successful you are in your relationships and how much inner peace you enjoy.Today you will learn how to: * Create a holistic balance within each chakra; * Link your chakras to the other centres of subtle energy; * Perform practical breathing exercises to aid your meditations; * Practical physical exercises to help cleanse your chakras; * Work with visualisation.

Swami Saradananda served for 30 years as director and main teacher of the Sivananda Yoga centres in New York, London (Putney) and Delhi. Swami Saradananda now teaches world-wide and leads pilgrimages to India. She is the author of several books, including The Power of Breath, Chakra Meditation, and The Essential Guide to Chakras. Visit: www.flyingmountainyoga.org 10.30am–5.30pm £65/£55 Good Friends/£40 Concs Rembrandt Hotel, 11 Thurloe Place, SW7 2RS

Alexandra Pope is a women's leadership coach and facilitator. For the last 25 years she has pioneered a new approach to women's physical, psychological and spir itual wellbeing based on the power of the menstrual cycle and the jour ney from menarche to menopause.

Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer is a psychotherapist and clinical hypnotherapist specialising in fertility and related issues, and author of The Fertile Body Method. www.womensquest.org 10am–6pm £75/£64 Good Friends/£55 Concs Rembrandt Hotel, 11 Thurloe Place, SW7 2RS

Sunday 3 June

The Art of Conscious Attraction and Romance VENA RAMPHAL For most people, their love life is the most compelling aspect of their life and often also the most confusing.This workshop explores the Indian pleasure traditions and sutras and the tools they offer us in the modern world.You will learn the principles and skills (from an Eastern spiritual perspective) for creating a conscious love life - from the initial dance of attraction to keeping a long term relationship fresh and delicious.Today you will explore: * The pleasure traditions of ancient India; * Preparing the body and mind for intimacy and love; * Flirting and attraction principles; * How to be centred and playful. * Yogic-tantric principles of energy; * Starting a pleasure regime.

Today includes practical exercises, breath-work and other processes.

Vena Ramphal is a coach specialising in romance and sensual pleasure. Her work is rooted in classical Indian philosophy. She is featured as an expert on the UK's first televised version of the Lovers' Guide on Body In Balance TV, www.venaramphal.com 10.30am–5.30pm £65/£55 Good Friends/£40 Concs Columbia Hotel, 95 Lancaster Gate, W2 3NS

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WORKSHOPS Saturday 16 June

Who Would You Be Without Your Story?

BYRON KATIE

Your Pictures – Movement

Reema Sharma

Saturday 9 June

Natural Laughter Skills JOE HOARE Laughter practices have been used by traditions round the world, from Zen to Huna. Being present and bringing all our attention into the here and now are essential for the modern spiritual practitioner. Natural Laughter Skills teach us to be present, to be aware, and to access our intuition and innate joyfulness.They represent the heart which enliven and are compatible with all other practices.This workshop will have a 'light' style with lots of natural, spontaneous, genuine laughter.You will learn to: * Access your inner joyfulness on demand; * Bring your full consciousness into the here & now; * Loosen the grip of past concerns and future worries; * Develop your inner knowing, lightness & peacefulness; * Enliven yourself and stimulate your zest for life.

This will enable every aspect of your life, your work, your relationships, to become richer and more fulfilling.

Joe Hoare has led the UK's longest-running laughter workshops for over 20 years to a diverse client base. He initiated and co-runs the Laughter Network's 'Laughter Facilitation Skills' programme and his book The Emergence of a Laughing Yogi is due out soon. His work was featured in Dr Alice Roberts' BBC 2 series Don't Die Young. www.joehoare.co.uk 10.30am–5.30pm £65/£55 Good Friends/£40 Concs Park Crescent Conference Centre 229 Great Portland St, W1W 5PN

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The Work of Byron Katie has been called the most powerful self-realisation technique ever developed. Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now, says, “The Work is like a razorsharp sword that cuts through illusion and enables you to know for yourself the timeless essence of your being.”

The Work is a revolutionary way to deal with the thoughts that keep you from living in peace and joy. It involves asking four simple questions that can transform how you experience problems.

In this workshop, Katie, with her humor and lovingly incisive clarity, will introduce you to The Work and show you how self-inquiry can bring you a joy-filled life.

Weekend intensives have been life-changing experiences for thousands of people. Participants at recent intensives have called it “revelatory” and “the most powerful experience of my life.”

Katie has worked with millions of people all over the world who report profound experiences and lasting transformations. “Katie’s events are riveting to watch,”The Times has reported.

The Work is a simple yet powerful process of inquiry that teaches you to identify and question thoughts that cause all the suffering in the world. It is a way to understand what is hurting you, and to address your problems with clarity. People who do The Work as an ongoing practice report life-changing results, including: * Alleviation of depression: find resolution, and even happiness, in situations that were once debilitating. * Decreased stress: learn how to live with less anxiety. * Improved relationships: experience deeper connection and intimacy with your partner, your parents, your children, your friends, and yourself. * Reduced anger: understand what makes you angry and resentful, and become less reactive, less often, with less intensity. * Increased mental clarity: live and work more intelligently and effectively, with integrity. * More energy: experience a new sense of ongoing vigour and wellbeing. * More peace: how to become 'a lover of what is'.

Byron Katie has one job: to teach people how to stop suffering. In 1986, at the bottom of a ten-year fall into depression, anger, and addiction, she woke up one morning and realised that all suffering comes from believing our thoughts. She realised that when she believed her stressful thoughts, she suffered, but that when she questioned them, she didn’t suffer, and that this is true for every human being.

Her simple but powerful method of inquiry is called The Work. Katie has worked with millions of people round the world who report profound experiences and lasting transformations. Her books include Loving What Is, I Need Your Love: Is That True? and A Thousand Names for Joy. www.thework.com 10am–5.30pm £75/£64 Good Friends/£55 Concs Kensington Town Hall, Hornton St, W8 7NX

Love is the beauty of the soul – St Augustine

Inkpen, Wiltshire 2011

Olivier Morel

Saturday 23 June

Saturday 30 June

The Power of Your Spirit SONIA CHOQUETTE

Crop Circle Wiltshire Trip FRANCINE BLAKE

Our connection to spirit is one of the most significant lifelong relationships, but we often neglect it.We want to face our challenges and disappointment with grace; be creative and inspired; and live fearlessly through an intuitive, guiding wisdom.When you do truly make this connection, you will realise that it is the most authentic and lasting power you have in your life.

In this workshop, Sonia Choquette reveals the secrets to awakening your intuitive spirit and tuning into your inner wisdom and your ‘vibes’. She will show you that, no matter what is going on around you, with the power of your spirit, you can create a sense of purpose within that brings about profound contentment and personal peace. She reveals the secrets you need to awaken your intuitive voice, and trust your vibes. If you are ready to step into a divine, more energetically uplifting experience and live a more satisfying way of life, you will learn how at this workshop.

Crop circles continue to amaze and baffle as they appear each year in more exciting for mations.They have appeared around the world in ice, sand, sunflowers, corn and even tree tops. It is in Br itain that they appear most spectacularly and especially in Wiltshire, the destination of this day trip.

Francine Blake will give an illustrated talk to help unravel some of the myster ies of crop circles.With beautiful and graphic slides, she will explore how the circles may be for med, their effects and their possible meaning.

After lunch, Francine will guide us in visiting nearby crop circles (some farmers ask for a small donation of £2 to enter their fields, which is payable separately).We will return to Avebury for tea before the journey back to London.This trip is always a popular event. Please book early to avoid disappointment since there is limited space on the coach.There are a few spaces for people who want to meet the party at Avebury.

Sonia Choquette is a healer and sixth-sensory spiritual teacher. She helps people understand their souls’ plan and purpose and leads them to successful, meaningful and peaceful lives. She is the author of several books including The Answer is Simple, Diary of a Psychic,Trust Your Vibes, and her latest The Power of Your Spirit. www.soniachoquette.com 10.30am–5pm £75/£64 Good Friends/£55 Concs Swiss Church, 70 Endell St, WC2H 9DY

Francine Blake is one of the world’s leading authorities on crop circles. She founded the Wiltshire Crop Circle Study Group in 1995 to study all aspects of crop circles: physical, metaphysical and spir itual. Francine lectures internationally and is one of the main organisers of the annual crop circle conference in Wiltshire. www.wccsg.com Coach leaves St James’s Square at 8.45am and returns at around 9pm £75/£64 Good Friends/£55 Concs

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WORKSHOPS Sunday 1 July

The Art of Being ALAN LOWEN This workshop is an invitation to celebrate your whole being.This means living with a sense of ease and trust in your feelings, in your bodily processes and energies, in your male/female nature, in your intuitive faculties, and in loving and being loved. It is also an invitation to step into greater appreciation of the mysteries of spirit where you discover your true soul nature and the interconnectedness of life.

Discovering all of this is a journey into your full presence in your life, into being here now! It is an adventure that fulfils the deepest longing of your soul.This experiential workshop with Alan Lowen is designed to give you a glimpse, and perhaps more, into the keys of being happy and fulfilled in all aspects of your life. It offers specific meditation and other processes that will promote connection with more and more of your being.

Alan Lowen has been leading personal growth workshops for 37 years. His first mentor in the human potential field was Dr Carl Rogers. In 1977 he became a disciple of Osho Rajneesh, and lived in his ashram, continuing to lead his workshops there until 1986. A few years later he founded The Art of Being as a path of self-realisation and spiritual awakening. www.artofbeing.com 10.30am–5.30pm £65/£55 Good Friends/£40 Concs Park Crescent Conference Centre 229 Great Portland St, W1W 5PN

Sunday 15 July

Conversations With God: Exploring a New Cosmology SARAH ROZENTHULER & NEALE DONALD WALSCH This workshop is an opportunity to explore the core messages contained in the best-selling Conversations with God books. It will be led by Sarah Rozenthuler with a live video session by Neale Donald Walsch via the internet.

The text of Conversations with God create what is called a new cosmology of ideas about God, relationships, health as well as social and political issues. At this workshop, you will explore in an experiential and open-hearted way the core messages of the books.The day will focus on three core messages of the Conversations with God material: there is enough; there is nothing you have to do; we are all one.

Sarah Rozenthuler has co-facilitated several retreats with Neale Donald Walsch who has called Sarah “the next best thing to me”. She has led events since 2007 earning her an international reputation.

Neale Donald Walsch is the author of the Conversation with God books which have been translated into 37 languages, touching millions of lives and inspiring important changes in their day-to-day lives. www.cwg.org www.anewyouworkshop.com 10.30am–5.30pm £75/£64 Good Friends/£55 Concs Rembrandt Hotel, 11 Thurloe Place, SW7 2RS

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Earl Randolph

Thursday 19 July – Sunday 22 July

Writing For Our Lives Residential Retreat in West Dorset

JACKEE HOLDER Based at the Othona community overlooking the West Dorset coast, this unique residential writing retreat will allow you to access your inner writer whether you are a beginner or a professional.

Through a series of creative writing exercises and drawing inspiration from the beautiful landscape of Othona, you will generate a personally inspired body of work that can be used in a variety of ways in your daily life.This can be anything from writing a blog, crafting a series of personal essays, completing an e-book based on your expertise or passions, getting started with that memoir or novel you've always wanted to write.You will learn how to: * Connect to your own sources of inspiration; * Structure your ideas into a readable and natural flow; * Get onto the page and stay there; * Use feedback to deepen confidence and motivation; * Be in the space to access your authentic voice.

Please visit our website for further details.

Jackee Holder is a coach, leadership trainer, ordained interfaith minister and author of Soul Purpose and Be Your Own Best Life Coach. She facilitates creative writing and coach training programmes where she introduces creativity and writing as tools for personal exploration and transformation. www.jackeeholder.com 5pm Thursday – 3pm Sunday £295/£250 Good Friends £100 deposit to book Othona Community, Coast Road Burton Bradstock, Dorset DT6 4RN

Hope imagines the future and then acts as if that future is irresistible – Walter Wink

WORKSHOPS Saturday 15 September

The Tao of Love UTA DEMONTIS We are living in a very yang-oriented masculine world.

Many of us women have strongly cultivated our yang side and compromised cultivating our yin, our feminine essence.

The Tao is essentially a philosophy that honours the feminine. The Tao of Love is about walking your own path – a path rooted in love.Taoist meditations and practices enable us to connect with our own inner wisdom, cultivate our radiance and open us to a richer experience of life.

Taoists have always understood that sexuality is an integral part of our health and wellness. Sexuality is not suppressed but embraced.When sexual energy is combined with the loving energy of the heart it becomes the greatest healing force in the world.

In this workshop you will learn meditations, qi gong exercises and the jade egg practice to open your heart, connect with your feminine essence and cultivate your sexual energy.The exercises are practised wearing loose comfortable clothing.

This workshop is for women only.

Uta Demontis is an expert in the cultivation of sexual energy for both men and women. She is a Universal Tao instructor, teaching the Taoist practices brought to the West

by Mantak Chia. www.manawa.co.uk 10.30am–5.30pm £65/£55 Good Friends/£40 Concs Rembrandt Hotel, 11 Thurloe Place, SW7 2RS

Saturday 22 September

Passionate Presence CATHERINE INGRAM

Steve Nobel

Sunday 23 September

Conscious Writing JULIA McCUTCHEN

Catherine’s retreats are an opportunity to relax and steep in the perspectives she offers in Dharma Dialogues.The retreat is an excellent way to normalise those perspectives such that being mostly in the quietness of heart becomes the natural way one experiences everyday life.

Living in this way is simply a habit, and this workshop is an excellent opportunity to deepen in that habit.

The day will be held in silence with the exception of two sessions of Dharma Dialogues with Catherine, morning and afternoon.The day will reveal the seven qualities of awakened awareness which are silence, tenderness, embodiment, genuineness, discernment, delight and, finally wonder.

We recommend that you bring your lunch with you so that you do not have to leave the workshop area during the day. In addition to the two sessions of Dharma Dialogues, we will also have two short sittings and two walks in silence through a nearby park.There is no practice, no effort, no beliefs.

Conscious Writing is a new way forwards for writers at any stage of the writing process – even if you haven’t started writing yet.This powerful approach to following the impulse of your heart and writing with the voice of your soul is an intuitive yet structured technique for discovering and sharing your unique gifts – on the page and in the world.

As you work consciously with the full creative cycle, you release the old patterns of conditioned thought and behaviour that hold you back from being all that you are.You surrender your self-doubt, and just write! By the end of this workshop you will have completed your first piece of conscious writing and understand how conscious writing enables you to write the book(s) you are here to write; open the floodgates to receive an infinite stream of creative inspiration; learn the 7 step process to overcome resistance and transform it into fuel for your creative fire; discover how to access the true source of your authentic writer’s voice; and know how to give shape, form and structure to your richest ideas.

Catherine Ingram is a dharma teacher who has led Dharma Dialogues internationally since 1992. She is the author of Passionate Presence, In the Footsteps of Gandhi, and A Crack in Everything. She is a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. www.catherineingram.com 10.30am–5.30pm £65/£55 Good Friends/£40 Concs Venue to be confirmed

Julia McCutchen is a writer, conscious creativity coach and intuitive mentor. Formerly a publisher of spiritual and personal development books, she is author of The Writer’s Journey: From Inspiration to Publication and the founder and creative director of the International Association of Conscious & Creative Writers. www.iaccw.com 10.30am–5.30pm £65/£55 Good Friends/£40 Concs Rembrandt Hotel, 11 Thurloe Place, SW7 2RS

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Love, Magic, Miracles A Special International Conference 29 September-5 October 2012

@ The Findhorn Foundation The Conference will explore the spiritual truth that Love is the greatest power on Earth Presenters: Caroline Myss, Andrew Harvey, Robert Holden, Thomas Moore, Dr Ervin Laszlo & Marko Pogacnik.

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Mon 23 Apr 7-9pm

Training programmes commence each autumn.

UK enquiry line: 08444 457004

www.interfaithfoundation.org

The OneSpirit Interfaith Seminary is part of the OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation, a charitable company limited by guarantee.

Registered Charity No: 1099163 (England and Wales) SCO40148 (Scotland)Registered Company No: 4432622 (England and Wales).

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Confidential Counselling and Therapy in central London Addiction, anger, anxiety, career, depression, family dynamics, grief, sexuality.

Melinda Best, MA LLM PgDip Contact: 07789 471 089 info@melindabesttherapy.com www.melindabesttherapy.com

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Sat 2 June 10am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 5pm

Sat 16 June 10am-5pm

TREE OF LIFE FESTIVALS 14 APRIL & 20 OCTOBER 2012 info & bookings

6W -DPHVÂśV &KXUFK Piccadilly Home to Alternatives for 30 years.

Please support our campaign to restore this sacred space.

Cheques, made payable WR 6W -DPHVÂśV &KXUFK 3&& PD\ EH VHQW WR 6W -DPHVÂśV Church, 197 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LL. www.st-james-piccadilly.org

ADVERTS New

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Laura Day

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LONDON FESTIVAL 2012 30 May to 4 June

53 Inspirational Workshops • 85 Free Stage Performances • Over 100 exciting exhibitors

Special New Features: The Mantra Lounge and The Yoga Shala EARLS COURT

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SW5 9TA

Info and Ticket Hotline 0207 371 91 91 Please visit www.mindbodyspirit.co.uk for full workshop, exhibitor and free music/demo stage listings

Book workshops at www.alternatives.org.uk

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ADVERTS

The New Loving Relationships Training …..from The Passion of the Divine Mother

SUFI TEACHINGS of LOVE, HARMONY and BEAUTY Monday Evening at the London Centre: this weekly evening of teachings and meditations is open to anyone of whatever background or faith. 6.30-9.15pm, £5 (£3 concs) donation. London Sufi Centre, Beauchamp Lodge, 2 Warwick Crescent, London W2 6NE. 0207 266 3099.

UK Centres: A list of centres and groups in the UK is on our website Retreats: The Alchemical Retreat, based on ancient sufi teachings, is an opportunity to bring about profound inner transformation. There are normally group and individual retreats in the UK in summer (July) and at other times. A list of forthcoming retreats and active retreat guides is available by contacting us on the email below.

Universal Worship: is the religious expression of the Sufi Order in which the major religions of both East and West are honoured on one altar. Services are conducted usually on the first Sunday of the month at London Sufi Centre.

All welcome. Please email or call for details.

www.sufiorderuk.org info@sufiorderuk.org

Spiral

holistic therapy centre

psychotherapy counselling complementary therapies low cost counselling and psychotherapy available

www.spiralcentre.org 020 7607 4403 Islington London N7

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express yourself “I am still swimming in a sea of good feelings!!!

I think I was brought back to life after a very long sleep”

www.makingmoves.net

the fastest way to come out of your shell groups workshops training

020 8838 0329

A 3 Day Training created and presented by

SONDRA RAY in the NEW FREQUENCY of the DIVINE MOTHER with Mark Sullivan (MAN MOHAN) A wonderful opportunity to work on the deepest aspects of Family Relationships, our Partners in love and work, working in the New Paradigm of Relationships, to raise consciousness in all areas of life.

Raising the vibrational level of this work, Sondra and Mark have taken the LRT of the 1980s and updated it to suit these times.

Friday evening – Sunday (ending around 5pm) MAY 11–13th Venue: Columbia Hotel, Bayswater, London. Cost £225 Please contact any of the 3 organisers: Rosalba 07783 539573; Celia Jennings 07849 640179; Julie Ann 07967 308695

Co mmu m m u ni ccat a t e Di rec re ctt l y wi tth with w h Y You Your o u r A ng ngel els el s & Fu F u lf llfil fi l l Y Yo You ou urr L iiffe f e P urpo u urp rp os ose se e

Practical tools for self-discovery & awareness Tuesday 12 June 7pm-9pm or Saturday 16 June 10am-12noon St. James Church Piccadilly £10

Visit www.ipmWorkshopsUK.com for booking & receive

F R E E ! Angels e-book and Audio

Full advert info at www.alternatives.org.uk

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Clowning Around

Workshops with Richard Dunkerley London and Oxford “Very freeing, exciting and creative” “It’s about finding joy in just being yourself” www.foolsense.co.uk

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WHAT’S ON Talks @ 7pm

alternatives.org.uk pay on door / advance booking*

Wed 11 Apr Sacred Masculine, Divine Feminine Mon 16 Apr Making a Living Without a Job Wed 18 Apr Metaphor & Clean Language – SoC Mon 23 Apr A Return to Love Mon 30 Apr Awakening to Intimacy Mon 14 May Chakra Meditation Wed 16 May Effortless Fulfilment – SoC Mon 21 May Your Journey to Enlightenment Mon 28 May The Four Desires Mon 11 June Self-Love and Miracles Mon 18 June 30th Anniversary and Summer Solstice Wed 20 June Life Changing Conversations – SoC Mon 25 June The Art of Being Mon 2 July No talk today Mon 9 July Living From the Inside Out Mon 16 July Earth Pilgrim Wed 18 July Spiritual Psychology – SoC Mon 23 July Spirit Guidance Mon 30 July The Mystery Experience Mon 3 Sept The Mindful Manifesto * Talks may be booked in advance only via our website SoC = Soul of Coaching

Workshops Sat 14 Apr Sat 21 Apr Sun 22 Apr Sat 28 Apr Sun 29 Apr Sun 6 May Sat 12 May Sun 20 May Sat 26 May Sat 2 June Sun 3 June Sat 9 June Sat 16 June Sat 19 May Sat 30 June Sun 1 July Sun 15 July 19–22 July Sat 15 Sept Sat 22 Sept Sun 23 Sept

Matthew Fox Barbara Winter Wendy Sullivan Marianne Williamson Eli Buren Swami Saradananda Stewart Lane Richard Lawrence Rod Stryker Gabrielle Bernstein Team and Friends Saraj Rozenthuler Alan Lowen

P5 P5 P5 P6 P6 P6 P6 P7 P7 P7 P8 P8 P8

Michael Neill P8 Satish Kumar P9 Nicola Phoenix P9 Gordon Smith P9 Tim Freke P9 J Heaversedge/E Halliwell P9

advance booking

Mindfulness for Joyful Living Making a Living Without a Job The Natural Mystic A Return to Love Emotional Balance Zen: Letting Go of Enlightenment Live Your Most Passionate Life Resonate Your Dreams Creating Menstrual Health Chakra Meditation Art of Conscious Attraction & Romance Natural Laughter Skills Who Would You Be Without Your Story?

The Power of Your Spirit Crop Circle Trip The Art of Being Conversations with God Writing For Our Lives – Residential The Tao of Love Passionate Presence Conscious Writing

Shamash Alidina Barbara Winter Thomas Moore Marianne Williamson Roy Martina Edward Brown Janet Bray Attwood Nikki Slade A Pope & S Wurlitzer Swami Saradananda Vena Ramphal Joe Hoare Byron Katie Sonia Choquette Francine Blake Alan Lowen Sarah Rozenthuler & Neale Donald Walsch Jackee Holder Uta Demontis Catherine Ingram Julia McCutchen

P10 P10 P10 P11 P11 P12 P12 P12 P13 P13 P13 P14 P14 P15 P15 P16

Dancing Bear Blue

A LTERNATIVES St James’s Church 197 Piccadilly London W1J 9LL 020 7287 6711 admin@alternatives.org.uk www.alternatives.org.uk Co-Directors Richard Dunkerley Steve Nobel Workshop Co-ordinator Mary Daniels Administration Susanna Howe – Bookings & Friends Gemma Petherbridge – Events & Social Media Julie Swann – Bookkeeper

P16 P16 P17 P17 P17

Workshop bookings To book a workshop, you need to pay the full amount at the time of booking. You can pay: 1) By debit/credit card or PayPal at our website www.alternatives.org.uk (no fee).

2) By cheque payable to Alternatives. Send to our office with your name, address and phone number. Please send a separate cheque for each workshop.

Our workshops are often full – if you have not booked, please do not turn up on the day without having first checked with us that there are places available.

Cancellations Please notify our office at least 3 days before the workshop if you wish to cancel your workshop booking. We will transfer your booking to another workshop or give you a credit against a future booking. We do not give refunds.

Trustee Directors Tom Cook (Chair) Jackee Holder (Vice Chair) John Hunt Malcolm Stern Chris Waters Team Gbone Adjene Renu Arora Richard Clare Martin Cochrane Olga Dodekova Venetia Hall Jeremiah Mwaniki Tom Nicholson Vivien Pailas Lina Spyrou Lara Tiona Design Richard Dunkerley Printers RAP Spider Web

Concessions Concessions are for full-time students, over 60s, and those in receipt of job seekers allowance. Please send photocopied proof of status.

Our workshops Alternatives provides an educational space for personal and spiritual exploration. You may find that taking one of our workshops can facilitate a powerful experience and we encourage you to take care of yourself during and after the workshop.

Tom Cook

Printed on FSC accredited paper from sustainable resources using vegetable based inks

Data protection We do not pass on your personal information to anyone. We do not sell our mailing list. We do not give your email or address to workshop leaders without your permission.

After the ecstasy, the laundry – Jack Kornfield

Alternatives is a company limited by guarantee Registered in England & Wales Company no: 3978199