Workshops and Courses

Spirituality Courses

WAKING UP IN PARADISE: MARCH 3-10, 2011

May you open the gift of solitude
In order to receive your soul;
Enter the generosity of silence
To hear your hidden heart;
Know the serenity of stillness
To be enfolded anew
By the miracle of being.

  This week-long retreat offers an opportunity to connect and live from your spiritual center in a community of conscious women on sacred Hawaiian land. We will shed a sense of time and boundaries as we fall back into natural rhythms and live in an environment without walls. This retreat will encourage us to shed the stresses of everyday life, cultivate true rest, allow life in all its richness to flow unimpeded through us and relax into the welcoming silence that awaits us. We can then discover that each one of us is a flowing expression of a divine love and intelligence that hums through our very cells.

  Our retreat site of Balinese design sits at the edge of the ocean in a large lush garden filled with bright flowers, singing birds, statues of Buddha and white sand paths. To be here is like stepping back into old Hawaii-- there is no electricity (only solar power) and the property exudes tranquillity, peace and beauty. Ho’okena is a remote beach settlement on a historic Hawaiian site far away from the bustle of modern life. This sacred land, warm ocean, and loving community of women create a safe and supportive womb for the unfolding of truth within each of us. We will be nurtured and challenged to dive deeply into ourselves and uncover fresh inspiration for our lives.

  The main house has a large open lanai that overlooks the garden and ocean, with a spacious circular yoga/meditation room adjoining. The eight bedrooms scattered throughout the property are all unique, open air and decorated with bamboo furniture and bright Balinese quilts—two of them are antique ceremonial huts from the island of Timor. Showers are outdoors. The lovely secluded bay and black sand beach of Ho’okena are just a five minute walk along the ocean’s edge.

  Our days will incorporate early morning swims (with the dolphins if they choose to be with us), yoga and meditation, afternoon snorkeling to see turtles, colorful coral and fish. There will be plenty of time to gaze out at the ocean and watch sunsets from the hammocks and bamboo furniture on the lanai, walk through the garden, pick papayas off the trees, get a massage, nap, write in your journal, and most importantly just be. The yoga/meditation room will be always available for movement, yoga, and meditation (there are already yoga mats and cushions there). This property is so peaceful and nourishing to the spirit that it is hard to leave the grounds. However, there are several wonderful places we can make field trips to: the Place of Refuge (where ancient Hawaiians would go to pray for forgiveness), Kealakekua Bay, the Peace Gardens, the volcano to make offerings to Pele.

  As we dive deeper and deeper into the ocean both within and without, we will lovingly observe the messages surfacing from our bodies, dreams, meditations, and journaling. Every evening there will be meditation, teachings and sharing, along with periodic rituals that help build the collective energy. Other than these evening discussions, five of the seven days will be spent in silence.

  We will savor three healthy meals a day cooked with local produce (organic when available) by a chef who lives on the island (she is also a Lomi-lomi masseuse!)—with such dinner menus as Thai coconut soup and summer rolls, vegetarian sushi, ginger garlic Ahi with coconut rice, and fajitas with guacamole—all with big fresh salads.

  You are invited to join us for this special retreat. Come be nurtured and transformed by the magic and power of the Big Island and reconnect with your truest self.

  March 3-10, 2011

  Alexandra Kennedy is a psychotherapist in private practice and author of Losing a Parent (HarperCollins 1991),The Infinite Thread : Healing Relationships Beyond Loss (Berkley/Putnam 1997) and Offerings at the Edge (iUniverse, 2007). Her soon-to-be published manuscript How Did I Miss All This Before? describes the shift in consciousness she experienced in Sedona in 2000, as well as her inner (and outer) encounters with dolphins over the past eighteen years. She has had an active spiritual practice since 1977, attending numerous retreats in the Buddhist Vipassana tradition. She led a ten-day pilgrimage to Assisi through UC Extension and has led spiritual retreats in Italy, Sedona, the Big Island and Santa Cruz.

For more information, email Alexandra through this website.

AN EVENING WITH ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

  St. Francis is inexhaustible; he turns his back on no one; to each he shows something of himself and enriches all who approach him. — Nesta D. Robeck

  Let's explore together the life of St. Francis, the 12th century rebel mystic who for hundreds of years has inspired and deeply touched people of all religions. Looking at slides of Giotto's exquisite frescoes will inform us of the significant events of St. Francis' life and give us insight into his spiritual development. The peaceful hilltown of Assisi which is imbued with his spirit and preserved much as it was in his time will come alive for us through slides, taken on a recent tour led by Alexandra Kennedy. The presentation includes the church where both Francis and Clare (his childhood friend and founder of the Poor Clare's Order of Nuns) were baptized, the streets he wandered as a young troubadour, the church where he heard the voice from the crucifix and composed the "Canticle of the Creatures," the forest hermitage where he retreated to pray, and the Porziuncola chapel which he used as a center for his friars. Reading St. Francis' poetry will illuminate for us his vision of the divine. We will also look at St. Francis through the eyes of writers and film directors, such as Celano (his first biographer), Kazantzakis, Zefferelli and Cavani. Finally, we will discuss how our own lives might be touched by this joyous saint and how his passionate spirit can enrich and renew us as we seek our own connection with the divine.

  Presented at University of California Santa Cruz Extension and the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment

Courses on Loss and Grief

“Until grief is restored in the West as the starting place where man and woman might find peace, the culture will continue to abuse and ignore the power of water, and in turn be fascinated with fire.” Malidoma Some

Each one of us will be called on at different times to face loss—but will we embrace it or shrink from it? It is our ungrieved losses that take a toll on our hearts and deaden us to life. How can we tap the power of grief to transform our lives, open our hearts and awaken us to a deeper participation in the world? How can we learn to actively grieve in the midst of our daily lives—without feeling overwhelmed? How can we support others who are grieving? Addressing these questions, this course will offer a unique perspective to grieving while weaving together inspiring case histories with practical advice, suggestions and effective strategies. We will explore stages and tasks of grieving, common somatic and emotional reactions, damaging effects of unresolved grief, fears and concerns, types of grief dreams. Lecture will be combined with experiential exercises and discussion.

John F Kennedy University, Campbell CA

408 874-7760

THE INFINITE THREAD:
HEALING RELATIONSHIPS BEYOND LOSS
Online course offered at innerlandscape.com

  By taking this online 15 CEU course (using The Infinite Thread as the text) the participant will learn

• effective strategies for grieving without feeling overwhelmed
• methods for resolving unfinished business with a loved one -- even years after the death
• the healing role of the imagination in grief

  This course is approved for 15 CEUS by the National Board for Certified Counselors #5803.

  An online course meeting the qualifications for 15 continuing education credits for MFTs and LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Science Examiners #2387
  Approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing Provider #13258 for 18 contact hours.
  NAADAC Provider # 389
  TX Board of Social Work Provider #CS3518
  Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling Provider # BAP745

• To order this course online

Or call 1-888-575-7263
Checks or money orders to:
ILS
39705 SW Blooming Fern Hill Rd.
Cornelius, Oregon 97113

CREATIVE GRIEF: THE WAY OF HEALING THROUGH EXPRESSION

“The tides of grief expose us to the agony of loss and to the inexplicable mystery of death and life. This exposure can deepen us and open us to a life that is bigger, brimming with possibilities
on many levels, and fiercely alive.” - Alexandra Kennedy

Join us as we explore the landscape of loss through the creative tools of journaling, guided imagery, art, and group sharing. Participants are invited to bring photos and small mementos of a person or people they wish to remember, to be included in the creation of a small altar that they can take home with them.

Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, San Jose CA
for more information call 408 283-0221 ext 28
or www.csecenter.org

FACING LOSS: OPENING TO THE SACRED

  Over a lifetime we will experience many losses – not just the loss of loved ones but the loss of a marriage, health, a job, our dreams, or a child when he or she goes off to college. We cannot save ourselves from the sorrow that is part of life. Each one of us will be called on at different times to face loss – but will we embrace it or shrink from it? Most of us shrink from loss, thinking that if we just keep busy we can close our hearts a little to protect ourselves from loss. However, it is ungrieved loss that takes a toll on our hearts and deadens us to life. We pay a price in terms of our vitality, happiness and health.

  Grief turns us inward and downward, few experiences have such power to empty, transform and expand us. Opening to grief connects us to our souls and to this precious moment. But we must challenge our concepts and perceptions that get in the way of grieving. We must learn to actively grieve, for grief is not a passive process, but how can we do this in the midst of our daily lives? How can we learn to trust the rhythm of loss? What are the tasks of grieving? What is the deepest grief of all? How can we use the imagination to heal unresolved issues with a person who has died? How has the wounding of grief created an opening for the sacred to enter into our lives? How can we gather our hearts back to ourselves while supporting others who are grieving? How can we tap the power of grief to transform our lives, open our hearts, and awaken us to a deeper participation in the world?

  Addressing these questions, this workshop will offer a unique perspective to grieving while weaving together inspiring case histories with practical advice and suggestions. Lecture will be combined with experiential exercises and discussion.

  Presented at University of California Santa Cruz Extension and Miriam’s Well (New York)

LOSING A PARENT
  Insights and Strategies for Grieving and Healing

  The death of a parent shakes the foundation of our lives as it breaks down the structures we have known, churns up unresolved issues, challenges old values and brings us face to face with our own mortality and aloneness. Recent studies reveal that this event is much more stressful and difficult than had been assumed. But the loss of a parent can, if grieved fully (even years after the death), generate a re-evaluation of one's life and initiate a new stage of mid-life growth.

  As a result of this workshop, participants will:

• Gain a better understanding of the psychological impact of this major life passage
• Specify common emotional and somatic reactions to grieving the loss of a parent
• Recognize the damaging effects of unresolved grief
• Identify three stages of grieving the loss of a parent
• Learn how to set up and use a sanctuary for grieving-- a key to grieving without feeling overwhelmed
• Experience methods for resolving unfinished business with a parent and for saying good-bye (even years after the death)
• Learn ways to work with the disruptive changes in the family system
• Become acquainted through case histories and recent studies with changes in self concept, priorities, career goals, and relationships that are reported to occur after the death of a parent

  Lecture will be combined with discussion and experiential exercises. This workshop is designed for those who anticipate or have experienced the death of a parent (whether recently or in the past) as well as mental health professionals and hospice workers seeking new perspectives and tools in working with their clients.

  Presented at University of California Santa Cruz Extension, Art of Dying III Conference (New York), University of California Extension Berkeley, Care Services for Faculty and Staff of University of California Berkeley, Association for Transpersonal Psychology Annual Conference (Asilomar, CA), Association for Humanistic Psychology Annual Conference (Brandeis University), Conference on Aging, Spirituality & the Mystery of Death (San Francisco), San Jose State University (Religious Studies Department), University of San Francisco International Conference on Life Transitions Counseling, University of Santa Clara, San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, Whole Life Expo (San Francisco, Los Angeles)

HEALING RELATIONSHIPS BEYOND LOSS

  When a loved one dies, many people are filled with regret for all that was said or expressed, but death need not cut us off from those we love. This class will demonstrate how a relationship with a loved one continues to unfold within, offering mostly untapped opportunities for healing, resolution and even guidance. Along with offering effective strategies for grieving, this course will present a method of communication that utilizes the imagination to resolved old hurts and resentments, express love and feel more at peace with deceased loved ones. Through lecture, discussion, experiential exercises and stories, participants will have the opportunity to explore the following topics:

• Seven tasks of grieving
• Effective strategies for grieving without feeling overwhelmed
• Experiential exercises for exploring the ongoing relationship with a deceased loved one
• Types of after-death dreams and the role of dream work in grief
• TThe use of internal communication techniques with those who are experiencing a breakdown in communication with a living family member or friend
• Methods to identify and heal grief handed down through generations
• How to heal accumulated daily losses
• Suggestions for supporting grieving partners/spouses and friends and for helping our children grieve

  Presented at University of California Santa Cruz Extension, Art of Dying III Conference (New York), Hospice of the Central Coast, the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment (San Jose), The Paulist Center (San Francisco)

EMPTY NEST, FULL HEART

  The transition to college is a time of excitement, confusion, and anxiety for our kids. It is also the end of a chapter of parenting; the tension can severely strain the parent-child relationship. Many parents experience deep grief as they prepare to let go of their sons/daughters.

  When an adolescent leaves for college, we let go of the child we gave birth to, protected and nurtured for eighteen years. We will see our son/daughter again but we know deep down that the relationship has changed forever. This is a major life passage, one that is not acknowledged in this culture as it should be. Most parents are not prepared to consciously let go of their children. However, we can learn how to nurture a healthy new relationship if we support our kids in their separation, tend to our own grieving and keep channels of communication open.

  Through lecture, discussion and experiential exercises, this workshop will explore:

• How to cope with the tensions and anxieties that build up as an adolescent prepares to leave for college
• The developmental issues that our kids are facing
• The changes in the family system and the differences in how family members deal with these changes
• Ways to tend to your own grieving
• A review of your parenting thus far and how to address unresolved issues, concerns and regrets
• How to nurture a healthy new relationship with our kids that supports their separation
• Common problems that surface in a marriage/partnership and the need to redefine and renew your relationship
• Opening to the possibilities in the empty space-- exploring who you are in the world after your son/daughter leaves home
• How to support our kids in their separation when they are not leaving for college
• Parenting tips for the first year of college

  Presented at University of California Santa Cruz Extension

SEVEN TASKS OF GRIEVING

  The loss of someone close to us shakes the very foundation of our lives. We look for ways to rebuild that foundation but our society has little to offer. The usual advice "Just get on with your life, time will heal" often results in deeper confusion, pain and turmoil. If we want to heal, it is important to actively work to integrate and resolve grief, not just passively experience our reactions to it. The seven tasks of grieving explored in this workshop create a focus for an active participation in the grieving process and provide a clear path through the often bewildering experience of loss.

  Through lecture and discussion, participants will explore each of these tasks, along with effective strategies for grieving without feeling overwhelmed. Participants will have the opportunity to work with experiential exercises to heal unresolved issues and regrets, while nurturing the ongoing inner relationship with a deceased loved one. There will be practical suggestions for supporting grieving partners and friends and for helping children grieve.

  As a result of this workshop participants will be able to:

• describe each of the seven tasks of grieving, along with suggestions and exercises for working with each task
• understand the grieving process: stages, common somatic and emotional reactions, damaging effects of unresolved grief, fears and concerns, anticipatory and chronic grief
• identify strategies for grieving effectively without feeling overwhelmed
• apply methods of healing unresolved issues in grief
• implement self care for caregivers in order to avoid burn out

  Presented at Prime Time Expo (Santa Clara Department of Aging and Adult Services) and Santa Clara County Social Services Agency

STRATEGIES FOR GRIEVING

  Ungrieved loss takes a toll on our hearts and we pay a price in terms of our vitality, happiness, and health. How can we tap the power of grief to transform our lives, open our hearts and awaken us to a deeper participation in the world? How can we learn to actively grieve in the midst of our daily lives? How can we support others who are grieving?

  This course explores the stages of grieving, common somatic and emotional reactions, damaging effects of unresolved grief, fears and concerns, anticipatory and chronic grief.

  We will explore strategies for grieving effectively and methods for healing unresolved grief issues. Lecture will be combined with experiential exercises, inspiring case histories, discussion, and practical suggestions.

  Presented at John F Kennedy University (Campbell CA)

Courses on Dreams

DREAMS: MESSENGERS OF THE NIGHT

  Dreams, messengers of the night, connect us to a deeper source within ourselves-- a source so rich in creativity, wisdom, and healing that a discarded dream is like gold cast away. Dreams confront us with the truth about ourselves, cultivating self-understanding and fostering personal growth; they can guide us through each stage of life, helping us to face challenges, heal from trauma and loss, and creatively solve problems. They are an invaluable tool in psychotherapy.

  Through lecture, discussion, exercises and group dreamwork, we will explore the healing capacity and transformative potential of dreams, covering such topics as:

• techniques for remembering dreams
• seven steps for working with dreams
• the symbolic language of dreams
• nightmares
• premonition dreams
• recurring dreams
• transformation motifs in dreams
• grief dreams
• dream incubation
• the role of dreamwork in psychotherapy

  Presented at University of California Santa Cruz Extension

Travel Courses

"IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ST. FRANCIS"
12 day tour in Italy 1996

  Presented through University of California Santa Cruz Extension

PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO TUSCANY AND UMBRIA

  Get to know the rolling hills, walled medieval towns, abundant art, food and wine of the region surrounding towns such as Florence, Spoleto, Siena and Orvieto. From the Renaissance to the present day, this region has balanced rural simplicity with high culture. Experience the landscape that looks much the same as it did in the works of Fillipo Lippi or Piero della Francesca the charm of a lifestyle that maintains a civilized simplicity.

  The course will emphasize planning your stay to balance the viewing cultural icons with a sense of daily life. We'll use slides, stories and discussion to acquaint you with intriguing small towns, interesting restaurants, local cuisine, special niches in churches, and particular rooms in museums. In addition, we will discuss renting a villa in the countryside, the tradition of the [passagiata] and ways to use cafes and bars.

  You will be given background reading and contacts for further research. Whether you're ready to travel this summer or are just interested in Italian culture, you will find this day stimulating and fun.

  Alexandra and Jon Kennedy have traveled to Tuscany and Umbria many times. They consider Assisi their "home away from home," and enjoy sharing their experiences of Italian culture.

  Presented at University of California Santa Cruz Extension

Conferences and Trainings

KEYNOTES:

Living with Dying:
  A Symposium on end of Life Care, Grief and Loss
  Presented by Santa Cruz Chapter CAMFT
  Cosponsored by the Monterey Bay Psychological Association

Connections to the Heart: Loss and Recovery
 Sponsored by Kara and the VA Hospice Care Center, Palo Alto CA

PANELIST:

National Teleconference: Living with Grief When Illness is Prolonged, San Jose State University
Living Well, Dying Well conference, University of California Santa Cruz Extension
Fetzer Institute Relationship-Centered Care Web Forum: Conversation on Death and Dying

COORDINATOR, MODERATOR:

Trialogues at the Edge of the Millenium, University of California Santa Cruz Extension
Inter-Religious Dialogues, University of California Santa Cruz Extension
Living Well, Dying Well Conference, University of California Santa Cruz Extension

TRAININGS:

Hospice of the Central Coast, CA (3 trainings)
Hospice Caring Project of Santa Cruz
Santa Clara County Social Services Agency
Monterey County Health Department
Salinas Adult School Department
Care Services of UC Berkeley
Twin Lakes College of the Healing Arts (2 trainings)
Dominican Hospital Chaplains, Santa Cruz
Amercian Red Cross, Santa Cruz Chapter

ADJUNCT FACULTY:

University of California Santa Cruz Extension
Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Palo Alto CA
John F Kennedy University, Campbell CA