TLS Annual Gathering
2015 Learning Opportunities: Concurrent Workshops, Posters, Mini-Sessions
The following is the list of learning opportunities that were offered during the Annual Gathering in October 2015. The 2016 offerings will be selected from submissions received in response to the "Call" in the Spring of 2016.
SATURDAY MORNING – POSTER SESSION 8:15 - 9:00 AM
Branching Out: Looking Back and Moving Forward with Labyrinth Research
Presenters: C. Diane Rudebock, Ed. D., R.N. & Melissa Powers, Ph.D.
This poster presentation provides a snapshot of the history of labyrinth research as well as lessons learned when conducting research and involving student researchers. Recommendations are made for branching out and establishing connections with universities and community groups to move forward the field of labyrinth research, building on our rich legacy of those pioneers in the field of labyrinth research.
C. Diane Rudebock is a Registered Nurse and Professor at the University of Central Oklahoma. She serves as TLS Vice President and Research Committee Chair and is a Veriditas-Certified Labyrinth Facilitator. Dr. Rudebock’s successful proposal resulted in the creation of an 11-circuit Chartres permanent paver labyrinth on the university’s campus where she works with students, faculty and staff to incorporate the labyrinth in research and in all disciplines. She uses the labyrinth in health-related courses that she teaches as well as conducts workshops for campus, the community, and local, state, and national conferences in addition to providing labyrinth consultation services.
Melissa Powers is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology & Health Studies at the University of Central Oklahoma. She recently completed training to become a Veriditas-Certified Labyrinth Facilitator. Dr. Powers has collaborated with students to conduct research on the labyrinth and uses the labyrinth as a tool for reflection in her graduate and undergraduate research and gerontology courses.
Branching Out in New Ways to Resolve Conflict Using the Labyrinth
Presenter: Lisa Gidlow Moriarty
Peaceful, compassionate conflict resolution between two people can be accomplished using a method that combines a time-tested mediation process with the ancient labyrinth pattern. This allows the process to move from the head into the heart and body, thus enhancing deeper understanding and exploration of ways toward peaceful resolution. Both finger labyrinths and a dual path walking design are discussed.
Lisa Gidlow Moriarty is an artist, professional labyrinth maker, advanced labyrinth facilitator and certified spiritual director. She has made hundreds of labyrinths, from room-size canvas portable labyrinths to permanent concrete installations, and her work can be found internationally in hospitals, schools, churches and more. Lisa is the owner of Paths of Peace in Stillwater, MN, where she is caretaker of 15 outdoor labyrinths and a fleet of canvas rentals. She sells exquisitely detailed Chartres replica finger labyrinths, as well as other designs in wood, metal and jewelry, on her Paths of Peace website and leads international spiritual pilgrimages to sacred sites.
SATURDAY MORNING 9:15 - 10:45 AM (90-minute presentations)
Introduction to the Celestial Labyrinths
Presenter: Mary Beth Langley
Enjoy an introduction to the Celestial Labyrinths and come prepared for some hands on creativity. Participants will practice drawing the labyrinths with the help of special seeds to create labyrinths that can be related to love and creation, energy, power, life and death, transformation, freedom, feelings, connections, and wisdom. Special keepsakes will be created with watercolors and inspiration.
After being introduced to labyrinths about fifteen years ago, M.E. (Beth) Langley began studying them through books, Internet, walking them, and participating in workshops. She enjoys designing labyrinths, classroom materials, and workshops for exploring labyrinths. She has designed and installed permanent labyrinths in the US, Mexico, and Croatia. Interests beyond Montessori education and labyrinths include quilting, hiking, wine making, and songwriting-a lover of all creative arts. She has a BA from Columbia College, a MEPI credential at the Primary Level, and is a Veriditas certified labyrinth facilitator. She lives in Boykin, SC and finds peace and contentment in country living.
The Art of Setting Intentions
Presenter: Deborah Ketter
Explore a powerful way to set intentions based on a traditional Andean practice of preparing despachos, or prayer packets. After a brief meditation, this workshop provides participants with hands-on experience making despachos using symbolic items from their own cultures, and examines how to use them to set intentions before labyrinth walks and other meditative practices.
Deborah Ketter, BFA, E-RYT 500, is a certified Veriditas labyrinth facilitator, Kripalu Yoga teacher and artist. She specializes in sharing practical tools that help students cope with difficult situations and transform negative emotions into positive feelings. Trained by Lauren Artress at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Debbie builds labyrinths and facilitates labyrinth walks. She also studied labyrinth design with master builder Robert Ferre. As a yoga teacher, Debbie uses a creative and therapeutic approach to teach the art and science of yoga, with a focus on guided relaxation. She presents nationwide, including Kripalu, North America’s largest yoga training center.
Discovering the Genesis Point
Presenters: Laura Esculcas & Calen Rayne
Access the field of consciousness of the land through the Genesis Point and walk the labyrinth. In this experiential workshop, you will learn three methods of working with labyrinth field energetics that will catalyze your labyrinth experience and inspire you to branch out on your path of spiritual growth.
Laura Esculcas is a leadership and spiritual development coach, Veriditas Advanced Certified Labyrinth Facilitator, member of Veriditas Council, Labyrinth Practitioner at the Penha Longa Spa, Signature Retreat Collaborator at The Sanctuary Portugal, and sacred landscape guide in Portugal. She holds both an M.A. in Wisdom Studies and a B.A. in Chemical Engineering. A self-proclaimed “life adventurer,” Laura believes in bringing a sense of the sacred to everyday living. Originally from the US and having worked in Silicon Valley for over 10 years in high tech operations and management, Laura now lives near Lisbon, Portugal.
Rev. Dr. Calen Rayne is a Unitarian Universalist Lay Community Minister, Spiritual Director, Veriditas-Certified Labyrinth Facilitator, President of Healing and Expressive Arts for UU Society for Community Ministries, member of the Association for Transpersonal Psychology and American Academy of Religion. He builds labyrinths, designs/consults on sacred landscapes, produces energy mandalas/altars for healing, and is experienced with labyrinths, reiki, kaballah, energy healing, Himalayan singing bowl, earth energies, feng shui, dowsing, contemplative brush, Egyptian Biogeometry, alchemy, sacred geometry, Druid geomancy, medical intuitive work. He trained with alchemists of the first religion of the Himalayas (nameless religion), known as “patterns of heaven and earth.”
The Shapes(s) of Things to Come: Tips, Tricks, and Tools for Designing and Building Non-Traditional Labyrinths
Presenter: Tom Vetter
Traditionally, the tools of labyrinth design and construction have been the simple compass and straightedge (or their equivalents) from the practice of Sacred Geometry. But new concepts in non-traditional labyrinth design often defy traditional conventions and call for the evolution of our tools and methods. In this idea-driven, hands-on workshop, we will be exploring this new territory.
Tom Vetter’s background is in chemistry and sculpture, and he is a long-time student of Sacred Geometry, Consciousness, Symbolism, and Universal Spirituality. He loves to make connections between areas of knowledge, and he loves to create. For over ten years his interests have intersected in his active quest to design, build, and understand labyrinths.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON 2:30 - 4:00 PM (90-minute presentations)
Because You Will: Crisis to Confidence
Presenter: Marion Patterson
How have you grown from personal crises to acknowledging your power and stepping into confidence? Reflect on your journey using a finger labyrinth. Share a lesson from your story. Connect with others usign the Talking Feather Circle format. Express gratitude for your empowerment.
As a “wounded healer” Marion J. Patterson is called to share lessons in life from equanimity. A certified master teacher in the State of Iowa, she currently teaches at Kirkwood Community College with adults working toward their high school equivalency. She practices healing energy work, facilitates talking circles and guides themed labyrinth walks for animals and people of a variety of ages and both genders. When we listen with softness in our hearts we can heal and grow.
Manifesting Potential
Presenter: Jodi Little
Each participant will create a finger labyrinth for manifesting potential. Meditation is used to focus inward to let intuition guide the creation of a collage of dreams and potential which is then used to make the labyrinth. The collage becomes the intention of the labyrinth each time it is walked, allowing it to be a tool for manifesting potential.
Jodi Little has been a Reiki Master/ Teacher for more than ten years and has recently developed and teaches Heart Fire Reiki. She researches, studies and practices mindfulness meditation. Jodi has been a member of TLS since 2005, she is an Energy Keeper, and she is a Veriditas trained labyrinth facilitator.
Zentangle® - Art As Meditation: Mindfulness in Pen and Ink
Presenter: Sadelle Wiltshire
Experience an easy, mindful and intuitive drawing method using structured patterns, pen, paper and pencil. Create beautiful images while staying in the present, expanding focus, flow, creativity, possibility. Combine this relaxing mindfulness tool with a labyrinth pen walk on paper.
Sadelle Wiltshire is a self described renaissance woman: a recently trained Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitator, Certified Zentangle® Teacher (CZT), web designer, and fiber/mixed media artist from Putney, Vermont. She enjoys teaching art and creative expression almost as much as she enjoys creating her own works of art. She has taught a wide variety of workshops in New England and beyond. Sadelle’s work is influenced by her Quaker faith and she enjoys practicing and teaching with a view towards mindfulness, creativity, and all things spiritual. She can be found online at www.tanglevermont.com and www.pumpkinspun.com
Creating a Living Labyrinth
Presenters: Harlan Frank Showers & Bonnie Osborne
Please join us to experience the DO’s and DON’T’s of creating a “living” labyrinth. We will walk through this process with you from research, to creation, through construction, into maintenance. Experience the beauty of nature within the peace-filled, restful and meditative setting of a labyrinth filled with flowers, birds, bees and butterflies.
Rev. Harlan "Frank" Showers has been an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for forty years. He currently is pastor of United By Faith (UBF) Lutheran Church in Evergreen Park, Illinois. He is also a certified spiritual director for pastors and students at The Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. He writes a blog on his church’s website, unitedbyfaith.org., called "The Lily Pad: Reflections on living in the light of the Risen Christ." He regularly teaches the way to walk a labyrinth.
Bonnie Osborne helped develop the Living Labyrinth at UBF and was instrumental in the construction/implementation phase. She provides on-going maintenance of the labyrinth, and works with several volunteer Master Gardeners. UBF is part of the Green Faith Certification Program, and hopes to become totally green by 2017. The labyrinth is part of the CommUnity garden, which is organic and provides our day care children with fresh vegetables. We also compost and use rain barrels to water all our growing spaces.
SATURDAY EVENING MINI-SESSIONS 7:15 - 8:30 PM
Prayer and Emotion: A Comparative Study of Two Labyrinth Configurations
Presenter: Kevin Ladd
Using experimental methods, we examined how people responded spiritually and emotionally to Chartres and Classic labyrinths. We sought to understand if these labyrinths would evoke distinct ways of praying and feeling; we discovered no distinct differences. Overall, however, positive emotions increased and negative emotions decreased, regardless of the labyrinth pattern.
Dr. Kevin Ladd (PhD, U. Denver; MDiv, Princeton Theological Seminary) employs labyrinths, digital cameras, and life-sized mannequins to establish theologically sensitive and mathematically stable tools evaluating mental, emotional, and behavioral aspects of prayer. His 2013 book with Dr Bernard Spilka (The Psychology of Prayer: A Scientific Approach) outlines those investigations. Current projects include developing an embodied theory of prayer; experiments linking vision and religious beliefs; and investigating food and spirituality associations. Leadership roles include serving the International Association for the Psychology of Religion (Board member) and the American Psychological Association’s Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (Division 36; President).
Pecha Kucha: The Branching Out of Labyrinths
Presenter: Marion Patterson
Take in the story of the changing face of labyrinths with Winding Pathways co-owner Marion J. Patterson through Pecha Kucha. Visually explore how use of labyrinths has changed over time drawing in a wider audience. Share your experiences focusing on lessons that diversity of labyrinths teach us.
As a “wounded healer” Marion J. Patterson is called to share lessons in life from equanimity. A certified master teacher in the State of Iowa, she currently teaches at Kirkwood Community College with adults working toward their high school equivalency. She practices healing energy work, facilitates talking circles and guides themed labyrinth walks for animals and people of a variety of ages and both genders. When we listen with softness in our hearts we can heal and grow.
Classical Seed Patterns: A Three-Circuit Epiphany
Presenter: Lars Howlett
By learning, growing and spreading classical seed patterns, labyrinths have emerged around the world. Understanding their variations yields insight into how this archetype evolved over time. Seed patterns provide pathways of insight into understanding what defines a labyrinth. This presentation reflects on the basic nature of labyrinths and can further our understanding of honoring history and tradition of the form.
Lars Howlett is a journeyman labyrinth designer and builder, creating exact replicas of ancient archetypes and contemporary patterns. Apprentice to Robert Ferre', Lars learned sacred geometry and became proficient with a wide range of materials and construction techniques. He has studied with Lauren Artress at Grace and Chartres cathedrals, receiving certification as a labyrinth facilitator and becoming a Veriditas faculty member. After ten years of practice, Lars founded Discover Labyrinths LLC in 2015 sharing his holistic approach through teaching workshops, leading tours, and creating sacred spaces for individuals and institutions. Follow his work at Facebook.com/DiscoverLabyrinths and DiscoverLabyrinths.com
SUNDAY MORNING 8:30 - 9:30 AM (60-minute presentations)
The Historic Freedmen’s Town Labyrinth: Branching Out with Community Collaboration
Presenters: Jay Stailey & Reginald C. Adams
Join co-creators of the Houston Freedmen’s Town Labyrinth as they “walk” through the six month design, construction, and dedication of Houston’s newest sacred site. With over 150 volunteers, 450 man-hours, and 1 ancient archetype, community collaboration reached remarkable heights. Discover how the energy of that creation has extended one year out in this formerly unappreciated Houston neighborhood.
Jay Stailey is a retired public educator, author, storyteller, educational consultant, adjunct professor, liminal coach, and certified labyrinth facilitator. He came to the labyrinth as a preparation tool for retirement and continues to walk the walk eight years later. His collaboration with Michael Pardee, outreach director for the Boniuk Institute at Rice University and Reginald Adams, prominent public artist, resulted in the creation of a number of labyrinths in the greater Houston Area and beyond including the Historic Freedmen’s Town Labyrinth.
Reginald C. Adams is a public artist, social entrepreneur, and community developer. He was born in 1972 in Cheyenne Wyoming and traveled extensively across the U.S as a youth. He is best known for his award winning tile mosaic murals and sculptures, which are strategically located in some of Houston’s most historic and underserved neighborhoods. His creativity and approach to his artwork is inspired by his travels to more than 28 countries. His interest in the labyrinth as a tool for public art has led to his recent work as a labyrinth designer and creator.
Branching Out: The Labyrinth Within Universal Themes of Connection
Presenter: Kelley Quinn
Explore how the labyrinth is one of multiple universal tools including Native American Medicine Wheels, the Tree of Life, Hindu and Buddhist Mandalas and the Chinese and Celtic Zodiacs. See how our forbears as well as peers use these tools to understand and interact with the divine in order to branch out, bringing about change for themselves and their communities.
Kelley K. Quinn has been on the Illinois Arts Council Preferred Artist in Residence roster since 2003 and has guided over 2000 people on how to design and use both personal and community labyrinth mandalas. She has been a lead presenter at the Horn Field Campus Wellness Weekend, Macomb, Illinois, for 7 consecutive years where she has shared her techniques with participants in a two-day retreat format coupled with yoga and meditation. She has presented and shown her work nationally and internationally and has had several solo and group shows. Quinn teaches Spanish and Critical Theory at Western Illinois University.
Building Our Hummingbird Therapeutic Equine Labyrinth: Branching Out to Include Medicine Horses, Findhorn Gem Essences and Community
Presenters: Holly Carnegie Letcher, Halliday Walsh, Dominique Mathison
Our Therapeutic Equine Labyrinth began as homeschool math project! The magic of Medicine Horses, the sacred geometry and planting of Findhorn Gem Essences, an Incan Prophesy, and a compassionate community emerged supporting synchronicities and divine connections. Education, healing stories, an ancient Andean gratitude meditation, and a video created by the students documenting the organic building process will be shared.
Holly Carnegie Letcher’s primary roles include: Mom, Homeschool Teacher, Occupational Therapist, Veriditas Certified Labyrinth Facilitator, Reiki Practitioner, Laughter Yoga Leader, Owner of Oceanside Pathways 2 Wellness-Holistic Health Services, Horse owner, TLS member, Co-chair of 2013 TLS Gathering Vancouver Island, Canada, Environmentalist, Advocate, Adventurer, Volunteer, Dreamer, Labyrinth Builder, Peacemaker … Holly recently returned from her 2nd journey to Peru, learning ancient gratitude meditations from the Paqo Andino Wisdomkeepers. Holly co-presented The Labyrinth: Symbol, Tool and Space for Building Sustainable Peace in Education and Beyond at International Peace Research Associations 25th Annual Conference, Istanbul, Turkey, 2014. She facilitates Labyrinth Pilgrimages on Vancouver Island, Canada.
Halliday Walsh is focused on being of service to all beings and to making healing simple. Training includes: Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, Registered Shiatsu Therapist, Certified Oriental Bodywork Practitioner, Energy Medicine Practitioner, Reiki Master Teacher (Usui), Iridologist, Animal Communicator & Owner of Chiron Holistics. Individual healing sessions, holding space for meditation and workshops, including working with Chiron Medicine Horses helping people to help themselves through equine-facilitated healing are Halliday’s passions. She works with horses and people through Draftpower: Horses and People Flow Communication and Bodywork, through the use of marespeak, shiatsu, meditation, energy medicine & chakra balancing. Love heals all.
Dominique Mathison is a Flower Essence Practitioner and Chartered Herbalist on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. She works with a wide range of essences and completed her first certification at Findhorn in Scotland. Dominique and her family became involved in building the Hummingbird Therapeutic Equine Labyrinth in May 2014 because of their involvement with the local pony club and their love for horses. Dominique’s excitement and passion to enhance meditation and healing were embraced by Holly and Halliday, when she created a plan to plant vibrational elixirs to match the elements and gem essences matching the chakras in this unique Labyrinth.
Labyrinth Journeys – 50 States, 51 Stories
Presenter: Twylla Alexander
Beginning on Miramar Beach, Florida in 2012 and ending in Maui, Hawaii in 2014, the presenter traveled the United States to visit labyrinths. One outdoor labyrinth in each state, created/envisioned by a woman. She shares how the labyrinth sparked her personal journey and connected her to an amazing group of women, each with her own labyrinth story to tell.
A husband, three children and a teaching career that spanned 30 years from Arkansas to Alaska, on to Singapore, Cairo, Moscow, and New York City left Twylla Alexander with little time for reflection. But with retirement came a new pace and direction. Lauren Artress’ book, Walking a Sacred Path, guided her to Labyrinth Facilitator Training/ Certification, then to facilitating women’s labyrinth retreats. Twylla's book, Labyrinth Journeys ~ 50 States, 51 Stories, tells her personal journey to visit women’s labyrinths across the United States. Each morning, you can find her walking the labyrinth in her own backyard.