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Past Workshops

DESCRIPTIONS OF PAST WORKSHOPS and RETREATS

The following retreats, workshops, and programs were offered by Sandy or Sandy in partnership with various co-leaders.  To request a program, or more information about these retreats, contact Sandy
 

FIND PEACE OF MIND BY QUESTIONING YOUR THOUGHTS

Led by Sandy Seeber and Alan Graham

"It's not what happens to you but what you think of it that matters." --Epictetus

How can we move from stressful thoughts to inner peace?  Every spiritual tradition holds forth the possibility of attaining a state of unshakeable inner peace and joy.  The Buddhists call it enlightenment.  Jesus talks about "peace that passes understanding."  Lao Tzu reminds us to "live in harmony with the Tao."  To reach this state, we know what we are supposed to do-let go, forgive, forget, trust, give up control, and be present. We just don't know how to do it!

What we need is a bridge, a practice that helps us to move from where we are to where we want to be. Questioning your thoughts can help! This workshop offers a basic introduction and overview as well as some practical tools for learning to question your thoughts.  We will draw on concepts from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, and Inquiry and include body-based practices from Tai Chi and Qigong to give a physical foundation to what could otherwise be a very "heady" process.


 

INTRODUCTION TO ENERGY TAPPING

Led by Sandy Seeber and Alan Graham

Energy Psychology Techniques for Peace of Mind and Body
Learn to release stress, clear negative emotions, and heal trauma
using techniques that combine Acupuncture, Psychology, and Tai Chi

Within the last 50 years an exciting marriage between Chinese medicine and western psychology has taken place. The result is a new array of treatment options for psychological issues that are fast moving, efficient, energetically based, and honor the body as the healing partner of the mind. 

 

Energy Psychology is used worldwide as a self help technique as well as a treatment modality by health care professionals. These techniques can help with a wide variety of conditions including phobias and fears, addictive behaviors, anger, anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, and chronic pain.

 

From the perspective of Energy Psychology, the source of negative emotions is a disruption, sometimes called a "perturbation in a meridian, or energy channels of the body used in acupuncture. When a thought or a memory triggers this disruption, the result is physical, psychological, and/or emotional pain.

 

To treat this pain, you tap on specific meridian points while holding in mind the unresolved problem.  The tapping clears the perturbation in the meridian, releases the block in the energy system caused by the unresolved emotional issue, and restores balance to the body's energy.  Many times a longstanding issue will simply disappear after one tapping session. 

 

In this workshop participants will:  

  •  Learn about the history and origin of Energy Psychology
  • Explore the relationship between meridians and emotions
  • Practice a variety of Energy Psychology techniques applicable to both self & others
  • Learn gentle Tai Chi and Qigong movements to help open and balance the meridians

 


 

KNOW YOURSELF: A Basic Introduction to the Enneagram

Who am I?  For thousands of years, people have been asking themselves this question.  There doesn't seem to be an easy answer.   Within each person there seems to be a "small self"-a busy, anxious little separate "I" preoccupied with its own goals, fears, desires, and issues,; and a "big self" -the "I" that sees itself as a part of everyone and everything, and is a deep well of peace, wisdom, joy, and compassion.  

The Enneagram is a tool that has helped many people begin to unravel this mystery.  The word Enneagram (pronounced ANY-a-gram), comes from the Greek words "ennea" meaning nine, and "grammos" meaning figure, literally translated as " a nine-pointed figure."   Each of the nine points represents a personality type, a particular body-mind perspective on life-a way of thinking, feeling, and acting in the world. 

Today many businesses, psychotherapists, and pastors are introducing people to the Enneagram because it can help us see how the "small self" traps us in old patterns by narrowing our focus of attention and blinding us to the beauty and power of who we truly are. 

Once we wake up to the hidden agendas, fears, and motivating forces operating beneath the surface of all the personality types, then it is possible to turn off our habitual responses and make new and conscious choices.  The Enneagram also maps out a path of growth and development unique to each type to show us the way back home to our "big self."


Sandy is a certified Enneagram facilitator and has been a student of the Enneagram since 1985.  Alan is a certified Qigong Instructor.  Both are students of Russ Hudson and the Enneagram Institute.

 


 

THE PRACTICE OF PRESENCE IN EVERYDAY LIFE: Using the Enneagram

Led by Sandy Seeber and Alan Graham

Studying the Enneagram is one thing...Applying it to your everyday life is another

This workshop if for those who want to ground their knowledge of the Enneagram in daily experience, learn to practice presence in everyday life, and apply Enneagram tools for greater peace of mind at home and at work.

The Enneagram is an extraordinary tool for making the shift from the "small self"--a busy, anxious little separate "I" preoccupied with its own goals, fears, desires, and issues,; and a "big self" --the "I" that sees itself as a part of everyone and everything, and is a deep well of peace, wisdom, joy, and compassion.   Easy to say, but not so easy to do!  

Facilitators will use these four basic elements to support participants in their journey to the practice of presence in everyday life:  

  • Cognitive understanding of Enneagram principles
  • Personal self awareness of how the hidden agendas of your own type trap you in negative patterns
  • Meditative practices for the body, heart, and mind to implement lasting changes in your life
  • Healing community to offer support, give feedback, and provide a "reality test" for your level of development

 This group will be highly personalized to the needs of the individuals registered and it is highly recommended that you know your Enneagram type. 

 

 


 

RETURNING: A Winter Meditation Class for Spring Renewal

Led by Sandy Seeber and Alan Graham

In the womblike darkness and cold of winter, all of nature is sending energy downwards and inwards to store and gather nourishment.  This time of stillness, waiting, and quiet contains the launching power for spring growth, new life, and renewal.  This time of gestation and hibernation is naturally suited to the practice of meditation.  In this class we will seek the wisdom of the heart as we explore and experience different forms of heart-based meditation practices such as the Inner Smile, Centering Prayer, and the Healing Sounds. Each session will also include some gentle movement and breath work to help with grounding and rooting the meditation practices in the body.  There will also be time for journaling, art work, and sharing. 


THE PRACTICE OF HAPPINESS: A Labyrinth Retreat to begin the New Year

Retreat Leaders: Sandy Seeber & Beverly Isley Landreth

"The purpose of life is happiness"

Dalai Lama from his book The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living

"Happy New Year," we say--yet "happiness" has become almost a dirty word in our stress driven society ruled by the work ethic.  Yet people who rate themselves as happy are more likely to be empathic, unselfish, and helpful to others, as well as more emotionally resilient in the face of life’s difficulties. True happiness is related more to our inner state of mind than to our outer circumstances.  Our happiness is in our own hands and we can learn to enter into a state of happiness by training our hearts and minds.

In this retreat teaches:

REMEMBER with gratitude our blessings

RELEASE the thought patterns and habitual emotions that block us from experiencing happiness

RECEIVE the wisdom, insight, and grace we need to be happy

RETURN to our every day lives with tools andpractices for transforming our attitudes in the present moment


"Walk to the well. Turn as the earth and moon turn, Circling what they love. Whatever circles comes from the center."
Rumi, Whatever Circles


Retreat experiences:    Daily labyrinth walks, circle walking, Tai Chi and Qigong movements; silent time for reflection, journaling, & art work; mindfulness meditation; small & large group processing as well as rituals & ceremonies in nature.


PRIMORDIAL TAI CHI FORM: Cultivating Your Inner Sage

Primordial Tai Chi Form is an 800 year old lineage form whose original name “wuji gong”literally means “develop skill for entering the Supreme Mystery.” It is sometimes called Tai Chi for Enlightenment and is much older than Tai Chi done for martial self defense.  The form is performed as a ceremony and begins with setting an intention, followed by gathering energies from the four directions and heaven and earth, and closing by receiving these energies deep in the center of our own being.  We will practice this form being mindful that the darkest days of the year occur from the end of November until after the Solstice on December 21st when hours of light begin their slow return.  In Tai Chi, darkness is not representative of evil, but of the deep feminine regenerative womb-like creative force of the universe and of the deep meditative place within us where we receive wisdom.  In this program we will use Tai Chi and Chi Kung practices to contact and manifest our inner sage—the wise man or wise woman within—that lives in all the parts of ourselves:  our physical body (jing); the life force within us and around us (chi); our spirit (shen).  We will then use the great cosmic balancing elements of the Primordial Form as a means of integrating all the parts of ourselves and gathering the wisdom we need.


 

MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR ORGANS: USING TAI CHI TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH

6 hour introductory program on the lungs, kidneys, liver, heart, and spleen and how in Tai Chi and Chinese medicine these organs actually represent the many aspects of ourselves.  By bringing our organs into balance we can get in touch with the intuitive “gut level” wisdom available to us from our organs, and come into a greater experience of wholeness and harmony within ourselves.  In this workshop, participants will:

  • Learn about the physical location and function of our organs as well as which negative emotions get “stuck” in each of the organs:  sadness in the lungs, fear in the kidneys, anger in the liver, self-criticism in the heart, and worry in the spleen.
  • Explore different Tai Chi and Chi Kung ((Qigong) practices to balance, clear, and harmonize their internal organs as well as cultivate the virtues associated with each organ:  strength in the lungs, wisdom in the kidneys, kindness in the liver, loving acceptance in the heart, and trust in the spleen.
  • Take a 5 Element assessment to help them identify which organs may be congested with too much energy, and which ones may be weak and have too little energy.

This workshop is 30% didactic and 60% experiential.  Presenters Sandy Seeber and David Harold.


QIGONG WITH HEALING WORDS: A Body-Mind Approach

Words are the gatekeepers of consciousness.  The unceasing stream of thoughts operating just below our awareness can either block or enhance our ability to perceive universal qi. Words such as gratitude, trust, & acceptance open the energy gates that invite us to play freely, spontaneously, and joyfully with the universal qi dancing within and around us. Words that judge or criticize cut us off from ourselves, others, & our environment.

In this workshop we will explore a variety of ways to use healing words in conjunction with qigong practices to release reactive inner states and enhance our ability to play in the qi field.

In this workshop, we will explore the effects of applying “Healing Words” to traditional chi kung and tai chi practices through the use of guided imagery, energy psychology, energy medicine,  NLP and other tools.  Beginners are welcome and no prior experience is necessary.

    
PRESENTERS
Sandy Seeber, Alan Graham, Beverly Isley Landreth, & David Harold


The 4 co-leaders of this workshop are all licensed/certificed/credentialed health care providers.  These credentials include Clinical Social Worker, Chiropractor, Counselor, Clinical Chaplain, Energy Psychology Practioner, Healing Touch Practitioner, NLP Trainer & Labyrinth facilitator.  Licensing and certifying bodies in any of these disciplines will likely accept this workshop as continuing education with proper documentation of location, leader contact info, dates, and time of session.


Medical Chi Kung: Breath, Movement, and Meditation for Health

1 Hour Introductory Program on Tai Chi and Chi Kung for Health Care Professionals.  Objectives address the questions: What is Chi Kung?  Where did it come from?  How is it used? What is the basis of good health from a Chi Kung perspective? Additionally, the program includes a case study about the benefits of Chi Kung and an opportunity for participants to experience Chi Kung.  Presentation is 50% didactic and 50% experiential. Presenters Sandy Seeber & Alan Graham.



Best Health Community Education Series of Wake Forest University Medical Center :

These one hour programs which are 90% experiential and 10% didactic are offered free to the community 3 or 4 times a year and address specific health issues that may be improved through the practice of Tai Chi and Chi Kung.  Examples include:  Bone Health, Chronic Pain, Neck and Back Pain, Women’s Health, Fitness, Heart Health, Breathing Issues, Stress Reduction, Strengthening the Immune System, Achieving Better Balance, Lowering Blood Pressure, Joint Health, and Five Animal Frolic Chi Kung Form. Presenters Sandy Seeber and Alan Graham.



Alternative Medicine: 4 Keys to Wellness

6 hour full day introductory program on Alternative and Complementary Medicine for Health Care Professionals.  Presentation is 30% didactic and 70% experiential. Presenters include Sandy Seeber,  Alan Graham, Sue Hess, and Bill Scheidt. Modalities include Tai Chi, Energy Medicine, & Healing Touch.

Participants will be able to:
1.    Explore Tai Chi and Chi Kung movements, breathing techniques, and relaxation methods for decreasing stress and increasing overall well-being.
2.    Experience the healing benefits of Energy Medicine and describe its integration with traditional medicine.
3.    Demonstrate healing touch techniques for themselves and their clients and patients.


Enneagram Workshops

Physical & Emotional Intelligence: Clinical Applications of the Enneagram
6 hour full day program. 60% didactic 40% experiential. Presenters include Sandy Seeber, Alan Graham, & Andrea Isaacs.

Participants will be able to:
1.    Describe the relationship between thoughts, feelings, & the body
2.    Explore ways to translate thinking and feeling states into movement
3.    Experience some of the Enneagram styles through movement
4.    Develop new neuron pathways using physical antidotes to negative emotional states

Physical Intelligence & the Holy Ideas of the Enneagram
6 hour full day program. 60% didactic 40% experiential. Presenters include Sandy Seeber, Alan Graham, and Andrea Isaacs.

Participants will be able to:
1.    Describe physical intelligence and explore chi kung as a strategy for developing physical intelligence
2.    Explain the Holy Ideas of all nine Enneagram types
3.    Describe the difference between ego and essence states and explore the use of chi kung in shifting from one state to another
4.    Identify negative emotional states associated with Enneagram types and how chi kung can help clear these emotions and create space for the Virtues associated with the Holy Ideas

Maintaining Essence in Relationships: Relational Intelligence & the Enneagram
6 hour full day program.  60% didactic 40% experiential.  Presenters include Sandy Seeber, Alan Graham, and Andrea Isaacs. 

Participants will be able to:
1.    Describe emotional, physical, & relational intelligence and the difference between ego and essence
2.    Identify the functions of the 3 centers (thinking, feeling, and intuition) and how they affect relationships
3.    Compare and contrast relating to others from ego and essence
4.    Explore how Chi Kung can help clear negative emotions and open space for new creative choices in relationships



Retreat Leader

Women’s Spiritual Adventure Retreats
These weeklong retreats are about stopping your daily routine, looking within, listening to the voice of your soul, visioning the change that Is calling you, learning tools for transformation, clearing emotional stumbling blocks, connecting with nature, enjoying healthy food, rest, and companionship.  Retreat offerings include tai chi, healing touch, energy clearing, silent time for reflection, small and large group processing, as well as rituals and ceremonies in nature. Presenters include Sandy Seeber, Amanda Zabel, Deborah Larrimore, and Kathryn Sinopoli.


Facilitator Episcopal Deacon’s Retreat

This weekend retreat included an introduction to Healing Touch, Tai Chi, experiential healing touch, as well as the facilitation of a reflection and sharing on the retreat theme. Presenter, Sandy Seeber.


Primordial Chi Kung: Tai Chi for Enlightenment

This weekend retreat consists of an introduction to Primordial Chi Kung which is designed to take us on a deep journey into the limitless Primordial Source. It's ancient name was "Wu Ji Gong", which literally means "developing skill for entering the Supreme Mystery." On this retreat, we e learn to connect Heaven & Earth with our bodies, balance our yin & yang energies, & spiral through the 4 directions. Harnessing the power of the universe itself, we set our clear intention to return to the core of our being, hold the center in our outer lives, & balance all perceptions arising in the present moment. Benefits of practicing Primordial Chi Kung include increasing unconditional love, integrating divided aspects of ourselves, harmonizing with the great forces of nature, & healing ourselves. The complete form takes 15-20 minutes & the movements are simple & easy to learn. Presenters include Sandy Seeber, Alan Graham, Beverly Isley Landreth, and David Harold.


The Madonna Within
A Day of Reflection, Healing, Creation, & Exploration of the Divine Feminine. Presenters include Sandy Seeber and Beverly Isley Landreth.

Participant objectives for this 6 hour program are listed below:
1.    Recognize the healing presence of the sacred feminine in our world
2.    Learn how to use centering practice as a means of entering our deep heart
3.    Explore chi kung practices that help us engage the intelligence of our female organs & gain access to our feminine wisdom
4.    Create an image of our own unique, divine, feminine nature
5.    Participate with other in sharing & celebrating our own Madonna within



NATIONAL PRESENTATIONS

Healing Waves: Connecting with the Consciousness of Earth, Sky and Sea.   Healing Touch International Conference 2007 in Hilton Head, South Carolina
This two hour presentation focuses on giving participants an experiential introduction to Chi Kung.  Includes basics such as gathering chi and sending chi for healing, as well as the demonstration of a Level I Chi Kung form.  Presenters include Sandy Seeber and Beverly Isley Landreth.  


Getting on the Same Wavelength: Teaching Qigong to Beginners & Seniors.  National Qigong Association, June 2009, Asilomar, California.
This workshop focuses on the fundamental elements of a good Tai Chi class and is appropriate for both beginners and experienced Tai Chi and Chi Kung (Qigong) practitioners.  Beginners will learn basic Tai Chi movements and principles, e.g. walking, standing, & breathing practices, as well as introductory partner work.  Experienced Tai Chi practitioners will learn the basics of teaching a good Tai Chi class, e.g. how to open and close a class and lead partner drills, as well as teach students to feel the chi and move “from the feet”.  Presenters include Sandy Seeber, Alan Graham, Beverly Isley Landreth, and David Harold.


Centered in Clarity…Wired for Joy, Using Energy Medicine, Tai Chi and Inquiry to Release Blocks and Create Flow. Healing Touch International Conference in 2009 in Tucson, Arizona.  
Presenter, Sandy Seeber.  
If it is our True Nature to be wired for joy and centered in clarity, then why do we so often feel stressed, stuck, or confused?  Eckert Tolle would say that we are caught up in the pain body.  Proponents of The Work would say that we are captive to unexamined and untrue thoughts.  Chinese Medicine would attribute the problem to blocks in the flow of chi.  All would agree that resistance is at the core of our distress.  In this introductory class, we will explore the following tools for moving into an experience of the joy and clarity at the core of our being:
1.    Energy Medicine techniques for releasing blocks
2.    Medicine Wheel Tai Chi form for retraining the pain body
3.    Inquiry for learning to love what is