Workshops and Classes 2019 2020 - Reach for the Best in Yourself, Inspire the Greatness in Others - One Spirit Learning ...
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R e a c h fo r the Bes t i n Yours el f,
I n s p ir e t h e Greatnes s i n Others
in-person and State-of-the-art distance learning
Workshops and Classes
2019 – 2020
Out of Man y, On e Spirit.
Many Paths. One Spirit.
Welcome to a new year of education at One Spirit Learning Alliance. As a leader in
interspiritual education, One Spirit has an organization-wide commitment to personal,
professional, spiritual, and educational development.
Most workshops and classes are offered at our facility in New York City and also broadcast
live via a well-developed distance-learning experience. For those who cannot attend in person
or online, we offer recordings of most of our classes. Attendance options are noted along with
the schedule for each class throughout this catalog.
To encourage you to take a deep dive into classes, we are offering a reduced rate of $265
($235 for One Spirit graduates) if you choose a 3-credit package. We believe that this option
will give you the opportunity to broaden your experience by exploring a variety of classes.
To register for a package or for individual classes, visit our website at www.1spirit.org and
click “Events & Workshops” at the top of the page.
We invite you to jump in and swim deeply within the educational waters of One Spirit.
2 4 7 W 3 6 t h S t r e e t , 6 t h F l o o r, N e w Yo r k , N Y 1 0 0 1 8
info@1spirit.org • 212.931.6840
w w w. 1 s p i r i t . o r g
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Table of Contents
Page
Dark Beginnings: The Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mark 3
Superhuman: Being the Kind of Person the World Needs 4
Shamanic Reiki: Levels One and Two Certification Training 5
Huna and the World of the Shaman 6
Walking the Path of Forgiveness 7
Atonement and Forgiveness in Healing Historical Trauma 8
Pray Like the Poets: Finding Your Voice 9
Wounded by Racism and What to Do About It 10
Spiritual Rebel: A Positively Addictive Approach to Modern Spirituality 11
Learning to Shine in the Dark Resilience: For Survivors and Those Serving Survivors 12
Penetrating the Matrix: Engaged Buddhism in the 21st Century 13
Religious and Spiritual Perspectives on Sexuality, Sexual Abuse, and Healing in the Age of #MeToo 14
What is Mine to Do? A Call to Service 15
Revisioning the Moments for End-of-Life Ceremony and Ritual 16
A Journey to Sacred: Song, Story, and Kemetic (Egyptian) Yoga 17
Conscious Living, Conscious Dying: A Mystical Investigation into the Nature of
Death and Dying and Beyond 18
Meeting Soul in Nature: Creating Relationship in the Natural World 19
Wild Mercy: Feminine Wisdom Across the Spiritual Traditions 20
Knowing Your Ego: Finding Your Heart-Centered Truth 21
The Next Generation: The Spiritual Formation of Parents and Children 22
Meet Our Instructors 23-27
To register for a workshop or class, or to purchase a 3-credit package,
please visit our website at www.1spirit.org.
2
Dark Beginnings: The Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mark
with David Wallace
Tuesdays, October 22 and 29, November 5 and 12, 2019
7:00 pm–9:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 1
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $100 | One Spirit Graduates: $90
Who, really, was the historical Jesus, and what did he teach? The two earliest accounts of his life and instruction
appear in the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas and the later canonical Gospel of Mark. Written perhaps some 30-40 years
after his death, these offer complementary views of Jesus: Thomas purports to offer the “secret sayings” of this
enigmatic rabbi, and Mark gives a pithy report of Jesus’s brief traveling ministry and healing, told without later
additions of a virgin birth—and starkly closing only with an empty tomb. Rather than a literal history, we confront
a gorgeously dark mystic teaching and are left to ponder its resonance in our lives today.
Across four evenings, we will gradually read these short ancient texts in modern translation and try to uncover
the living mystery which is the consciousness of the Christ. We’ll also explore the contemplative spiritual
practices intimated by these accounts. Join David Wallace in this exploration of the earliest extant history of
Jesus, taught seminary style. No previous knowledge is required or expected. If possible, please read the first
nine chapters of the Gospel of Mark in any translation before our first gathering. We will be using Thomas
Moore’s new translation of Mark as a reference text, but any modern translation will be welcome, and a number
of translations will be used in the course of study. A translation of the Gospel of Thomas will be offered to
registrants at the first gathering.
David Wallace
3
SuperHuman: Being the Kind of Person the World Needs
with John Pavlovitz
Saturday and Sunday, October 26–27, 2019
9:30 am–5:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 2
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $225 | One Spirit Graduates: $180
When it comes to having hope for the world, many of us tend to look outside of ourselves. Our hero may be a
writer, a politician, a preacher, a musician, or a celebrity who illuminates the kind of promise we are seeking. The
truth is, however, that we are the heroes we’ve been waiting for. It isn’t the sky that holds our hope for the planet,
it’s the person we see in the mirror each day. In this lively, authentic, interactive class, we are going to dig in to
the best way to be human by answering the fundamental question: What kind of person does the world need?
We’ll identify ways of cultivating key traits—ordinary superpowers—that will improve our lives and reinforce our
humanity and our unique gifts and weapons in the battle to become heroic. We’ll consider the weaknesses—our
personal kryptonite—that leave us all vulnerable and prepare for the adversaries that will surely appear along
the way as we actively cultivate hope. We’ll look back on our personal stories and remember how they have been
punctuated with kindness and wonder, and we’ll see how those stories have specifically prepared us and can propel
us forward. And in the same way that superheroes don’t just work alone but in teams of other extraordinary
people, we’ll learn to leverage the exponential power of community by connecting with like-hearted people, with
the ultimate goal of creating a global movement of radical goodness.
John Pavlovitz
4
Shamanic Reiki: Levels One and Two Certification Training
with Jonathan Hammond
November 1–3, 2019
Friday: 7:00 pm–9:00 pm, Saturday: 9:30 am–5:30 pm, Sunday: 10:00 am–5:00 pm
One Spirit Elective Credit: 0
Offered in-person in NYC only
General Public: $625 | One Spirit Students and Graduates: $600
Shamanic Reiki blends the timeless wisdom of two ancient healing traditions: shamanism and reiki. This synthesis
is an inevitable one, because working with the spiritually guided life-force energy that is reiki is to harness the
energy of nature itself and tap into the indigenous wisdom of the shamans. You will learn how to use the creative
energy of the universe to live more successfully, heal your life, manifest your heart’s desire, and step into your
role as a healer and a steward for the earth. In Shamanic Reiki, we invite direct revelation with the benevolent
spiritual intelligences that want nothing more than to lovingly assist us on our journey toward wholeness. This
class is a perfect compliment to any other modalities that you might currently practice, and upon completion, you
will receive an official certification from Shamanic Reiki Worldwide. Over the course of this training you will:
• Receive the Reiki Levels One and Two attunements • Explore how to develop your own healing practice
• Receive and work directly with spirit guides and • Activate your ability to transmit healing forces across
totem animals time and space
• Learn the art of shamanic journeying to access • Receive and give a Shamanic Reiki treatment
alternate realities • Practice simple Shamanic Reiki absentee healing
• Give and receive a complete Shamanic Reiki session methods
• Explore shamanic methods that will open you to the • Explore the chakras and the energy body
healing forces of the earth and the elements • Learn how to integrate plants, stones, flowers, and
• Discover how to create a healing environment shells into your practice
• Learn the traditional reiki symbols and how to work • Explore professional ethics and standards of practice
with them
In this workshop, we explore a systematized and intuitive approach to manifesting profound natural healing. This
is considered a professional level training. Note: Even if you are already attuned to reiki, have a reiki practice,
or have previously taken Reiki Levels One and Two classes, you will learn many new shamanic healing methods
and be given new tools that you can add to your healing basket. This work will be transformative to your current
reiki practice and will give you a new and different context for how to think about reiki energy. Required reading
for the course: Shamanic Reiki: Expanded Ways of Working with Universal Life Force Energy by Llyn Roberts and
Robert Levy.
Jonathan Hammond
5
Huna and the World of the Shaman
with Jonathan Hammond
Saturday and Sunday, December 14–15, 2019
9:30 am–5:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 2
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $200 | One Spirit Graduates: $180
Through shamanic journeying, meditation, and sharing, this workshop offers a deep dive into the esoteric wisdom
and magical practices of the Kahunas of the South Pacific. Participants will be given a philosophical shamanic
framework for successful living, manifestation, and empowerment that has resonance and relevance far beyond
the South Pacific and is echoed cross-culturally. The shaman is part healer of the body, part psychotherapist, and
part spiritualist, and it is in the combination of these that a shaman steps into their ultimate role as a steward for
the earth.
Shamans have their own unique logic, a way of seeing the world that is cultural, metaphysical, and local, but insight
into their internal process is often elusive for Western seekers. The Kahunas or shamans of Polynesia, however,
through the ancient and secret wisdom that they call Huna, provide us with a universal shamanic paradigm that
is accessible, practical, and a perfect bridge from indigenous cultural norms to contemporary relevance and
understanding. Whether you are new to shamanism or already following a shamanic path, this workshop will
deepen your understanding of Earth Wisdom and how to take the ancient ways of being in “right relationship”
with nature and Spirit into your ministry, established spiritual practice or chosen healing modality, and your life.
Jonathan Hammond
6
Walking the Path of Forgiveness
with Diane Berke
Saturday, January 11, 2020
9:30 am–5:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 1
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $100 | One Spirit Graduates: $90
Although forgiveness is a core practice of every religious and spiritual tradition, it is also one of the most
misunderstood. Deepening our understanding and experience of true forgiveness offers us powerful opportunities
for healing and awakening to our true identity and expands our capacity to be of service to others. This one-day
workshop offers a framework for working with forgiveness as a transformative spiritual practice. Exploring both
self-forgiveness and forgiving others, we will identify common misperceptions about forgiveness that block our
capacity to forgive and discover ways to open to its profound liberating and healing power.
“Forgiveness takes courage. … We are giving away, releasing, our pain, anger, and fear. Forgiveness creates space
inside us – space to heal, to love, to reconnect, to renew. It is an act of power.” — Diane Mariechild
Diane Berke
7
Atonement and Forgiveness in Healing Historical Trauma
with Juan Carlos Areán
Sunday, January 12, 2020
9:30 am–5:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 1
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $100 | One Spirit Graduates: $90
Emotional trauma that is passed down through generations is prevalent across the world in people whose
ancestors suffered such atrocities as slavery, witnessing the genocide of their people, forced relocation, destruction
of their cultural practices, and others. Many of these descendants today live alongside the descendants of those
who either caused the suffering or did nothing to alleviate it, and it remains an unspoken social tension. Through
the practices of atonement and forgiveness, the unspoken can have a voice in acts that come from the heart and
can help heal historical trauma.
In November 2016, Juan Carlos Areán was called to be part of a powerful, spontaneous sacred ceremony in
Teotihuacán, Mexico. A series of synchronicities guided him to ask for forgiveness for the historical atrocities
committed by his people (the Spanish) upon the Aztecs and their land. In this workshop, he will share his story and
the repercussions that this act has had in his life. Based on this experience and others—such as at Standing Rock
and in other religious traditions—the workshop will include ritual, meditation, and group discussion to address
how atonement and forgiveness can help heal historical and personal trauma.
Juan Carlos Areán
8
Pray Like the Poets: Finding Your Voice
with Nura Hirmina
Tuesdays, January 14, 21, 28, and February 4, 2020
7:00 pm–9:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 1
Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $100 | One Spirit Graduates: $90
Move beyond self-limiting beliefs about spoken prayer to connect to the Divine with your own unique and powerful
voice. While many people are comfortable engaging in a private conversation with the Sacred, the idea of praying
out loud can sometimes be intimidating. What if the Divine doesn’t care about the words we use? What if our
relationship with the Beloved is enriched when we show up as our most authentic selves, speaking the words that
are most true to us?
Pray Like the Poets is an experiential workshop on the art of spoken prayer—all faiths (and no faith) are
welcome. Together, in the safety of community and with a sense of wonder, we will immerse ourselves in poetry
and sacred writings from across traditions and time to help us create our own unique expressions of prayer. We
will discuss the different ways of addressing the Mystery and begin our journey by reading aloud pieces that
resonate with our individual hearts. As we feel called, we will move into sharing our own prayerful words.
Our class will meet exclusively online. Please bring a journal, your favorite poems and sacred writings, a candle to
light during our time together, and your sense of curiosity.
Nura Hirmina
9Wounded by Racism and What to Do About It
with Dr. Willard Ashley
Saturday, January 25, 2020
9:30 am–5:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 1
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $100 | One Spirit Graduates: $90
We are at war. Regardless of which side you are on, you have been wounded by racism. The lines have been
drawn. Race has and is front and center in the world. Watch the media headlines from the first Black president
in the United States to wealth discrepancies to the social determinants of health to violence against Black
people—we cannot escape the issue of race. Despite the ugly history of racism and increased overt and covert
demonstrations of racism, this is a war we can win.
This course offers an overview of the history of racism in America and current expressions—experiences of
racism, working definitions, an examination of explicit and hidden racism, and how one organizes to combat
racism. The course focuses on racism as a system and social construct to provide advantages to one group and
marginalize another group. We will move our bodies and talk about the body in small groups. We will engage in
difficult but necessary conversations about race and racism. We will listen to each other and the spirit. By the
end of the day, you will have a definition, some history, soul work, encouragement, and a game plan to win the
war in your context.
Willard Ashley
10Spiritual Rebel: A Positively Addictive Approach to Modern Spirituality
with Sarah Bowen
Sunday, January 26, 2020
9:30 am–5:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 1
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $100 | One Spirit Graduates: $90
Come explore and deepen your higher purpose through an unconventional approach. With a style that is part
snarky and part sweet, award-winning author Sarah Bowen offers insights and practices from a wide range of
traditions—from Taoism to Jediism to yoga to science. Rather than relying on adherence to a specific belief
system, Spiritual Rebel will encourage seekers to clarify the beliefs that are personally meaningful, redefine
outdated concepts, mix and match practices, experience connection, and ask curious questions. During this
creative, interactive workshop, you will:
• Learn about new trends in modern spirituality • Seed a plan to extend your higher purpose more fully into
• Dig in to release old beliefs that may no longer fit you your life
• Deepen your own spiritual path with other spiritual rebels • Discover how to share these insights and practices with
others in your spiritual community or professional practice
• Experience new ways to connect with a higher power or
higher perspective
Introducing unconventional spiritual practices—including virtual forest bathing, yawning, cat-gazing, and
sacred crashing to name just a few—this workshop helps not only seekers but also agnostics, atheists, and the
spiritual-but-not-religious curate their own personal spiritual path to deeper perspective and higher purpose.
Whether you are at the beginning of your spiritual journey, a dedicated spiritual all-star, or desire to expand your
tools for working with others, you will experience new ways to inspire the Force within you, by whatever name you
call it. Hang on, it’s going to be quite a ride.
Sarah Bowen
11Learning to Shine in the Dark Resilience
For Survivors and Those Serving Survivors
with Michelle Atlas
Wednesdays, February 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2020
7:00 pm–9:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 1
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $100 | One Spirit Graduates: $90
Neuroscience tells us we are wired to grow through change and loss, including our most extreme hardships. When
faced with difficulties, what one characteristic distinguishes those who become resentful from those who become
stronger? It is the intention to purposefully convert every life experience into an asset. Whether change has arrived
as an unanticipated external event such as a job loss, a relationship ending, or even a death, an illness, or a natural
disaster, or whether you are heeding a call from deep within to create a change, this course will help you use your
toughest times as a gateway to a richer, more meaningful life.
Across four evenings we will explore:
• What resilience is and how we distinguish between surviving and thriving
• The value of pain and what happens when we do not grieve
• The five levels of resilience (based on the work of Dr. Al Siebert, the late best-selling author and founder of
The Resiliency Center)
• The role of faith, curiosity, self-love, and optimistic expectations
Each week, you will be offered practices that will help you develop ways to implement resilience in your own life.
Michelle Atlas
12Penetrating the Matrix: Engaged Buddhism in the 21st Century
with Dr. Home Nguyen
Saturday and Sunday, February 8–9, 2020
9:30 am–5:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 2
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $200 | One Spirit Graduates: $180
The human race and its civilization are entering a period of unprecedented upheaval, uncertainty, and unraveling.
From the degradation of our natural environment to widening economic disparity, from political disorientation
to the rise of artificial intelligence, this new reality is difficult to grasp for many of us. Societies, as well as
individuals, are wrestling with the fundamental questions of who we are, how do we feel, what do we think,
and how do we engage with these realities of our time. Inspired by the traditions of Thich Nhat Hanh, Dr. David
Hawkins, Joana Macy, and many others who encourage the practices of engaged spirituality, Dr. Home Nguyen
and the faculty of MindKind Insitute offer in this course an opportunity not only to explore and experiment with
foundational practices that uplift our consciousness but also to integrate them into our daily life and work so that
we can serve with wisdom and love. We will explore and experiment with the following questions:
• What are the practices of engaged spirituality for our time?
• How do we lead and follow with wisdom and compassion?
• How do we discern truth and falsehood?
• How do we bring these practices into the workplace and our communities?
In this course, we will not prescribe solutions but rather invite the practice of asking the powerful and beautiful
questions, so as to learn to be present with the discomfort of these inquiries. You will become the scientist of your
own mind, body, and spirit through action inquiry, dialogue, experimentation, and lived experience.
Home Nguyen
13Religious And Spiritual Perspectives on Sexuality,
Sexual Abuse, and Healing in the Age of #MeToo
with DeShannon Barnes-Bowens
Saturday, February 22, 2020
9:30 am–5:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 1
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $100 | One Spirit Graduates: $90
The founder of the “Me Too” movement, Tarana Burke, has said that our society needs a shift in order to disrupt
sexual violence. A key component of that shift is the support of our religious institutions. We need to ask important
questions such as: What role do our religious institutions play in bringing about this shift? How do religious
traditions view sexuality? and How do those views impact the way spiritual communities and society as a whole
respond to preventing sexual abuse? Using sacred texts, film, and oral stories, this class will take an interfaith
approach, offering religious views of the body, sexuality, and healing through the lens of Christian, African
indigenous, and Native American spiritual traditions.
Participants will learn:
• Primary ways people are socialized to react to sexual trauma and sexuality
• Spiritual practices that can help communities heal
• Appropriate ways to support survivors and their loved ones
• Important self-care tools to help minimize the effects of vicarious trauma when one engages in this work
DeShannon Barnes-Bowens
14What Is Mine to Do? A Call to Service
with Barbara Hetzel
Sunday, February 23, 2020
9:30 am–5:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 1
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $100 | One Spirit Graduates: $90
If you have been searching for the answer to the question: How can I give back?, this workshop is for you. How we
can be of service in the world is as unique as each individual. There is no set formula or action that everyone takes
to bring their gifts to the world. In fact, there may be that persistent call in the back of your mind and in the depths
of your heart that pulls you forward toward something larger than yourself. Join with others in this workshop as we
explore together the what, why, where, how, and spirit of service.
During this workshop, you will:
• Reflect on how you have been of service
• Understand your connection between spirituality and service
• Explore different ways of being of service
• Identify places where you can bring your talents and gifts
• Gather tools for getting started
Barbara Hetzel
15 15Revisioning the Moments for End-of-Life Ceremony
and Ritual
with Amy Cunningham
Saturday, February 29, 2020
9:30 am–5:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 1
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $100 | One Spirit Graduates: $90
To Those Who are Crushed by Mourning
Those who are worn out and crushed by this mourning, let your hearts consider this: This is the path that has
existed from the time of creation and will exist forever. Many have drunk from it and many will yet drink. As was
the first meal, so shall be the last. May the master of comfort comfort you. Blessed are those who comfort the
mourners. — Jewish blessing
As American families have become more religiously/spiritually mixed and diverse, a call for new language and
ceremony has emerged around the end-of-life period. How can we better acknowledge change and loss, honor the
dead, and pull ourselves together at times when sadness seems all there is? Are there perhaps more milestones to
mark than those usually provided for by a funeral or memorial service that can promote healing touchstones as we
acknowledge our grief?
Join funeral director and celebrant Amy Cunningham, co-creator of TheInspiredFuneral.com, in an optimistic tour
of new occasions for ceremony in the journey of the dying process; death, committal, disposition, first anniversary,
and beyond. This workshop will inspire those who are anticipating the loss of a loved one, those who have recently
lost a loved one, and ministers who support them to find ways to add meaning to processing our grief.
Amy Cunningham
16A Journey to Sacred: Song, Story, and Kemetic (Egyptian) Yoga
with Abigail Jefferson & Mignon Grayson
Sunday, March 1, 2020
9:30 am–5:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 1
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $100 | One Spirit Graduates: $90
Mignon Grayson and Abigail “Ifatola” Jefferson invite you to a fun-filled, transformative, experiential workshop
that will take you on a journey to meet the healer within. Through sacred Kemetic (Egyptian) Yoga, meditation,
breathwork, soulful singing, and spirited stories, you will learn:
• The power of story to transform lives and build community, and the sacredness of storytelling
• How Kemetic Yoga postures and breathwork can relieve stress and increase energy flow throughout the body
• The cultural context, historical significance, and power of songs from the African Diaspora
Come have your heart lightened and your spirit ignited through song, explore your storyteller within, and
experience the power of Kemetic Yoga to regenerate the self and promote healing. No prior singing, yoga, or
storytelling experience is necessary to participate. We welcome all levels. Please come with an open heart, a
natural curiosity, and a desire to experience a participatory, joy-filled day.
Abigail Jefferson & Mignon Grayson
17Conscious Living, Conscious Dying: A Mystical
Investigation into the Nature of Death and Dying and Beyond
with Andrew Vidich
Saturday and Sunday, March 14–15, 2020
9:30 am–5:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 2
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $200 | One Spirit Graduates: $180
Every great religious and spiritual tradition has laid great emphasis on the meaning and understanding of death
and the dying process. As we more deeply understand the dying process, death becomes one of our greatest
teachers. During this workshop, we will explore the many-faceted faces of death, dying, and the afterlife journey
of the soul. We will view these faces as a personal journey into the nature of reality and what death teaches us
about living more fully in the here and now. We will investigate concepts of death through the lens of several
religious and spiritual traditions, with a specific focus on the Sufi tradition. Who we are, where do we go, and
what is the nature of the soul’s journey after death will form the basis of our inquiry.
By understanding what lives and what dies, and what lies beyond this physical existence, each of us can learn
to live more fully in the NOW. Join us for a weekend of deep self-inquiry, interactive discussion, and spiritual
transformation as we learn how to “die” to begin to live more consciously and compassionately.
Andrew Vidich
18Meeting Soul in Nature: Creating Relationship in the
Natural World
with Edward O’Malley
Tuesdays, March 17, 24, 31, and April 7, 2020
7:00 pm–9:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 1
Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $100 | One Spirit Graduates: $90
Amid today’s chaos and faced with escalating climate change that is rapidly altering the natural world, how do we
engage with nature, or what Sufi mystic Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee refers to as our anima mundi, the “soul of the
world”? How do we reconnect our soul to the world’s soul? Perhaps climate change is the opportunity the world
needs to come together as neighbors, as one people, needing to help each other during a crisis, as we often do in
lesser crises—entering into relationship, knowing we each share similar needs and desires.
In this workshop you will learn spiritually based practices as the means to reestablish relationship to each other
and to the natural world. There are four seasonal categories of practices that will be explored and can be applied
to work with a friend or a counselee: Spring-Creative, Summer-Relational, Fall-Movement, Winter-Meditative.
We will discuss how these approaches offer a self-paced guide for encountering soul through nature. To deepen
our inquiry, we will each participate in the practices, having unique and different experiences. We will share
with the group and in dyads with a format that draws on Parker Palmer’s Circles of Trust® approach, so that
whatever needs to be said, or not, will be at the discretion of each participant. Nature may be providing us with
an opportunity to become far closer than we have ever been able to do. Come explore establishing relationship
through meeting our soul in nature.
Edward O’Malley
19Wild Mercy: Feminine Wisdom Across the Spiritual Traditions
with Mirabai Starr
Saturday and Sunday, March 28–29, 2020
9:30 am–5:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 2
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $225 | One Spirit Graduates: $180
As the fierce and tender voice of the feminine rises again, we are gifted with renewed access to the women
mystics and wisdom beings across the spiritual traditions, such as Teresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich, Mary
Magdalene, the Shekinah, Rabia, Fatima, Tara, Quan Yin, Kali, and indigenous Mother goddesses. In this
gathering, we engage in contemplative readings from the mystics, group reflections, evocative writing exercises,
interspiritual chanting, and silent sitting, weaving these luminous elements into a basket of awakened community.
This course is suitable for women and men drawn to reclaim the hidden treasures of feminine wisdom in the
world’s religions and in contemporary poetry. You will come away from this course with knowledge of engaging
practices designed to access archetypal feminine energies and cultivate an ongoing relationship with the sacred
feminine, a greater awareness of mystical poetry by women from the past and present, a renewed vigor for
carrying interspiritual feminine wisdom into your ministry and personal spiritual life, and increased awareness of
feminine spiritual resources previously obscured by thousands of years of male-dominated religious traditions.
Mirabai Starr
20Knowing Your Ego: Finding Your Heart-Centered Truth
with Louis Cox & Richard Miner
Wednesdays, April 8, 15, 22, and 29, 2020
7:00 pm–9:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 1
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $100 | One Spirit Graduates: $90
Our paths of personal development and spiritual awakening are propelled forward spontaneously by inner drives
that are inherent to our true psycho-spiritual natures. Too often, however, this natural development becomes
blocked, particularly at the leading edge of our individual evolution. In this workshop, you will look at the sources
of this blockage and gain tools for releasing them by asking:
• What are the internal forces that “endarken” rather than enlighten me?
• Why do these forces want to keep me blind to certain self-truths?
• Do I have any control over their presence within me?
• Is there a place inside of me that is free of their control, and if it exists, how do I find and access that place?
• What can I do to preserve my contact with that place from moment to moment?
We will address these questions through a combination of group discussions, sharing of experiences, and practice
periods using individual and group methods designed to release the grip of our egos and deepen our access to our
inner truthplace. You will come away with a greater clarity regarding the nature of ego, how it does its job within
each of us, and how to slip its grip; greater clarity about the location and nature of your truthplace and how to
access it; increased capacity to bring compassion to your inner self; greater capacity to live in alignment with
your own felt truth; the experience of a deeper and more grounded sense of personal authenticity, authority, and
agency; and a broadened and deepened connection to others of like mind.
Louis Cox & Richard Miner
21The Next Generation: The Spiritual Formation of Parents
and Children
with Sue Koehler-Arsenault
Saturday, April 25, 2020
9:30 am–5:00 pm ET
One Spirit Elective Credit: 1
NYC Classroom | Videoconference | Recording
General Public: $100 | One Spirit Graduates: $90
In this time of tremendous change in religious and spiritual life in Western culture, the spiritual needs of families
with children are often unmet. According to the latest Pew Research Center findings, more than 60% of those
likely to have children under 18 years old at home are either unaffiliated or consider themselves “spiritual, not
religious.” As the primary role models and guides for their children, parents have the potential to be spiritual
midwives, but they frequently lack a clear understanding of how to grow spiritually, let alone how to foster the
spiritual growth of their children. Given reports of increasing anxiety, depression, and economic distress among
young people, families could likely benefit from intentional spiritual practice, especially within community.
This workshop is designed for all those who care about the spiritual well-being of parents and children, including
seminary students, ministers, parents, and grandparents. We will touch on the obstacles to spiritual development
for families with children before focusing on new ways to support and collaborate with parents for their own and
their children’s benefit. We will explore spiritual practices that help families have stronger connections to one
another, while also growing the spiritual strength of parents and children.
Sue Koehler-Arsenault
22Meet Our Instructors
Rev. Juan Carlos Areán, One Spirit graduate of 2016, is an internationally recognized
activist, public speaker, trainer, and facilitator, and a published author. For many decades, he
has worked on his own journey of healing from racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression,
and has supported others pursuing their own healing. In particular, he has worked to engage
men across different cultures to become better fathers, intimate partners, and allies to end
domestic violence and achieve gender equity. He works as a program director at Futures
Without Violence. Previously, he served as a sexual assault prevention specialist at Harvard
University. He is a founding member of the United Nations Network of Men Leaders to combat
violence against women, created by former Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Juan has served
as an expert in many media outlets, including CNN, MSNBC, NPR, HuffPost, CNN en Español,
Univision, and Telemundo. He is an active trainer and facilitator who has led hundreds of
workshops and presentations throughout the United States, the Americas, the Caribbean,
Europe, and Asia, and for the US Congress and the United Nations in New York and Geneva.
Juan Carlos is a doctoral candidate at the Wisdom School of Graduate Studies and has a
master’s degree in music composition.
Dr. Willard Walden Christopher Ashley, Sr., is the vice president of community relations,
director of the Center for Clergy Care, and tenured associate professor of practical theology at
New Brunswick Theological Seminary (NBTS). He is also the CEO of Dr. Willard Ashley, Sr.,
LLC, Montclair, NJ (psychoanalysis; marriage and family therapy). Will is the founder and senior
pastor of the Abundant Joy Community Church, Jersey City, NJ; vice chair, Andover Newton
Seminary at Yale Divinity School; vice chair, Bergen County Human Relations; and a New Jersey
State certified psychoanalyst. He has written numerous books and chapters. Fortress Press
is publishing his next book, Rules for 21st Century Radicals: Congregations, Collaboration and
Community Change. He is in the process of becoming a core trainer for the People’s Institute for
Survival and Beyond. At NBTS, Will teaches a required course titled “Race, Class and Gender.”
Previously, he was a staff psychotherapist at The Riverside Church, New York City. He hosted
a weekly program on Black Entertainment Television (BET) and was on the radio in New York
City. Dr. Ashley works with senior-level executives and law firm partners as an executive coach.
Memberships include National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis, American
Association of Marriage Family Therapists, and the American Group Psychotherapy Association.
He is listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World.
Michelle Atlas empowers her clients to free themselves of everything that is not them and
reclaim their self-trust and intuition so they can use life’s passages to create change they never
thought possible in their businesses/careers, their relationships, and within themselves. Through
multiple traumas and a lifetime commitment to healing, transformation, and spirituality, Michelle
has learned firsthand how to use every experience as an asset. As a coach, speaker, and writer,
she brings a rare depth and presence. Michelle is an ICF Professional Certified Coach and Mentor
Coach, a certified resiliency facilitator, and resiliency certification mentor, a Newfield Certified
Coach, a Sacred Money Archetypes Certified Coach, and a wedding and sacred ceremony
officiant. Michelle is the author of the DailyOM money and mindset course “The Spending Habit
Secret.” She coaches and speaks internationally on the psychology of money and living resiliently.
23Iyanifa Rev. DeShannon Barnes-Bowens is the assistant director of One Spirit Learning
Alliance and One Spirit Seminary and a psychotherapist, professional development trainer,
interfaith minister, and founder of ILERA Counseling & Education Services (www.ilera.com).
Through ILERA, she has implemented workshops at various agencies focusing on vicarious
trauma and wellness, healing from sexual abuse, sexuality, and spirituality. DeShannon is the
author of Hush Hush: An African American Family Breaks Their Silence on Sexuality & Sexual
Abuse (2007, 2015) and an emeritus interfaith scholar with the State of Formation. She was
also the first recipient of AASECT’s Bill T. Jones Award. Presentations of her work have taken
place at Harvard University, American Academy of Religion, Washington University, New York
Theological Seminary, and Interfaith Center of New York.
Rev. Diane Berke is the founder and spiritual director of One Spirit Learning Alliance and One
Spirit Interfaith Seminary. She is a licensed mental health counselor in New York State and has
been a psychotherapist and spiritual counselor in private practice for over 30 years. A longtime
student and teacher of A Course in Miracles, Diane has written four books based on the Course:
Love Always Answers, The Gentle Smile, Forgiveness as a Path of Awakening, and All Things
Are Lessons: Essential Teachings of A Course in Miracles. She also serves on the core faculty of
Andrew Harvey’s Institute for Sacred Activism.
Rev. Sarah Bowen is an award-winning author, multifaith spiritual educator, inspired speaker,
and aspiring Jedi. Her debut book, Void If Detached: Seeking Modern Spirituality Through My
Father’s Old Sermons, received both Nautilus and International Book Awards. Her second
book, Spiritual Rebel, combines pop culture and ancient wisdom with authentic depth and
unrelenting rebelliousness, offering three weeks of unconventional practices. Sarah is a grateful
recovering addict of myriad nasty habits and has served on the World Service Board of a 12-step
fellowship. Especially interested in the intersection of animal welfare and spiritual values, Sarah
is an active animal chaplain and advocate who hopes to put a massive dent in the factory farming
industry. She is a 2017 graduate of One Spirit Interfaith Seminary and also has studied at
Chicago Theological Seminary and Emerson Theological Institute. Before starting her spiritual
journey, Sarah spent a few decades as a designer and brand strategist in New York City.
Dr. Louis D. Cox is a licensed clinical psychologist who has been practicing for 45 years. Lou
has served as consultant for various types of teams, such as executive teams, management teams,
musical bands, and community-organizing teams, with a focus on developing and maintaining
high performance strategies. Lou is an expert in the area of alcoholism and addictions. He
is experienced in the techniques known as “interventions,” which are designed to enable a
family group or business colleagues to deal effectively with the insidious and destructive power
of addictive disorders. Lou is trained in a variety of psychotherapeutic techniques including
psychoanalysis, Gestalt therapy, psychodrama, and cognitive therapy. Through individual, couple,
and group sessions he assists his clients in releasing the grip of their limiting self-definitions and
revitalize the experience of their own being and becoming.
Amy Cunningham is a New York State–licensed funeral director and celebrant who
collaborates with families to help them create distinctive funerals and memorial services. She
specializes in green burials in cemeteries certified by the Green Burial Council, simple burials
within the NYC metropolitan area, home funerals, and cremation services at Green-Wood
Cemetery’s gorgeous crematory chapels. She writes a blog called TheInspiredFuneral.com and
founded Fitting Tribute Funeral Services.
24Rev. Mignon Grayson is an ordained interfaith minister, sound healer, circle keeper, and founder
of Sacred Mysteries World Wide, LLC, an educational organization providing teachings
in ancient indigenous spirituality and healing. She was ordained in 2016 by One Spirit Interfaith
Seminary, following a calling to serve people of all different religious practices, with a particular
emphasis on indigenous spirituality of Africa, the Americas, and Asia. She was initiated into
the spiritual tradition of Briyumba Palo Congo of the African diaspora with roots in the Congo in
2005 and has been an Aborisha (devotee) of the Orisha tradition of the diaspora and Nigeria for
decades. Mignon is a professionally trained singer, and as a Sound Healer she embodies and
channels Spirit using her voice, singing bowls, and tuning forks as healing tools to recalibrate
chakras and promote energy healing.
Rev. Jonathan Hammond is a New York City–based teacher, energy healer, shamanic
practitioner, and spiritual counselor. He is a graduate of the One Spirit Interfaith Seminary
and Interspiritual Counseling programs. He is a certified master teacher in Shamanic Reiki
and core faculty for Shamanic Reiki Worldwide. He teaches across the US, including at
One Spirit Learning Alliance and the Omega Institute, and runs spiritual retreats around
the world. Jonathan holds certifications in Huna (Hawaiian Shamanism) and Cherokee
Bodywork, and has completed the core curriculum with the Foundation for Shamanic Studies.
He has studied privately with some of the most prominent teachers in North America and
has apprenticed with shamans in Brazil, Peru, Bali, and Hawaii. He is deeply committed to
empowering people by bridging indigenous and earth wisdom with the modern world. He
maintains a full-time private practice in New York City (www.mindbodyspiritnyc.com).
Rev. Barbara Hetzel was ordained by One Spirit in 2009 and lives her ministerial calling
through officiating at weddings, memorial services, and blessings. Barbara has over 25 years of
experience in the field of training and organizational development. She has engaged individuals,
teams, and executives in the ministerial, nonprofit, education, and for-profit sectors to help
them discover their strengths and build their skills and talent for the world. Barbara serves
as a board member for LiDER, a non-profit that brings leadership development to the Global
South. Barbara is the owner and founder of Ridge Top Coaching, a life- and leadership-coaching
firm. She has a BS degree in psychology from East Stroudsburg University and two master’s
degrees, one in pastoral ministry from LaSalle University and the other in administrative science,
concentration leadership, from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Barbara holds a certification in
the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and is a master practitioner in the Energy Leadership
Index (ELI). She is a certified professional coach with an ACC designation through the
International Coach Federation (ICF).
Rev. Nura Hirmina was ordained by One Spirit Interfaith Seminary as an Interfaith/Interspiritual
minister in 2014 and completed the Interspiritual Counseling (ISC) program in 2016. Nura holds
a BS in Business Administration and an MBA in Global Management. She is currently working
on her doctorate at New York Theological Seminary. A lifelong student of the world’s faith and
mystery traditions, Nura has embraced interspirituality as her path, while also identifying with
the spiritual-but-not-religious movement. With over two decades of corporate experience, Nura
engages in her “stealth ministry” by creating a safe and affirming work environment for those she
leads and with whom she collaborates. For Nura, every interaction is an opportunity to embody
kindness as a spiritual practice.
Rev. Abigail Ifatola Jefferson is a storyteller, educator, and ordained interfaith minister.
A resident of Harlem, NY, she performs and conducts workshops nationally. Through a
unique blend of story, song, rhythm, and yoga dance, she brings to life tales from the African
diaspora. Audiences of all ages have described her programs as inspiring, informative, and
energizing. Abigail is the education manager for Lifetime Arts, where she oversees their
Creative Aging initiatives.
25Rev. Sue Koehler-Arsenault, M.Div., has been inviting others to look within and discover their
spiritual strength for thirty years of active ministry in interfaith settings. She earned her master
of divinity degree from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology (Boston College) in 1994 and
was ordained by One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in 2011. She has served as a Jesuit Volunteer
working at the St. Martin de Porres Shelter in Seattle, WA, and she developed an innovative
service-learning program at Seattle University. While chaplain at Wellesley College, she helped
establish a pioneering multifaith approach to religious and spiritual life on campus. As a hospice
and palliative care chaplain for over 12 years, Sue became a skilled counselor and end-of-life
spiritual educator. She teaches a variety of classes and workshops at One Spirit, including an
Introduction to the Spiritual Care of the Dying, Healing from Religious Injury, Building Your
Wedding Ministry, Creating Healthy Spiritual Community, and more. Based in Rockport, MA,
Sue is a “minister without walls,” offering life-cycle ceremonies, spiritual counseling, workshops,
and retreats. She is also director of Christian education at First Congregational Church of
Rockport (United Church of Christ).
Rev. Richard Miner is currently the graduate engagement officer at One Spirit Learning
Alliance, where he has also served on the Board of Trustees. He graduated from Columbia
University and was ordained as an interfaith minister by One Spirit Interfaith Seminary. Richard
has created and produced numerous programs and events for the One Spirit community, including
the Global Graduate Reunions, Annual Luminous Heart Award Ceremonies, and the One Spirit
events at the Parliament of World Religions in Toronto. Richard’s ministry has always revolved
around a commitment to altruistic service, and he has many years of experience working
with the recovery and LGBT communities in New York City. He has extensive experience in
both communities creating large-scale retreats, workshops, fundraising events, and individual
workshops. He has also done extensive work with the Unity Project Faith Network of New York
City to help clergy across the city better address the needs of LGBTQ youth. He received the
Steven J. Powsner Voluntary Service Award from The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender
Community Center for his ongoing efforts in fundraising and community service.
Dr. Home H.C. Nguyen is a professor of leadership and an advisor and coach to leaders,
entrepreneurs, and educators. He has coached mid-level and C-suite executives of Fortune
200 companies and numerous startups. He teaches and facilitates courses on self-awareness
training, interpersonal group dynamics, and adult learning and leadership development at
Columbia University and Yale School of Management. As a trusted adviser, Home helps his
clients to overcome fears and distractions, to get clear on why they do what they do, and to
develop mindfulness and practical wisdom to exert greater and positive influence. Home is
the founder of the MindKind Institute, which provides coaching and leadership programs for
high-performing leaders who are ready to create powerful and lasting change for their team
and organization. A certified executive coach, Home received his doctorate of education in
organizational leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Rev. Ed O’Malley is an ordained interfaith minister, trained shaman and a certified nature
awareness trainer. Ed holds a PhD in neuroscience, board certification in sleep medicine, and
master certification in transformational neurofeedback. He founded Your Optimal Nature, an
education and consulting company offering programs designed to foster direct experience of
Spirit through instilling a deep, abiding awareness of the immensity of the natural world. He has
a profound appreciation, respect, and love for nature. During his training in interfaith ministry
and continuing for several years afterward, Ed spent time with Tom Brown, Jr., the noted
wilderness expert and founder of the Tracker School. Under Tom’s tutelage, he learned many
of the ancient skills and reverence for nature imparted by the revered Native American elder
Stalking Wolf. Ed broadened his training in indigenous spirituality and healing by completing
shaman training with Alberto Villoldo and the Four Winds School, based on the teachings of the
native Peruvian Q’ero people. As a full Mesa carrier, he continues to offer this energy medicine
work. As an ordained interfaith minister and shaman, Ed helps people to expand their spiritual
awareness by reacquainting them with their own divine nature using the shamanic practices
of the master shamans from the Andes and Amazon rainforest. All of his work is centered on
meeting soul in nature.
26John Pavlovitz is a writer, pastor, and activist from Wake Forest, NC. In the past four years his
blog, Stuff That Needs to Be Said, has reached a diverse, worldwide audience. A 20-year veteran
in the trenches of local church ministry, John is committed to equality, diversity, and justice—
inside and outside faith communities. In 2017 he released his first book, A Bigger Table. His new
book, Hope and Other Superpowers, will be published in November 2019.
Mirabai Starr writes creative nonfiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She
taught philosophy and world religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now
teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and interspiritual dialog. A certified
bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. She
has received critical acclaim for her revolutionary new translations of the mystics John of the
Cross, Teresa of Avila, and Julian of Norwich. She is the award-winning author of God of Love:
A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Caravan of No Despair: A Memoir of Loss
and Transformation, and Mother of God Similar to Fire, a collaboration with iconographer William
Hart McNichols. Her latest book, Wild Mercy: Living the Fierce & Tender Wisdom of the Women
Mystics, was published in spring of 2019.
Andrew Vidich, PhD, is an award-winning author, educator, and transformational speaker in
the fields of meditation, mysticism, and death and dying. He was the co-creator and facilitator of
the New York Open Center’s Meditation and Contemplative Studies Institute. He has authored
or coauthored five books on modern mysticism and healing, and death and dying. Among them
are Love Is a Secret: The Mystic Quest for Divine Love and Light, Upon Light: 5 Master Paths to
Awaken the Mindful Self. He also collaborated with the actress TAMIR in compiling the CD The
Way of the Heart, Ecstatic Poetry and Stories of Rumi. His latest book, published in 2016 and
coauthored with Dr. Art Stein, is Let There Be Light: Experiencing Inner Light Across the World’s
Sacred Traditions. He is the cofounder of the New York Interfaith Council and member of the
Board of Advisers of the Temple of Understanding, a global interfaith organization. He is a
member of the Parliament of the World’s Religion’s Task Force on War, Hate, and Violence
and the Committee on Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns-NY (CSVGC-NY), a committee
of the conference of NGOs in consultative relationship with the UN. He has been studying
meditation with masters in the Sant Mat tradition, including Sant Kirpal Singh, Darhsan Singh,
and Sant Rajinder Singh.
Rev. David Wallace was ordained as an interfaith minister in 2001 and has been a second-year
teacher for One Spirit Interfaith Seminary since 2004. He is a graduate of St. John’s College
in Santa Fe, NM, and has continued these studies as a lifelong student of the “great books”
of philosophy and archetypal psychology. Prior to his work in ministry, David had an extensive
career in publishing and marketing, and created the award-winning retail galleries The
Enchanted Forest and After the Rain in Soho. He was a founding board member of the teaching
facility Miriam’s Well in Saugerties, NY, and served on both the worship committee and board
of Judson Memorial Church in NYC, where he also preached and taught centering prayer. David
has an active ministry as a ceremony officiant, has served as a spiritual disaster care chaplain in
NYC, and has been active with the Alzheimer’s Association. A popular teacher, David has been
a regular guest lecturer at the Kripalu Institute in Lenox, MA, the Interspiritueel Seminarie in
the Netherlands, and has taught at Integral Yoga, the Esalen Institute, the Omega Institute, and
other educational venues. In addition to teaching classes in the core curriculum of the seminary,
David teaches electives on the sacred texts of both the Eastern and Western spiritual traditions
for One Spirit.
27Want to Develop Your Inner Life?
The Interfaith and Interspiritual perspective recognizes that each individual has a unique soul, a personal expression of
the life force that births us all. It sees that throughout history and across the globe various expressions of this fundamental
Oneness have emerged, and that those expressions share a common foundation of understanding and experience.
By enrolling in a One Spirit program, you will learn how to use (and to support others to use) every experience in
life as an opportunity for spiritual evolution. Our heart-centered programs contain a deeper curriculum of evolving
consciousness and spiritual maturity that will help you to:
• Foster the unique expression of divinity that lies deep within your soul
• Allow that higher wisdom to become the navigator of your life
• Make a transformative positive impact in your life, in your community, and in the world around you
• Embody a greater sense of service and lead from a new perspective
Once open, once awake, once aware of the profound interconnectedness and the sanctity of all life, there is simply no
other way to be in the world than to be of service.
Are you being called to a higher level of service?
Are you ready to bring mind and heart into harmony
as you take your next steps?
One Spirit Interfaith Seminary and Interspiritual Counseling programs will give you a new understanding of your place
in the world, a new way to create a life of meaning and purpose, and the skills and presence to humbly serve.
Ready to live your soul's full potential?
28 Out of Man y, On e Spirit.You can also read
