COMMUNITY IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

VIRTUAL TALKS, MEDITATIONS, DISCUSSIONS WITH ITM'S FACULTY & MEMBERS

AN ONGOING SERIES OF TALKS, DISCUSSIONS, SESSIONS

These talks took place online during the first year of the pandemic as a way to connect with the community and offer support during those challening times. We are forever grateful for our global community of teachers and friends who said an immediate YES to sharing in this series. Deep bow.

PAST SERIES OF TALKS, DISCUSSIONS, SESSIONS

Indigenous Teachings for Uncertain Times

Ancestral, land-based teachings that bring balance to life. An Indigenous Perspective on healing, connection and Mino-Pi-Mati-Si-Win – A Good and Peaceful Way of Life.

Donations welcomed towards The Turtle Lodge http://www.turtlelodge.org

 

 

 

 

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Grief Songs & Laments

Join Gaelic singer and teacher Sine Jeannie McKenna for an hour of heartbreakingly beautiful laments and songs that stir and move the grief-stricken heart. Join in, or lay back and bask in the mystical experience and power of these songs and laments.

 

BEING HUMAN

Today - when fear has stricken many, death 'appears' to knock closer to our door, and we have nowhere to go....unfortunately, for many of us, only then, do we seek out the Elders, the teachings, ask the questions, and contemplate, what does being human mean?

Here is an opportunity to wonder together, ask the questions.

Stephen Jenkinson, culture activist, teacher, author teaches internationally and is the creator and principal instructor of the Orphan Wisdom School.

 

Through traditional teachings and personal stories of grief and loss, Kenn Pitawanakwat, of Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve, shares how ceremony, spirit, and writing journeyed him through grief and deeper insights on the circle of life.

Q&A Follows talk.

 

Compassion-Based Resilience Training

Compassion-Based Resilience Training (CBRT) is the only proven contemplative training that introduces participants to mindfulness, compassion, imagery and breath-work in one complete program of stress-reduction, self-healing, and mind/body well-being.

In this free session Dr. Joe Loizzo, founder of CBRT and of Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science shares insights and exercises from CBRT to aid us during these uncertain times.

Q&A to follow talk.

 

This evening session will explore racial diversity, gender identity, bias and inclusion through the lens and practice of mindfulness and within meditation communities.

Moustafa is a Registered Psychotherapist, a Meditation Teacher and an MBA and with over 18 years of international corporate experience working with Fortune 100 companies. Having lived in both Canada and the Middle East, he is familiar with the cultural issues and has extensive experience working with and supporting LGBTQ+ individuals and allies.

 

 

 

Qi gong has long been used to create a harmonious relationship between our body and mind, using breath, gentle movements and focus.

Studies show that group movement/exercise classes evoke a sense of belonging and purpose.

These sessions are free in May. Virtual Classroom via Zoom:

 

 

Amelia Manera

Do I really need a Will?

As we hear daily stories of people dying in hospitals without family, without having the discussions about our end of life wishes, many are becoming worried and wanting to have the conversations about what is necessary to know at the end of life. 

In times like these, do I really need a Will?

What is a Will? What are Powers of Attorney? What happens if I don’t have them?

Join Amelia Manera of Shanti Estate Law to find out.

Q&A Follows talk.

 

 

 

 

Preparing the Paper Work for End of Life

Amelia returns to discuss the very recent updates on virtual signing of wills, legal documents, etc. As well as answer additional questions pertaining to preparing for our own, a loved one's, or a client's death.

Q&A to follow talk.

Join Emergency Room & *MSF Doctor - James Maskalyk for an insightful and engaging discussion on 'how to grow' during this time, through meditation, community and knowledge.

Q&A Follows talk.

*MSF (Medecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders)

 

Disenfranchised Grief: The Multiple Losses of a Pandemic

During these times, with restrictions in hospitals, long term care facilities, funeral homes and our own homes, we are not able to grieve as we once were accustomed to. Rami will address the lack of grief awareness, grief education, and how grief manifests in non-death related losses. He will offer insights into how we can embrace grief during this time.

Q&A Follows talk.

 

Join Kevin Toolis, author of My Father's Wake: How the Irish Teach Us to Live, Love & Die, as he shares insights on how grieving together is a lost art even in normal times.
Listen to the recordings of hauntingly beautiful keening (grief songs) of Ireland's Wonders of the Wake band (female musicians aided by an all female community choir - a re-creation for the first time in a century the sound of massed keening.

 

Indigenous Medicine

An introduction to Indigenous Herbal Medicine with a focus on plant medicines we can engage with during the Winter Season.

Joe Pitawanakwat, Ojibway from Wiikwemkoong, is the Founder of Creators Garden, an Indigenous outdoor, and now online, education based business, focused on plant identification, beyond-sustainable harvesting, and teaching every one of their linguistic, historical, cultural, edible, ecological and medicinal significance through his personal experiences. Joe has taught in over 100 first nations communities, 20 Universities and 12 colleges and dozens of various institutions throughout Canada and the United States and beyond. He is currently a Masters Student in the MES program at York University, he has learned from hundreds of traditional knowledge holders and uniquely blends and reinforces this learning with western sciences.

Q&A to follow talk.

Strengthen Your Immune System

Join ITM’s Director of the Therapeutic Herbalism Program, Alexis Coffey, for an informative webinar of Immune System Health

Topics include:
What does great immunity look like?
Prevent & effectively treat common acute illnesses during the winter
Herbs for Immunity
Prevention Strategies for the whole Family
Supporting your Nervous System
Gut Health
Adaptogens and Immune Tonics
Natural Anti-Virals, Anti-Microbials, and Anti-biotics
Conventional pain relief vs an Integrative Natural Approach
A range of teas, steams, syrups for commons conditions - Coughs, Colds, Sore Throat, Fevers, Sinus Congestion, Ear Infections

Alexis Coffey is a Clinical Herbalist who supports families in staying healthy through simple and effective Botanical Medicine, Nutritional Support & Lifestyle Guidance.

 

 

 

HEMP

If you have followed us for a while - you have seen many posts on our use of HEMP.

From milk to clothing, oils to protein powders, HEMP is proving to be one of the most sustainable, versatile, nutritious foods available.

"Hemp seeds and hemp hearts are the hulled inner portion of the seeds of the plant, Cannabis Sativa.

We know what you are thinking... while this is the same species as marijuana, hemp is a non-psychoactive relative of the plant. In other words, hemp seeds will not get you high.."

Join Elie Landesberg of @TogetherHemp for an informative session on the benefits of Hemp and how you can easily introduce these powerful seeds into your life.

 

 

 

 

Dying in Good Hands

Christine Sutherland, (Co-Founder of Sutherland Chan Massage School), is on a mission to share the power of healing touch at the end of life.

Too often, the dying do not receive the tender physical care that is needed, sometimes because caregivers are afraid of hurting them, or the focus is on the medical needs only.

Christine will share insights from her book, Dying in Good Hands, on the importance of touch at the end of life. Through the lives and stories of the hundreds of people Christine has massaged, we will be introduced to some basic techniques of palliative massage and ways to incorporate healing touch at the end of life.

 

 

MUTAMBA RAINOS / MUSICIAN, CULTURAL ADVOCATE

RITUAL - PRAYER - SONG

There are numerous ways to journey through these current times, one is to honour our connection to our own ancestors, their strength and abilities to forage through struggle - far beyond what we are being asked of today. To pay honour to these connections, to create space for ritual and meaning in our lives during this time.

Mutamba Rainos - Ph.D, Social Justice Advocate, Musician from Zimbabwe will share teachings, prayers and songs of his ancestors.

 

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Grieving Mindfully

Dr. Sameet Kumar, psychologist and author specializing in contemplative approaches to grief, bereavement and trauma, will guide us through a meditation based on the feelings of grief and loss and discuss the various emotional components and how mindfulness practice can assist us during these times.

Q&A to follow talk.

 

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Staying Awake

Staying Awake: Mindfulness Through Uncertain Times.

Vimilasara, a certified Mindfulness Teacher, Recovery Coach with over 30 years of practicing mindfulness, and one of the leading African-descent voices in the field of mindfulness and addiction. She is co-founder of MBAR, Mindfulness-Based Addiction Recovery and author of many books including: Detox Your Heart: Meditations for Emotional Trauma - a self-help guide on mindfulness of negative emotions. 

Q&A Follows talk.

 

 

 

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Tuning The Emotions

Join sound & wellness practitioner Danielle to learn simple tools using Tuning Forks & Acupressure points for working through our emotions, including sadness, grief and feelings of despair. 

Q&A Follows talk.

 

Whole Recovery

Healing requires an authentic reconnection to self, on emotional, physiological and even spiritual levels.

Whole Recovery requires us to reflect on the reasons we partake in addictive behaviours that provide only temporary pleasure, and longterm negative consequences.
This hour is will provide a respite community for those interested in gaining a deeper understanding addiction, re-defining recovery, and the power of community and creating a ‘Mindshift' to support whole recovery.
Andre Viel; author of The Recovery Lifestyle, is a certified recovery coach, family recovery coach and interventionist through The Addictions Academy. He is training under Gabor Mate in Compassionate Inquiry, specializing in uncovering and recovering from the root of trauma. Andre is the main trainer for the Addictions Academy in Canada.

Q&A to follow talk.

This one hour session explores the benefits of Cannabis - how it effects the endocrine system, as well as lessons in infusing it to make topical and oils for pain relief.

EKS is one of Canada’s most innovative, natural and effective healthcare brands on the market. A business born from the personal health experiences of their founders, Ashley Short & Tijen Yalchin - partners in business and life. Their professional training in health sciences combined with their mission to help others with pain management and skin conditions, inspired them to create the Justaddoil - All Natural Cannabis Topicals, as well as a number of herbal-based products. Their passion and skill for crafting natural healthcare products that work, matched with their unique and personable approach to business have made them two of the most loved and admired Canadian women entrepreneurs of this decade.

 

Mindfulness & Inflammation

Understanding the underlying causative factors in mood issues is revolutionizing mental health care. In fact, we now know that dysfunction of the immune system is a causative factor in a certain type of depression. It's not all in your head or in your genes; inflammation is a measurable, understandable, and treatable cause of low mood, loss of interest, fatigue, and brian fog. Once we know where to look, mood issues can be greatly helped by safe, targeted, and natural anti-inflammatory treatments, including Mindfulness, that improve all the mental and physical symptoms of this type of depression.  Learn about the condition, why it happens, and how to help reduce the chronic inflammation that's driving your low mood.

Q&A Follows talk.

 

 

 

 

Pause - and take a breath in the time of crisis

This is a strange time not only in North America but in the world as a whole. We’re in the midst of a pandemic crisis, and a myriad of national and international challenges from political corruption, trade disputes, land claims, human rights violations, climate change, and war to name a few. With the addition of police violence and killings in both the U.S. and Canada, people’s emotions are on full tilt. Our natural impulse is to rush in and fix things, when it may be necessary to pause and take a breath.

This is the time to be together and wonder aloud what we think we know about racism and the impact it has in our culture?

Q&A to follow talk.

 

Kigo

Exploring the Spiritual Essence of Acupuncture Points Through the Changing Seasons
*Kigo means “season word” in Japanese. A kigo gives us a glimpse of the ephemeral spirit that imbues each moment of the turning year. Lorie Dechar's latest book: Kigo, explores the deeper aspects of working with acupoints; a window to a person’s soul, taking us beyond the surface of the session deep into a person’s inner world.
At the center of every point is wu 無 emptiness into which shen 神 spirit can be called. In order to enter this space of infinite possibility, this space of wu emptiness, we must first let go of our comfortable attitude of “already knowing” the limits of what an acupuncture point can do. When we bring an awakened awareness, devotion and not knowing to our encounter with the point—whether through a needle, a moxa cone, a touch, a flower essence, an essential oil or an image— our presence becomes an incantation. Through this special kind of receptivity, sight and awareness, we transform the point from a number on a line or a sensitized spot on the skin to a mystery—a doorway into a process of psycho-spiritual transformation.
Lorie Dechar is an Acupuncturist and Author in the US, who is visionary in her work with the 5 Elements and the spiritual essence of Eastern Medicine.

Q&A to follow talk.

ANNIE KESHISHIAN / SOUND THERAPIST, YOGA TEACHER

Gong Bath & Yoga Nidra

Planetary Gong & Yoga Nidra
Join Annie for an evening of healing Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep) accompanied by a Sacred Sound Bath with the Planetary Gong.
Immerse yourself in the loving sounds while being guided through the 8 stages of the immensely powerful Yoga Nidra relaxation.
Yoga Nidra is specifically used for people who suffer from insomnia or anxiety disorders and in need of stress release.
Annie Keshishian is a Yoga Teacher, Sound Therapist in Toronto.

 

 

 

 

The Wounded Heart

In this evening session, Dr. Jennings explores the shared vulnerability of childhood so many of us wish we could safely access in adulthood without the risk of yet more suffering. Through the intersection of Western psychology and Buddhist teachings we explore the possibilities of healing from childhood. It is a call to any of us who hold out the hope that even the deepest childhood wounds can be the portal to our capacity to love and be loved. It is for everyone who has ever survived childhood and longed to reclaim its gifts of exquisite sensitivity that can only be found through the rediscovery of a wounded heart.

Pilar Jennings, PhD, is a psychoanalyst in private practice NYC with a focus on the clinical applications of Buddhist meditation.

 

 

KHENPO KUNGA SHERAB / BUDDHIST MONK

Ceremony for the Deceased

Join us on All Souls Day for a beautiful ceremony to honour and bless the dead, and bring compassion to both the living and the deceased with Khenpo Kunga Sherab

Chenrezi Tsa-Sur: An Ocean of Compassion, is a ceremony to benefit the deceased as they pass through the bardos. It also benefits the local deities, leads formless spirits to the right path, and helps purify karma.

*You are welcome to hold a picture of your deceased loved one during the ceremony, as well as light a candle/incense.

 

 

LUIZA ORMONDE/ ASTROLOGER, AYURVEDIC CONSULTANT

2020 - Planetary Wisdom

Astrologers have been warning us about 2020 for years, knowing that this year would bring intense and life-altering planetary moments that would shake us up personally, politically, socially and globally. A new 'normal' would be required.

Reality is - WE ARE NOT SEPARATE from the universe. There are changes, pulls and pushes that effect us each individually and globally.

These current planetary transits (that are truly shaking things up) are preparing us for a new era, known as the Age of Aquarius. Prior to this, the planetary alignment has been meeting in the earth, causing us to focus on our own security and materialism, and to question power.

We now have an upcoming innovative revolutionary period that could change how we create community and align with values that benefit all.

This evening will highlight some of these upcoming changes, and what we can do to prepare.

Luiza Ormonde is one of Toronto's most beloved Vedic Astrologers, Ayurvedic Teacher and Counsellor.

 

 

 

ANNIE KESHISHIAN / SOUND THERAPIST, YOGA TEACHER

Gong Bath & Yoga Nidra

Planetary Gong & Yoga Nidra
Join Annie for an evening of healing Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep) accompanied by a Sacred Sound Bath with the Planetary Gong.
Immerse yourself in the loving sounds while being guided through the 8 stages of the immensely powerful Yoga Nidra relaxation.
Yoga Nidra is specifically used for people who suffer from insomnia or anxiety disorders and in need of stress release.
Annie Keshishian is a Yoga Teacher, Sound Therapist in Toronto.

 

 

 

 

KIMBERLEE RUZYCKI / PLANT-BASED COACH

Support & Strengthen Your Immune System - A Plant-based Approach

Learn the foods and lifestyle habits that create and support a strong, healthy immune system with Plant-Based Health Coach Kimberlee Ruzycki

Talk will cover:
*Staying Healing during the Fall & Winter Seasons
*Do so without spending lots of $ on supplements on vitamins
*Easy Plant-Based Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Snack ideas and recipes
*How to support your Immune System with foods you already have in your kitchen
*Foods to start stocking in your pantry/fridge/freezer for the upcoming seasons

 

 

KHENPO KUNGA SHERAB / BUDDHIST MONK

Ceremony for the Deceased

Join us on All Souls Day for a beautiful ceremony to honour and bless the dead, and bring compassion to both the living and the deceased with Khenpo Kunga Sherab

Chenrezi Tsa-Sur: An Ocean of Compassion, is a ceremony to benefit the deceased as they pass through the bardos. It also benefits the local deities, leads formless spirits to the right path, and helps purify karma.

*You are welcome to hold a picture of your deceased loved one during the ceremony, as well as light a candle/incense.

 

 

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Wisdom of the Traditions 

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