Interest Groups
During the Conference, you will meet four times with the Interest Group which you select from the list below. The process that unfolds within the group—the ups and downs and insights—is an important part of the FCRP experience. Interest Groups are intended as a personal growth experience, not as therapy.
Groups are limited in size and assigned on a first-come basis. Please be sure to indicate your preferences on your registration form. Include second and third choices, in case your first choice is not available.
PLEASE NOTE: The meeting rooms are frequently uncomfortably cold due to central air-conditioning over which we have no control. Please bring an extra cover-up to ensure your comfort.
1. Quakerism and Jung Part II—Walter Brown
This is a continuation of last year’s workshop, but attendance at the previous workshop is not necessary. We will look at the psychologies of Freud and Jung and some the writings of Rufus Jones and John Yungblut. We will discuss the role Zen meditation can play in enriching Quakerism. We will look at Rex Ambler’s “Experiment with Light,” which is a guided meditation based on the early writings of George Fox. We will also look at the use of mindfulness in some of the newer Cognitive-Behavior Therapies.
Mode: Worship sharing, meditation
Suggested Reading: Jung, C. G. Memories, Dreams, and Reflections; Ambler, Rex. Light to Live By: An Exploration In Quaker Spirituality.
Walter Brown is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been practicing psychotherapy for 33 years. He has been a Friend for all his life and currently is a member of Langley Hill Meeting, Baltimore Yearly Meeting.
2. Dream Work as Meditation—Bonnie L. Damron
In this group we will discuss Jung’s method for dreams as a form of meditation, and work with some dreams in this way. Jung’s method involves specific forms of meditation: keeping a written record of one’s dreams over time, association method and amplification method, Active Imagination. No one is ever required to discuss their dreams during the sessions. For those who might want to share, we will hold your dreams as sacred, and we will practice confidentiality and anonymity outside the group. Please bring journals. Art materials will be supplied. This technique is a terrific way to express psyche’s dream images.
Mode: Discussion, meditation, journaling
Suggested Reading: Jung, C. G. Dreams, translated by R.F.C. Hull, with introduction by S. Shamdasani;
Johnson, R. Inner Work: Using Dreams and Creative Imagination for Personal Growth and Integration; Sanford, J. A. Dreams and Healing.
Bonnie L. Damron is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in a private practice for nearly thirty years. Her work is largely Jungian based. She listens to numerous dreams every year, and helps her clients understand their dreams in light of their lives in the everyday world. She also leads seminars on mythology, fairy tales, and Jung’s psychology. Regarding her own inner work, Bonnie has kept a dream journal for forty years, and has used her dreams to guide her path. In addition, for those same forty years, she has been a yoga practitioner. Bonnie was the 2010 Washington FCRP plenary speaker. At FCRP 2010, she led the Interest Group on Dreams; at Washington FCRP 2011 she led the Interest Group on Fairy Fales. Bonnie holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from the Catholic University of Maryland and a PhD in American Studies from the University of Maryland.
3. The Practice of Presence—Patty de Llosa
You can make a fresh start in life, starting wherever you are without changing your external conditions. The key is to learn to practice “attention to our own presence.” Patty has worked in four traditions—the wisdom teachings of the legendary spiritual teacher Gurdjieff, the ancient Taoist discipline of Tai Chi, Jungian analyst Marion Woodman’s Body/Soul Rhythms, and the mind-body retraining system of F. M. Alexander. Together we will study practical ways to harmonize our thoughts, emotions and bodies, to surrender unnecessary physical tension and negative mental attitudes, and to develop balance and centeredness.
Mode: Movement through Tai Chi and Qi Gong, meditation, discussion
Patty de Llosa, author of The Practice of Presence: Five Paths for Daily Life, Morning Light Press 2006, is a contributing editor of Parabola. She has led group classes, daylong workshops and weeklong intensives in the Gurdjieff work, Tai Chi, and Taoist meditation. She also teaches the Alexander Technique. Her recent public venues include two centers in New York State; a health resort in Maine; the Peruvian Aikido Association in Lima, Peru; Columbia University Graduate Theater Program; and the Society for Experimental Studies, Toronto. She has had numerous articles published in Parabola and elsewhere. Her new book, Taming Your Inner Tyrant: A Journey to Healing through Dialogues with Oneself, will be published in May 2011. For more information see http://tamingyourinnertyrant.com.
4. Create a Time Capsule—Dana Gayner
We will create a container using glue, paper, and paint. We will be led by spirit through meditation to record our “special” story. We will tap into right brain process as we decorate our capsules to house our writings. What piece of yourself do you want your future self to see?
Mode: Artwork, meditation
Dana Gayner has been teaching at the elementary school level and doing assorted art oriented workshops for the past 22 years. She has explored various art mediums in both 2D and 3D though summer classes at Rutgers Univesity. Dana is a member of Salem Quarterly Meeting in Salem, NJ.
5. Mindful Walking with Thich Nhat Hanh—Joseph A. Izzo
In this experiential workshop we will learn to breathe and walk mindfully in the manner of Thich Nhat Hanh, a renowned Vietnamese Zen Master, residing at Plum Village in France. We will watch and listen to his instructions for mindful breathing and walking using a CD and DVD. Most impostant, in each session we’ spend time walking together around the campus before returning to process our experience with each other and discuss how this meditation method can enhance our spirituality and well-being.
Mode: Walking meditation, discussion
Suggested Reading: Nguyen Anh-Huong and Thich Nhat Hanh. Walking Meditation; Hanson, Rick and Mendius, Richard. Buddha’s Brain;
Thich Nhat Hanh. Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life.
Joseph A. Izzo is a psychotherapist and member of Friends Meeting of Washington, Baltimore Yearly Meeting. He has studied Zen mindfulness with two Dharma teachers ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh, Thu and Anh-Huong Nguyen of the Mindfulness Practice Center in Fairfax, VA. Joe was the plenary speaker at Washington FCRP in 2006.
6. Writing a Chapter for Your Own Red Book—Lorraine Kreahling
We will create a chapter for our own “Red Book” based on an exploration of our personal path to inner stillness. Our four sessions will supply a fairy tale-like structure to help chart our journeys. We will also draw on Steve Smith’s plenaries for support. Much as Jung documented his encounters with inner figures with illustrations and dialogues in his journal, The Red Book, we will record our experiences with words and drawings (if so led).
A copy of The Red Book will be available to the group as a source of inspiration for the work that we will do together. Some explanation of its nature and that of the archetypes will be offered. Our focus will not be on Jung’s work, but on what we members of the group undertake.
Emphasis will be placed on creating a safe space for contemplative work and active imagination. Sharing what we produce with the group will be optional. Our approach will be to witness rather than judge or interpret the work of fellow group members.
Mode: Journal writing, working with color, discussion
Lorraine Kreahling is a writer living in New York City. She contributes to The New York Times, was the editorial producer of a recent twenty-part PBS series on aging, Life (Part 2). She has just finished a book about the archetype of house and home and the true story of rebuilding an historic house lost to a propane explosion, The Green Hotel. Her graduate thesis was on Jung and fairy tales. She attends 15th Street Meeting in New York.
7. Letting Go and Paying Attention: the Wisdom of Tai Chi—Beth Perry
The first major teaching of Tai Chi is to relax. You can learn to get out of your own way by not using unneeded effort. You can trade maximum exertion for attention—first, to your own body, and later, to the forces acting upon you from outside. You can learn to do "sole" work by paying attention to your weight pouring into your footprints, and discover, among other things, a secret for maintaining your balance. By listening to your body, you may discover unexplored capacities within yourself—capacities that come from a listening receptivity. Our work will include practical applications for daily life—from opening doors and raking leaves to getting in and out of a chair with the least amount of effort necessary. You will not need any special gear, just comfortable clothes and flat shoes. All physical capabilities are welcome, and a broad range of people can benefit from this group.
Mode: Movement
Beth Perry has spent several decades studying the Cheng Man Ching form of Tai Chi, first from his senior student Maggie Newman and now with Andrew Heckert. She teaches in retirement centers, adult education schools, and senior centers in the Philadelphia area. Beth is a graduate of Harvard University. She spent several years working in Uganda and southern Sudan, and used that experience in working for AFSC and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting on anti-apartheid work and Ethiopian disaster relief. Beth is a member of Radnor, PA Meeting.
8. Glimpses of Inner Creativity: Tissue Paper Collage—Jane Porter
We will create a series of simple and colorful Tissue Paper Collages which can serve as “mirrors” of the inner creative processes that are unique to each of us. We will use journaling and Active Imagination to enhance our understanding of these processes and how they might further our growth. No artistic skill is needed.
Mode: Collage, writing
Jane Porter is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a psychotherapy practice in Amherst, MA. She has attended FCRP since 1984,and is a member of the Mount Toby Monthly Meeting in Leverett, MA. She has a strong interest in how creativity and the imagination can contribute to healing and growth.
9. Making Prayer Flags—Frances Smith
Through reading, meditation, discussion, and drawing we will create images for our prayer flags. Hopes and fears, light and shadow, may come into play. Bring a piece of cloth (about 15 by 15), sewing supplies, and small fabric scraps to share. Frances will be using a piece of silk from a thrift shop shirt.
Mode: Sewing, discussion, drawing
Frances Smith learned embroidery and knitting in childhood. She also does basketry, kumihimo braid, papermaking, spinning, weaving, etc. Frances has studied with master teachers in the United States, Italy, Peru, and the Royal School of Embroidery in London. Her works have been in national publications and exhibits. Frances attends Salem Friends Meeting, Salem, NJ.
10. Exploring Spirituality—Doris M. Tennyson
Experiences in our group will help to raise and examine questions about aspects of spirituality, such as compassion, embodying Spirit, and awakening to change. Our examination may also touch on love, friendship, gratitude, connection, nature and others.
Mode: Experiential
Doris M. Tennyson, a member of the National Association of Poetry Therapy, is training to become a Certified Applied Poetry Facilitator. She retired in 2008 from the National Association of Home Builders after 39 years service in a variety of positions involving publishing and publications. She was a part-time massage therapist for 23 years and has been a student of dance therapy. Doris is a member of the Planning Committees for FCRP and Washington FCRP, and has led Interest Groups at both conferences.
11. Creatively Doing Nothing—Peggy Walbridge
This group is for those who would like unscheduled time to collect thoughts, share, meditate, and just relax. Loosely scheduled, we will provide a safe space for those who just want to be or do their own thing.
Mode: Discussion, sharing, free time, your choice
Peggy Walbridge was formerly a member of the FCRP Planning Committee, and is presently serving as a Resource Person to that committee. She recently retired from a career in academic management at Cornell University. Peggy is a member of Ithaca (NY) Monthly Meeting.
12. Meditative Writing—Martha Witebsky
We will look within and write what we “hear,” prompted by Baroque music and the slow burning of a candle. Our story practically writes itself through reflection on what we write and with the aid of a meditation technique. This practice is simple, relaxing, and rewarding. You are encouraged to share what you write as part of the process.
Mode: Meditation, writing
Suggested Reading: Metcalf, Linda Trichter and Simon, Tobin. Writing the Mind Alive: The Proprioceptive Method for Finding Your Authentic Voice.
Martha Witebsky has practiced this writing technique in the past and has facilitated Interest Groups at FCRP and Washington FCRP. She recently retired from her position of Technical Translator of German and French at the US Patent and Trademark Office.