Conference & Speakers
A Conference on Kabbalah and Healing
October 13 – 17, 2010
San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA
Join us for a Kabbalah conference exploring the many healing techniques from the Tree of Life and Jacob’s Ladder. Experience a multi-media sacred art performance, Kabbalah workshops and evening rituals to heal Body, Soul and Spirit. Our 14 presenters include Kabbalah Teachers from around the globe and members of the West Coast Kabbalah School.
Conference Hosts: Megan Wagner, PhD and Jim Larkin, MDiv
Directors of Tree of Life Teachings International and the West Coast Kabbalah School, Megan and Jim have been studying and teaching Kabbalah since 1987 and are on the Board of Directors of The Kabbalah Society. Megan is a therapist, artist, workshop leader and author of The Sapphire Staff, a book on Kabbalah and Healing.
Jim is a ritual leader and men’s group facilitator. Together they teach Tree of Life Training, an intensive path of psycho-spiritual awakening integrating Kabbalah with Jungian Psychology, Astrology, Archetypes, Storytelling, Meditation and Ritual.
Megan and Jim are also ordained Interfaith Ministers and Co-Provosts of The Chaplaincy Institute, an Interfaith Seminary in Berkeley, CA. They love to travel and take groups on Sacred Journeys around the world. Megan also runs the Feminine Path of Power retreats for women and has authored 6 books on initiation stories for women.
Kabbalah’s 7 Stages of Healing: Aligning Body, Soul and Spirit – Megan Wagner and Jim Larkin
Join Megan and Jim as they take us on a journey through the 7 stages of healing on the Tree of Live Path. With Megan’s Sacred Robes, embodied prayer, meditations and exercises, we will experience each stage of healing for rebalancing the physical, emotional and spiritual systems. When the roots, trunk and branches of our Tree are aligned, we feel physically vital, emotionally balanced and spiritually open. www.TreeofLifeTeachings.com
Dancing the Tree: Embodying the 7 Stages of Initiation – Karen Bandy
Dance your way through the 7 stages of initiation. Experience spiritual truths in physical form and let your body teach, heal and transform you. Make the journey from deep-rooted grounding and containment at stage one, through feeling whole and radiating our Divine essence at stage seven. We will fully embody these Kabbalistic principles and bring our Tree to vibrant life.
Karen Bandy has studied Kabbalah with Megan Wagner, Jim Larkin and the West Coast Kabbalah School for the past 5 years. She is a life-long student of dance and has studied sacred dance with master teachers in the Congolese, West African, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Brazilian, Haitian, and Middle Eastern Traditions. Karen has performed with a variety of dance troupes, including Afoxe, M’leba M’kasi, Samba do Norte, and Shaken Not Stirred. Her particular passion is to share sacred dance with others and inspire them to find healing and spiritual renewal through dance.
Kabbalah and Prosperity – Maggy Whitehouse
The healing world is often uncomfortable about the idea of spirituality and wealth. But money is simply an energy which responds to our inner thoughts and feelings and it follows the Law of Attraction absolutely, requiring a perfect balance of giving and receiving for a life of abundance. Many people in spiritual work over-give and then find themselves struggling. The Kabbalistic Tree of Life can show us exactly where our prosperity consciousness may be out of balance and offers us clear, simple and practical answers to the thorny question of spirituality and wealth.
Rev. Maggy Whitehouse is author of Total Kabbalah, Living Kabbalah, From Credit Crunch to Pure Prosperity, and The Marriage of Jesus. Maggy is a minister in an independent sacramental church, co-founder of La Convivencia, a group promoting interfaith between Judaism, Christianity and Islam through mystical teaching and a former BBC Television presenter and producer. She has taught Kabbalah and prosperity in the UK, Russia, Europe and USA since 1993. Visit her website: http://www.maggywhitehouse.com.
Kabbalah, Conventional Medicine and Health Care – Dr. Michael Hattwick, MD
Michael will present how Kabbalah can make a vital link between holistic and conventional medicine. He will be looking at medicine from the perspective of the individual as well as the social level. Michael will discuss how the Tree of Life can assist us in mind-body healing and also in the healing of communities.
Dr. Michael Hattwick, MD is board certified in Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine, Master of the Lodge of the Nine Muses and the Grand Physician for the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia for 2008. He is also the author of the upcoming book The Abba Tradition soon to be published in 2010.
Addiction, Recovery and Transformation: Integrating Kabbalah and the Twelve Steps of AA – Gerald Gillespie
This presentation will show how the Twelve Steps of AA and recovery from addiction follows a systematic transformation and healing path that is consistent with the ascent of the Tree of Life and the Kabbalist Work of Unification. The integration of the Twelve Steps with the Tree of Life and Jacob’s Ladder opens up a larger framework of meaning to the addict as he or she advances toward a re-built, full, recovered life beyond sobriety alone. It also opens doors to working Kabbalistic methods, exercises, and meditations that can advance the addict toward spiritual initiation, spiritual experience, mystical encounter, and further levels of recovery and transformation.
Gerald Gillespie is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Coordinator of the Addictions Counseling Program at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, KS. An author of two books on Kabbalah (including one on the Tree of Life and the Twelve Steps of AA) and several articles on addiction and recovery, spirituality and Kabbalah, he has also presented workshops, lectured, and conducted group work on these same topics in the U.S., Spain, and Japan. He and his wife, Mineko, collaborated to translate The Essence of Shinto: Japan’s Spiritual Heart into English. Prof. Gillespie is presently working on a book on addiction and the Decalogue. He is a Director of the Kabbalah Society (USA).
Human Development and Internal Cycles: An Overview – Dr. Marta Illueca
The class will offer an introductory foundation on human anatomy, embryology and physiology. We will review the 4 stages of human embryological development including conception, morphogenesis, organogenesis and perinatal events. An exploratory discussion on the role of internal anatomy and physiological cycles as they may potentially correlate with mythological, Kabbalistic and spiritual concepts will be presented.
Dr. Marta Illueca is a Board Certified medical specialist. Dr. Illueca was a faculty member at Cornell University Medical College during the 1990´s. More recently, she has been active in medical research for the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Illueca has had a life- long interest in exploring complementary medicine disciplines.
Qigong and The Tree of Life: Find balance in the central column as you move Qi (life force) – Karen Vyner-Brooks
During this interactive presentation you will learn basic Qigong movements and healing sounds that help you experience the consciousness of the central column of the Kabbalah. Through simple movement, visualization and breathing you will understand how to move Qi (life force) to dissolve negative feelings and thoughts and gain a peaceful, focused mind. You will learn how to identify where you are blocked energetically and place it on the Tree of Life. We will practice a method for gathering or dispersing Qi, helping you travel up and down the central pillar of your Tree to access the Divine.
Karen Vyner-Brooks has over 20 years of experience as a trainer, coach and consultant. She is a certified Qigong practitioner who offers individual sessions and also designs programs to rejuvenate groups. Karen received her BA in Dance with an Art Minor from UC Berkeley. She also holds an MA in Transpersonal Psychology from John F. Kennedy University. Karen is trained in expressive arts education. She has worked nationally and internationally with organizations, religious and educational institutions.
Acupressure & Kabbalah – Alice MacAllister
Acupressure is an Asian energetic healing modality that originated thousands of years ago and works with the rivers of energy in our bodies. The energetic healing pathways mirror the form and structure of the Kabbalah in many ways. We will learn about the healing pathways, the elements they represent, and learn to bring balance and aliveness to our energy pathways for physical, psychological and spiritual well-being.
Alice MacAllister is a Diplomate in Asian Bodywork Therapy by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, holds a 5th degree black belt in Aikido and is an instructor and co-owner of Aikido Silicon Valley, located in Sunnyvale, California, a Reiki master, and a long time student of the Kabbalah. She can be contacted at alice@alicemacallister.com
Kabbalah, Kundalini and Awakening – Dani Antman
The Jewish mystics use the model of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life to describe the journey of awakening. The Tree of Life describes a map of consciousness through which we can work simultaneously with our apparent separation and our ever present connection to the Divine Spark within, sometimes called the Shekinah. Kundalini science, describes a similar awakening process, using the model of the auric field and chakras and the activated Kundalini Shakti, also known as the divine source within, that has the capacity to pierce the chakras and open the brain centers to bring about direct contact with unified consciousness.
Both systems have 3 columns and a system of practices that utilized both descending and ascending energies towards bring the disciple to an awakened state. Dani will describe some of the parallels between the two systems based on her personal experience under the guidance of Patanjali Kundalini Yoga Care and her ongoing studies of Kabbalah. She will lead a guided meditation to anchor the conceptual knowledge.
Dani Antman is a Kabbalistic healer, spiritual counselor and ordained Interfaith Minister. She is a graduate of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, 1992 and A Society of Souls, a 3 year training in Integrated Kabbalistic Healing, 1996. She was a Senior teacher at A Society of Souls for 9 years. Dani has also been under spiritual direction with Swami Chandrasekharand Saraswati, and Joan Harrigan, for 8 years, through their lineage in Kundalini Science, and those teachings as well as her ongoing personal practice, contribute to her knowledge of Kabbalah and Awakening. She now teaches Kabbalistic meditation throughout the United States and Europe. She has a full time healing practice in Sebastopol, California. For more information please visit: www.Kabbalev.com and www.divinewrapsody.com
Stone Healing and the Tree of Life – Cara Bodeau
The Tree of Life is a template for envisioning the human body, psyche, soul and spirit. By using the Tree of Life to locate misalignments or imbalances in the human individual, we can bring direct attention to specific challenges in our lives. One way to do such healing is through engaging the energetic properties of rocks and crystals. Using the Sephirot (the archetypal qualities) of the Tree as guideposts, we will explore how specific types of stone and crystal energies can be used to restore and balance the flow of energy through the Tree of our bodies and psyches. As an experiential workshop, we will be playing with rocks and crystals, and hearing, seeing and feeling how they affect our individual energy fields.
Cara Bodeau is a Unitarian Universalist Minister, and has been working with rocks and crystals for a number of years. She has been a student of Kabbalah for 5 years, and is particularly interested in using the model of the Tree of Life and Jacob’s Ladder to understand embodied spiritual wisdom in the physical realm, especially the physical body.
Jesus as Kabbalist; contemplating the “I AM” statements as gateways to the Divine – Rev. Kimberly Elliot
The central pillar of consciousness is the conduit by which we are able to access the upper worlds of Jacob’s Ladder and experience Briatic healing. In this workshop we will begin with a guided meditation that allows us to step into the central pillar. Then we will reflect upon the I AM statements of Jesus, as well as his own life practice, and contemplate how these teachings can aide us in living from a place of wholeness. We will close with a Reiki practice that allows Divine energy to flow into our hearts and out through our hands as healing touch to others.
Rev. Kimberly Elliot is an ordained Presbyterian Minister, Spiritual Director and Reiki practitioner. She has been actively studying Kabbalah for eight years. She is a mystic whose passion includes weaving together the teachings of indigenous spirituality, the Kabbalah and the Judeo-Christian tradition to find a well-spring of spiritual knowledge. She is a djembe drummer, sacred dancer and musician who loves to lead and design creative ritual. She is the pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Chinatown, San Francisco.
Tarot and the Soul’s Journey on the Tree of Life – David Attwood
Part of Healing is knowing one’s Life Path. Participants will determine their Life Path Number using Numerology. Two numbers will be determined in the process, one the Personality number and the other the Soul number. Once the numbers have been determined, a correspondence between the Major Arcana of the Tarot will be established. Then we can place the Tarot card on the Tree of Life and see the how Pathworking on the Tree will give insight into one’s life. Using a large replica of the Sephirotic Tree, the participant will be able to stand on the Tree and feel his or her connection to the Tree of Life. Insight will bring healing and healing will bring an inner calm.
David Attwood practiced for ten years as a professional Numerologist then branched into Tarot. He received a certification in Tarot counseling from the Pacific Center in Half Moon Bay, California. David was Ordained as a Minister through the International Church of Ageless Wisdom in 1999. In 2001, David became affiliated with The Tree of Life Teachings and the West Coast Kabbalah School and began his ongoing study of the Kabbalah. Working with Tarot, David is presently exploring healing modalities using the Tree of Life as a foundation.
Healing Stress with Practical Soul Triad Exercises – Roberta Montgomery
Roberta will present the scientific findings of the HeartMath Institute on de-stressing the body and the Kabbalistic intelligence of Tiferet (the True Self or Soul). We will learn three practical exercises to strengthen Tiferet that can be used in our daily practice. Roberta will also teach us an active imagination in which our Tiferet (Soul) can embrace the child within.
Roberta Montgomery is an interfaith minister from the Chaplaincy Institute for Arts and Interfaith Ministry in Berkeley, CA. She is the tutor for the Upper Room School of the Soul in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Feeding your Tree for Growth: Nurturing Body, Soul, Spirit – Craig Schroeder
This course will be a day of fun, food, wine and learning ways to feed your spiritual tree. The day will be spent at Savannah-Chanelle Winery in the beautiful Saratoga hills, part of the Santa Cruz Mountains. There will be tasting in the winery followed by a lunch and talk in their beautiful redwood grove. The day’s cuisine will reflect the three levels of the tree: roots, trunk, and branches, with wine parings to compliment both food and spirit. As we enjoy lunch, there will be introductions to each course and why they are appropriate in nourishing our whole tree. We will focus on mindful eating and learn ways to integrate spiritual intent and nutrition.
Craig Schroeder has been a student of Kabbalah for 5 years. He has participated in numerous workshops and retreats and has traveled to Toledo and Gerona, Spain to discover the roots of Kabbalah. Craig’s chef and cooking experience started when he was 15. After completing an apprenticeship in French cuisine, he has focused on Mediterranean foods and diets. His alchemist’s approach to developing recipes and menus creates wonderful culinary experiences and receives much praise. Craig is a true wine enthusiast, with a broad pallet and a deep understanding for varietals and growing regions. Wine pairing with creatively delicious foods is second nature to Craig and he has perfected this marriage by his love and passion for gastronomic experiences.