IONS Community Groups Network Newsletter                                             December 2013
Cathy Coleman
Dear IONS Global Community Network,
  
In celebration of the season, IONS Hubquarters hosted a Holiday Open House at the EarthRise campus on December 15. Over 400 people attended the gala event, graced with festive food and music. Interactive presentations were given on IONS research, and on the IONS education programs Conscious Aging and Worldview Explorations. Other fun activities included campus tours, a networking area hosted by Aqus Cafe, and two raffles. 

Exciting news is that the IONS CONSCIOUS AGING FACILITATORS PROGRAM is launching in early 2014! This program is a self-paced, self-study training that provides facilitators with all the resources they need to market, set up, and conduct an 8-session workshop series in their local community. The program will include a printed Facilitators Guide, a companion Participant Workbook, and authorization to commercially offer this workshop series. This program is designed for those who have experience in facilitating groups as a practitioner or community volunteer, especially active or retired social workers, psychologists, coaches, group facilitators, and nurses.

Chief Scientist Dean Radin recently presented at the Leadership Energy Summit Asia in Kuala Lumpur. He reported that the first day was presentations by prominent leaders, each of whom had, against all odds, achieved something great. Dean thought that Kiran Bedi's story was particularly impressive. You can read about the speakers here.  IONS has had a long association with business, facilitated by Willis Harman in the 70s and 80s, but not so much in recent years. However, we are noting a renewed interest in the role of consciousness in business leadership.

I appreciate that some 25,000 people worldwide are studying and learning about consciousness in community groups. I look forward to learning more about your groups and activities in the coming year and to facilitating more interconnections. I wish all of you very happy holidays and a joyous and promising beginning of 2014.

Cathy Coleman

IONS Global Community Liaison

[email protected]

707-779-8271

Community Group Tip

"My single best recommendation to other groups is to start a facebook page. We have recruited about 100 people this way, some attend meetings, and lots of them are in their 20's and 30's - exactly what IONS needs to stay strong in the future. We get good interaction between meetings, it's less passive than a website since people are flagged when there are new posts, and it's easy to share information like the live feed from the national conference."

- Larry Bohlen, Baltimore Community Group

Featured Media
The Empathic Civilization by Jeremy Rifkin
An RSA Animate Video
Bestselling author, political advisor, and social and ethical prophet Jeremy Rifkin investigates the evolution of empathy and the profound ways that it has shaped our development and our society. Taken from a lecture given by Jeremy Rifkin as part of the RSA's free public events program. Watch the RSA short above or the full lecture here.
Worldview Explorations Mindfulness Activity 
 
Below is an activity that is part of IONS' research-based educational program Worldview Explorations. This activity is about being aware of and giving thanks for all that it takes to simply share a meal with loved ones. We invite you to adapt this practice to your own meals during the holidays, or as a community group activity.

From Worldview Explorations Facilitator Guide, Lesson 18: How Are We Interdependent?

Have participants eat an orange. Lead them through eating the orange mindfully, considering all of the different efforts that brought it into their hands. Work backwards from the store where it was bought; to the people who purchase, stock, and care for the fruit; to the truck that brought it to the store; to the person driving that truck; to the person who picked it from the tree; to the people who grew the tree; to the people who tended the grove; to seeds from other oranges that came from other trees; to the bees that pollinated the flower of the orange trees; and so on. Ask participants to imagine all living beings and processes that created this little piece of fruit and got it into their hands.

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EarthRise Retreat Center view from Guardian Rock

Stay tuned to find out the new date for a Community Group Gathering. Earlier it was announced that there would be a gathering at IONS EarthRise campus March 14-16; however, those dates are uncertain at this writing and may need to be re-scheduled--perhaps in August. If you are interested in attending, please let me know your thoughts at [email protected]

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IONS Community Recommends

 

 
Read the Issue

 

EdgeScience magazine published an excerpt from IONS' chief scientist Dean Radin's new book,
Supernormal, in their November 2013 issue. It accompanies an article about yoga that Dean recommends. Either or both pieces could spark a community group conversation.
Welcome New Groups

In Cassadaga, Florida, Nicholas and Patricia Sourant are re-starting a group February 23 at the DeLand Public Library. There was a successful group there several years ago, and many people have asked for it to re-start, so the Sourants have answered the call. They can be reached at [email protected]

 

In Atlanta, Georgia, Ralph Walker will be starting a new group.  Ralph can be reached at [email protected].

 

Contact Us
If you have questions about IONS Community Groups or ideas for contributing to this e-newsletter, we welcome your feedback.

 

Cathy Coleman, Ph.D.

IONS Global Community Network Liaison

[email protected] 

1-707-779-8271

 

Lisa Reagan

IONS Global Community Newsletter Editor

[email protected]