*50% of the proceeds will be donated to the Rainforest Information Center (RIC) and their affiliated working group, MRAG, in their efforts to protect Old Growth Rainforest in Australia and Ecuador*

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This workshop is a collaboration between 7 experienced facilitators: Eshana Bragg, Inna Alex, Patrick Anderson, Br. Tenzin, Skye Cielita Flor, Miraz Indira and John Seed

>> WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

We live in challenging and deeply uncertain times, where the words ‘climate emergency’ and ‘sixth mass extinction’ have hit the mainstream, and predictions of near-term social, economic and environmental collapse cause great concern for a growing number of people of all ages. The sickness of our culture has become hard to deny, and many of us feel alone as we hold within us the weight of the world. So many of us are also expressing a longing to come into a deeper connection with each other, to live meaningful lives and to feel returned to the circle of belonging within the wider Earth community.

There is also a growing desire to participate in a collective shift towards a regenerative and sustainable culture, what Joanna Macy calls, The Great Turning. In this body of work, we see the root cause of these converging crises to be the pervasive illusion of separation between humans and the rest of the natural world. By learning to recognize our interconnectedness we invite the spontaneous healing of the psyche and by extension, of the systems that were born from the deep split within us. We also come to understand the inseparability of personal, cultural, and ecological healing. Engaging the transformative power of communal ritual, process, dialogue, poetry and music- we will create a foundation of radical gratitude, to honour and transmute the grief we are carrying for the Earth and our global family, explore new ways of seeing these difficult times, and seek meaningful ways to respond. There are many hard things to face in our world today, but our pain is a sign that we are fully alive and connected to the web of life. If we want to contribute to a better world we must be willing to acknowledge and metabolize our fears and sorrows into inspiration, strength, and deeper purpose. Only then can we bring forward our unique gifts and shine a light into this dark night of the soul of humanity.

》DETAILS

We will meet for x6 consecutive Sundays on Zoom, from 10 am-12 / 1 pm pm

5th June - Introductions and overview
12th June- Gratitude
19th June- Honouring Our Pain (note that this session will go for 3hours)
26th June- The Cosmic Walk
3rd July- The Council of All Beings (note that this session will go for 3hours)
10th July- Going Forth

>>ABOUT YOUR FACILITATORS

▪︎Eshana Bragg is a pioneer in the field of ecopsychology and has been facilitating deep ecology workshops and the Council of All Beings since the mid-1990s. She even wrote her PhD about it! As a director of Sustainable Futures Australia, and a university lecturer in ecopsychology and action for social change, Eshana is passionate about bringing deep ecology and other ecophilosophies and practises to mainstream communities. She lives in a magical rainforest valley in Yaegl Country, helping to regenerate the forest and create the Jagera EcoCommunity. Co-founding The Joyality Project in 2015, Eshana designs and facilitates nature-based psychoeducation programs which inspire and empower young people and change-makers in these challenging times of great potential.

▪︎Patrick Anderson has been a forest activist and student of Buddhism for more than 40 years. Since the 1980's he has participated in and led Deep Ecology workshops and processes in Australia and Europe. Patrick is a research associate at the Australian National University, president of the Rainforest Information Centre, and chair of the High Carbon Stock Approach, a standard used to end deforestation in the wet tropics while ensuring human rights are respected.

▪︎Br. Tenzin began his path focused on an intellectual understanding of interdependence, in the science of climate change impacts on biodiversity. The rainforest is a powerful meditation teacher however and soon led him to Buddhism. Ordained as a monk in the Sakya Tibetan tradition, he feels fortunate to have had opportunities to also study and practice under Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh at Plum Village, and at Pa-Auk Tawya in the Burmese Forest tradition. Guided by his main teacher Bhante Dhammadipa, he finds great complementarity between Theravadin, Zen, Vajrayana and Hatha Yoga perspectives. In Deep Ecology he finds a beautiful nexus between the path of awakening, the science of ecology, and environmental activism, as well as vital practices for connecting with an “ecological self” in this time of crisis. http://www.gaiaforest.org

▪︎Inna Alex is a passionate deep ecology facilitator, community organizer, and sustainable living educator. Her earth-based lifestyle in Tui Community, New Zealand, has provided her with many practical skills in permaculture living, organic gardening, healing foods, group facilitation, relationship and women's work. Inna is the main facilitator of InnaEvolution, offering events that deepen connection for positive action in our world. She also works with the Tui Balms workers' co-operative as well as in environmental & permaculture education with Earthcare Education Aotearoa

▪︎Skye Cielita Flor grew up on a farm in South Africa and spent her early years immersed in wildlife conservation and rehabilitation before going on to work as a wilderness guide. She then spent 5 years living in the Peruvian Amazon jungle where she was immersed in the study of traditional folk medicine (curanderismo) with her indigenous Shipibo teachers of the Mahua-Lopez lineage, and co-facilitated healing retreats with her partner Miraz. She moved to Melbourne 5 years ago where she first encountered Deep Ecology through the workshops of John Seed and has been a passionate student and co-facilitator of this work ever since. https://deepearthdreaming.world/about/

▪︎Miraz Indira has co-facilitated group work with Skye for a number of years, in the form of healing retreats in Peru and deep ecology immersions and workshops in Australia. He has a background in corporate law, dispute resolution, counselling and plant medicine. He feels that there is something in this deep ecology stuff that is: true... like bird song or plant roots as they push up through the concrete... that this body of work is a kind of medicine for the ‘crisis of perception’ underlying the great unravelling of our age. https://www.cicadiadepthperception.org/?page_id=133

▪︎John Seed is the founder of the Rainforest Information Centre. Since 1979 he has been involved in direct actions, which have resulted in the protection of the Australian rainforests. John has written and lectured extensively on deep ecology and has been conducting experiential deep ecology workshops around the world for 25 years. In 1995 John Seed was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) by the Australian Government for services to conservation. https://www.rainforestinformationcentre.org/john_seed

>> TICKETS

Concession: $250
Standard: $350
Solidarity: $450

Sincere applicants will not be turned away due to a lack of funds.

We are offering x2 scholarship spots for activists. Please email skye.indira@gmail.com if you feel you should receive one of these spots.

》INTRO TO RAINFOREST INFORMATION CENTRE (RIC)

The Rainforest Information Centre is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the protection of the Earth's remaining rainforests in partnership with the indigenous people and local communities who depend on them.
https://www.rainforestinformat...

》INTRO TO MELBOURNE RAINFOREST ACTION GROUP (MRAG)

MRAG (Melbourne Rainforest Action Group) is a grassroots working group affiliated with the Rainforest Information Centre (RIC).
It was formed in 2018 as a response to RIC’s call out for support in growing a campaign to save Ecuador’s megadiverse rainforests in the Amazon and Western Andes from swathes of mining concessions, mostly held by Aussie companies and unscrupulous billionaires including BHP Billiton, FMG (Twiggy Forrest) and Gina Rinehart. If one single mine goes ahead, thousands of critically endangered species are at risk of extinction. These companies are also trampling on the rights of local and indigenous people living within their concessions. MRAG’s small team of volunteers have taken on the bulk of the work on the campaign. As well as fundraising to support Ecuadorian communities impacted by mining, MRAG conducts research and writes reports and media releases, all of which can be found at https://rainforestactiongroup.org/