Meetings

Our monthly meetings are a wonderful opportunity to meet and network with other holistic practitioners and others in the holistic community!

Meetings will open at 7:00 pm. After initial networking and brief announcements, speakers will present from about 7:30 to 8:45 to be followed by additional conversation until 9:00. These talks are free for CHHA members and $5 for the public. Bring a friend!

SPIRIT IN THE BODY:

The Importance & Power of Balanced Breathing

Featuring Lois Grasso, founder of OxyGenesis Institute

There is a direct correlation between quality of breathing and quality of life. Discover how and why unhealthy breathing patterns correspond to unhealthy patterns of thought and behavior. Most importantly, learn how the breath can become a powerful tool for transforming all three. The topics of discussion will include:

• Why are 80% of Americans getting less than a third of the oxygen they need?
• How do shallow and restricted breathing patterns cause mega-stress and disease?
• What are the physical, emotional and spiritual ramifications of poor breathing?
• How can breathwork release subconscious baggage from the body/mind?
• What kinds of breathing exercises can hinder breathing capacity?
• Why are psychotherapy – and other forms of “talk therapy” – often not enough?
• How does breathwork make room in the body for Spirit to dwell?
• Daily breathing exercises to increase breathing capacity and relax.

Lois Grasso, CTBF, is the founder of OxyGenesis Breathwork™ and director of the OxyGenesis Institute, a non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting awareness of the power and importance of conscious breathing as the basis for achieving balanced, whole health. She attended her first Conscious Breathing workshop in 1981. Astonished at the benefits, Lois began studying a variety of breathing therapies, including Rebirthing, Ecstasy Breathing, Breathing Development, Breathing Coordination and Breath Therapy. While undergoing formal certification training at the Transformational Breath Foundation in 1998, Lois researched, edited and published Dr. Judith Kravitz’ book, Breathe Deep, Laugh Loudly; The Joy of Transformational Breathing.

Lois is also the Public Relations Coordinator for the Greater Hartford chapter of CHHA, and former publisher of the Self-Health Networker (aka Recovery Networker). She maintains a private practice of Counseling and Breathwork in West Hartford, and presents workshops throughout the US.

When: 7:00 – 9:00 PM, Thursday, January 27, 2005
Where: Friends’ Conference Room, UConn Health Center, Farmington, CT (860-679-2000)
Suggested Donation: $5.00
Directions: Enter the driveway of UConn Health Center from Farmington Ave (Rt 4). Proceed toward the main hospital building. Bear right at the fork so that you are on the West side of the building. Enter the Academic entrance. Watch for CHHA program signs for directions. Go up one flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs, do an about face. Walk toward the inner court windows. Take a right into the hallway. Friends’ Conference Room is the 2nd door on the right.

HEALING WITH YOGA

Featuring Linda Catrambone, MA, MA, LPC

The practice of yoga goes back at least 6,000 years, yet remains popular in modern culture. Why? Yoga makes us feel good! Learn how yogic healing techniques reach far beyond the physical body to balance, focus, and quiet the mind. Discover ways to benefit from and practice yoga as you go about your busy day.

This presentation will explore the four major types of yoga:

• Hatha – Yoga of the body
• Raja – Yoga of mental development, subtle yet powerful
• Mantra – Repeating phonemes to draw awareness inward to the center of being
• Gnani – Yoga of self knowledge, the explanation behind the nature of being

The relationship between yoga postures and the chakras will be explored during this interactive presentation. Each participant will experience meditative energy, yoga postures and mantra for a dynamic evening of self-healing. Wear comfortable clothes and bring a friend!

Linda Catrambone is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Spiritual Healer, seminar presenter, and co-developer of Empowerment Yoga. She is a member of the Connecticut Holistic Health Association’s planning committee, The American Speech and Hearing Association, the St Joseph College Graduate and Prime Time Committee, and past president of the Connecticut Mental Health Counselor Association. Linda’s holistic psychotherapy practice is based in West Hartford.

When: 7 – 9 pm, Thursday, February 24, 2005
Where: Friends Conference Room, UConn Health Center, Farmington, CT. Tel 860-679-2000
Suggested Donation: $5.00
Directions: When entering the driveway of the UConn Health Center proceed to the main hospital building. Bear right at the fork so that you are on the West side of the building. Enter the Academic entrance. Go up one flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs, do an about face. Walk toward the inner court windows. Take a right into the hallway. Friends Conference Room is the 2nd door on the right.

Secrets of Healthy Thinking, Feeling and Doing

An Evening with Lori Carpenos, LMFT

This presentation is based on Three Universal Principles at the heart of psychological well-being, which also explain the full range of human experience, from joy and ecstasy to anguish and anger. Discover how your moment-to-moment reality is affected by your thinking. Once recognized, the Principles can be used to access well-being, and find a clear, productive frame of mind from which to live. This orientation enables people to turn towards their inner health, regardless of past or current circumstances. This approach has proven unusually successful in counseling, education, prevention, coaching, and community development throughout the U.S. and other countries. The following points will be covered:

• The discovery of the Three Principles
• How the Three Principles of Mind, Thought and Consciousness work together to create our personal realities
• The spiritual aspect of Mind
• How to return to your innate health, before thought is created,
• to access well-being regardless of your situation or circumstances

Lori Carpenos, M.Ed., LMFT is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She has more than 20 years of experience working with individuals, couples, families and groups and 19 years experience teaching the principle-based approach to psychology called Health Realization. Knowledge of these Principles has helped people realize their health during very difficult and trying times. This approach to mental health and well-being has assisted people in all walks of life and has been called a “Best Practice” in the field of Prevention. Lori is the co-author with Jack Pransky, Ph.D., of Healthy Thinking, Feeling, and Doing: A Middle School Prevention Curriculum and the author of StressLess: A Guide to a Healthier, Happier Future.

When: Thursday, April 28, 2005
Where: UConn Health Center, Farmington, CT. Tel. 860-679-2000
Time: 7;00 – 9:00 PM
Suggested donation: Free for CHHA members; $5.00 for non-members
Directions: Friends Conference Room. When entering the driveway of the UConn Health Center proceed to the main hospital building. Bear right at the fork so that you are on the West side of the building. Enter the Academic entrance. Go up one flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs, do an about face. Walk toward the inner court windows. Take a right into the hallway. Friends Conference Room is the 2nd door on the right.

PAST MEETING TOPICS

Labyrinths: Energetic Healing Tools for Today

New Labyrinth Designs and Ways to Use Them to Enhance Healing for Ourselves and Our Clients

A hands-on workshop by Greg Coleman, Master Labyrinth Designer & Artist

This workshop introduces labyrinths as tools that can assist us in our practice and assist our clients in their healing. The topics of discussion and experiences will include:

• What is a traditional labyrinth? How can I draw one?
• What is a new labyrinth design and how are they created?
• What are the roles of intention and attention in labyrinth design and healing?
• Working with specific finger labyrinths and experiencing how they affect you .
• How to use a labyrinth in your practice.

Greg Coleman, MS, MFA, is the owner of Heartstone Labyrinths ™, LLC, a poet and writer, and a master labyrinth designer and artist who has created over 70 Intentional Labyrinth designs each with its own handbook that describes its intention and how to use it. The designs are created to help individuals and groups work with particular physical, emotional, and spiritual concerns. He creates indoor and outdoor labyrinths. He is a Reiki Master who creates essential oil blends to accompany some of his labyrinth designs. He has created two forms of energy bodywork: Feng Shui Body Work™ and Intentional Labyrinth™ Energy Bodywork. He has given workshops in high schools and colleges, hospitals, and at wellness fairs in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island. He has been a presenter at the gatherings of The Labyrinth Society, an international organization, from 2000-2003 and at the New England Labyrinth Guild for the past three years. He lives in Guilford, CT where he creates new labyrinths, gives workshops, and works with individual clients.

When: Thursday, November 18, 2004
Where: UConn Health Center, Friends Conference Room,
263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT. Tel. 860-679-2000
Time: 7:00-9:00 PM
Cost: Free for CHHA Members, $5 for non-members
Directions:www.uchc.edu/directions/#driving
When entering the driveway of the UConn Health Center proceed to the main hospital building. Bear right at the fork so that you are on the West side of the building. Enter the Academic entrance. Go up one flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs, do an about face. Walk toward the inner court windows. Take a right into the hallway. Friends Conference Room is the 2nd door on the right.

Aiijii Healing:
How Chakras Relate to Disease and Healing

Discover how healers in the Spiritual Realm are working with healers in the physical world to give you a spiritual understanding of healing. Learn how unresolved emotional issues create blocks in your energy system that can manifest as disease and dysfunctions.

This presentation aims to validate esoteric activity for anyone who is drawn to energy healing, and to open the minds of those who are skeptical.

After a near-death experience, Karin has learned that the Aiijii System is the Energy System that is used in the Spiritual Realm. Aiijii Healing encompasses all energy healing methods (i.e. Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, etc.). Aiijii Healing is a demonstrative method that helps people to see what is normally happening invisibly during an energy healing session. This allows people to better understand how the Heavens use subtle energies. Studies have proven that faith in a Higher Power and belief in a system greatly affects how we heal. This demonstration utilizes the expression that seeing is believing.

Karin Nemri is a certified Spiritual Counselor, Aiijii Healer and Hospice volunteer. She is the Chairperson of the CT Affiliate of The Twilight Brigade-Compassion in Action, a member of CT Holistic Health Association, the CT Coalition to Improve End-of-Life Care, the Academy of Religion and Psychical Research and the CT Emergency Crisis Team/Spiritual Division.
She has a private practice in Bloomfield.
When: Thursday, October 28, 2004
Where: UConn Health Center, Friends Conference Room,
263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT. Tel. 860-679-2000
Time: 7:00-9:00 PM
Cost: Free for CHHA Members, $5 for non-members
Directions:www.uchc.edu/directions/#driving
When entering the driveway of the UConn Health Center proceed to the main hospital building. Bear right at the fork so that you are on the West side of the building. Enter the Academic entrance. Go up one flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs, do an about face. Walk toward the inner court windows. Take a right into the hallway. Friends Conference Room is the 2nd door on the right.

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