July 2014

Letter from the President – July 2014
by Paul Robear

Our recently completed Centennial Conference attracted participants from around the world: England, Austria, Germany, Israel, Chile, Canada and from across the US.  It was exciting to hear the stories of how we each found the ritual postures and the work of Dr. Felicitas Goodman, CI’s founder. Most but not all gathered has attended workshops taught by Felicitas; our stories went back twenty and thirty years! Born in 1914, this was our opportunity to celebrate Felicitas’ arrival on this planet a hundred years ago. It was an opportunity to make new friends, renew old acquaintances, and to discuss and exchange ideas and news with practitioners, instructors and researchers from all over the world.

I was especially pleased with the high level of engagement by a cross-section of Certified Instructors. This conference became a needed platform to bring together our global network of instructors, and further an on-going dialogue. We all engaged in lively discourse about how this work has impacted our lives, and those of our students.

As the Conference coordinator, I wanted to ensure that everyone who wanted to contribute and participate had that opportunity, even in they could not attend. encouraged. To that end, we featured submissions via articles, live conference calls, and pre-recorded video. So we packed a lot into the seven days of the conference! We had lectures, slide-shows, progress reports, tributes to Felicitas, workshop presentations, celebrations, rituals, ceremonies and daily Ritual Posture sessions. It was a wonderful mix of experience, education and fun from the many contributors who provided quality, meaningful content.

Conference Highlights: To widen the circle even further, and with so many reports and photos to share, I have dedicated a page to Centennial Conference Highlights. I have also invited each contributor to submit an overview of their presentation for future newsletters. In this month’s newsletter I have included a few of these articles here, with more to follow.

International Instructor Conference: Maintaining our international connections became a common theme throughout the conference. Hermine Brzobohaty, Co-Director of the Felicitas Goodman Institute in Austria, suggested that we meet again at CI in two years. This was met with much enthusiasm and support. So we are already planning CI’s International Instructor Conference for the summer of 2016!  We hope to see you at the next International Instructor Conference; two years is the blink of the eye! If you are not yet an Instructor, talk to me about our new, updated program.

Fundraising for the Land: The objective for this conference was to honor Felicitas, so the funds raised went to furthering her mission of protecting this land, directly into a “Preserving the Land Fund”.  I am so very pleased to announce that the Centennial Celebration raised nearly $7,000.00! What’s more, several participants committed to continuing their donations in future.  Thank you!

I want to express my sincere appreciation to all those who helped on many levels make this event a success. The entire Board of Directors, who worked hard for many months, would like to thank you all for your participation. We had a wonderful time and greatly enjoyed the quality and sense of community. It is our hope that this spirit of community, and the stimulating, dynamic dialogue enjoyed here will continue to connect and enliven the research and direct experience of Ritual Postures in your local communities. To that end, Laura and I just concluded a very joyous and successful workshop at CI of sixteen people from Australia to Austria, California to Maine for our Initiatory Training, and look forward to the next that starts this Wednesday. It’s tremendously rewarding work and we feel blessed on so many levels to be here, doing this, and sharing with you both in this reality and that other, very special one!

Blessings,

Paul Robear
President / Executive Director

We are happy to share the following news and articles.

In this issue:

  • Article: Alternate Reality and the Mystic Tradition by John Pilch Ph.D
  • Article: Göbekli Tepe’s Shamanic Birthing Temple by Barbara Hand Clow
  • Article: Physiological Changes Induced by Posture Trance Jill Schumacher,  & Meredith McCord
  • Article: The Witnessing of the Dragonfly and the Singing Shaman by Bat-Sheva Koren
  • Solstice Sunset: Buffalo Medicine – photograph by Jill Schumacher,  & Meredith McCord
  • John Hoenie: The passing of a beloved member of the Cuyamungue Institute community.
  • Just Completed: Initiatory Training July 9th – 13th Full Report next month. Group Photo
  • International Instructor Conference: Summer 2016
  • Workshop: Men’s Conclave – October 1 – 4, 2014
  • How to Submit an Article: you are invited and encouraged to participate

SCROLL DOWN for Articles and Links

NEXT ISSUE:

  • More reports from the Centennial Conference
  • Initiatory Training July 9th – 13th Full Report
  • Initiatory Training July 23rd -27th Full Report
  • New Art & Spirit submissions
  • Introducing New Board Members
  • Workshops in progress for the 2015 season

 -> WEB VERSION OF NEWSLETTER

Alternate Reality and the Mystic Tradition by John Pilch Ph.D

While collaborating with a colleague in writing a commentary on the biblical book of Revelation in 1992, he suggested that I consult Dr. Goodman’s work. When I did and returned to our commentary, I realized that from Genesis (when God put the first creature into trance to create a helpmate for him) to the book of Revelation (in which the author explicitly states four times that he is in trance) the Bible is filled with alternate states of consciousness (ASCs) reports.. More ->

Göbekli Tepe’s Shamanic Birthing Temple by Barbara Hand Clow

The eminent pre-historian Andrew Collins has just released a book of extreme importance for our posture research—Göbekli Tepe: Genesis of the Gods. Our experiments with more than 80 ritual body postures used by humans to access shamanic states for at least 36,000 years should be investigated by anyone who wants to thin the veil obscuring the Göbekli Tepe shamanic cultists. I am really excited about Andrew’s brilliant analysis of Göbekli Tepe because it resonates deeply with Dr. Goodman’s discoveries and my writing. I studied with Dr. Goodman for thirteen years before she died in 2005…  More->

Physiological Changes Induced by Ecstatic Body Posture Trance
by Jill Schumacher,  & Meredith McCord

This study was done as a research project for our Doctorates in Bioenergetic Medicine & Natural Medicine.
The design of this pilot study was an exploratory, descriptive study.  10 research subjects were selected using a convenience sample.  The CI Standard Protocol was applied for setting sacred space; breathing with natural, relaxed breath; assuming the ritual body posture (Bear Posture); neuro-acoustical stimulation with the rattle at 210 beats/min., followed by journaling. More->

The Witnessing of the Dragonfly and the Singing Shaman by Bat-Sheva Koren

… I remained alone in the hall with a sense of holiness that captured the moment… bending over to pick up the gong and covering it, I notice a small branch resting next to it; to my surprise it turned out to be a dragonfly, wings closed. For a moment I wondered if she was dead as she was motionless… perhaps unintentionally harmed… she wasn’t prostrate, but standing quietly on her delicate legs… a tear rolled down my face in awe… nature witnessed us… I lifted her.

She didn’t fly away… placing her on the gong, taking her to the kiva – she spread her wings as the sun rose, their transparency reflecting the colors of the rainbow shimmering in them. I gently placed her in the center of the kiva on the frame holding Felicitas’ photograph… lighting a candle beside her picture… drawing Susana’s attention to the presence of the dragonfly… surrendering to the mysteriousness, the synchronicity, the message of the universe of which we are a part…  More->

Summer solstice sunset in Oregon in honor of Felicitas!!
from Jill Schumacher & Meredith McCord

 

         See full size photos              >> > 

Buffalo Sunset

Buffalo Sunset

John Hoenie
May 2nd, 1940 to July 10th, 2014

We are saddened by the passing of John Hoenie, a long-time member of the Cuyamungue Institute. He is survived by his loving wife, Belinda Gore.  John was an amazing photographer, an avid sailor, and a wise and caring friend.

    More->

 

Initiatory Training July 9th – 13th taught by Paul Robear & Laura Lee

Sixteen of us, an international group from Austria, Australia, France, Italy, and across the USA from California to Maine.

 

Look for our full report in the next issue!

 

 

 

The Men’s Conclave – October 2 – 5,  2014
Cuyamungue Institute – Santa Fe, New Mexico

This gathering provides a chance for us to share as friends, mentors, brothers, fathers, sons. Amid our fast changing, fast-paced lives, the demands and pressures that men face today require an extraordinary level of courage, authenticity and tenacity.

Who Can Attend The Men’s Conclave?  This is an open event, embracing men of all beliefs, colors, walks of life, economic, social, political, sexual orientation, and religious backgrounds. Space is limted to 15 participants.

The time has come for the men of the institute to gather and share the power of the Cuyamungue Method as a group. This will only the second time in the history of the Institute that an all male event will be conducted at the Institute.  Email me directly at paulrobear@cuyamungueinstitute.com for more information.

(Pictured is “Lion Man” 40,000 years old from Hohlenstein-Stadel, Germany)

Here is more information on the Men’s Conclave.

How to Submit an Article: As part of expanding our Cuyamungue Institute community, you are invited and encouraged to participate. Share how you use the Cuyamungue Method in your chosen field. We are also open to other topics, with the emphasis on the posture work, and research and or experience. More information

We need your support! The Cuyamungue Institute is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Like most non-profit organizations, CI has limited resources. Each one of us can make a difference in our own way; some have the resources to provide financial support, while others have talents which they can share as a committed volunteers. We must always ask the question, “How can I make a difference?” Once we know that answer, we need to act. We are proud of the scope of work we have already accomplished, but this is just the beginning, and there is much more to do! Here’s how you can participate:

  • Be a Volunteer. Ask about existing, on-going projects you can help with. Or suggest projects that you can work on, fund, or both!
  • Attend workshops at the Institute. Bless yourself and CI. Workshop fees directly support maintenance of the land and buildings.
  • Personal Donations. 100% of your donations and gifts go directly to the Institute, and are tax deductible.
  • Corporate Donations. Your company can have a tremendous impact. Ask us how we can bring our work to your visionaries and leaders!

Also consider making a donation by clicking here. Ongoing research and new applications of this work is only possible with donations made by people like you. Laura Lee, our Director of Outreach and Development, is available to answer your questions. Contact her at lauralee@cuyamungueinstitute.com Thanks for reading! Please forward this to your friends and acquaintances who will enjoy learning more about us, and please let me hear from you! I am most happy answer any and all questions about the Institute or the Cuyamungue Method. We welcome all correspondence.

Email me directly at paulrobear@cuyamungueinstitute.com .
Blessings,
Paul Robear
President / Executive Director
Cuyamungue – The Felicitas D. Goodman Institute
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