Workshops
We can custom design any workshop based on your needs and our skill sets.
Communication & Conflict Resolution Team Building Decolonizing Our Hearts & Minds Self-Awareness and Interpersonal Communication Democracy in the Workplace Social Justice on the Spot Meditation and Mindfulness Yoga 101 Reclaiming Culture Kin Connections
Workshop Descriptions
Team Building
Many of us find ourselves in toxic work places where racism, sexism, homophobia or simply poor communication dominate and a culture of dysfunction becomes normalized. Given that we spend almost 80% of our time at “work” this has significant implications for our mental health and wellbeing. Whether we are in positions of leadership or are workers within an organization, our sense of who we are and can be at work is important. This workshop explores the ways in which communication can break down and what ways of being and practices might contribute to strengthening communication and building a sense of shared identity. We will also focus on how leaders may create empowering workplaces by encouraging their teams to express, communicate and healthfully deal with conflict while promoting a common sense of purpose.
Self-Awareness and Interpersonal Communication
Many of us struggle to communicate effectively whether with our partners, our friends, at work or in our communities. Breakdowns in communication can be visible, verbal and sometimes physical but often they manifest in avoidance, quiet acceptance or resignation. We often mistake the absence of visible conflict for good communication living for years with our own resentment or the resentment of others. Sometimes we know how to communicate well in one setting and fall apart in another. In this workshop we explore awareness and compassion (both towards self and others) as starting points to transformative communication. Participants will reflect on their own ‘styles’ and how these may help or hinder effective communication. Together we will look at the qualities of effective communication and how to practically apply them.
Social Justice on the Spot
In these divisive times, many of us struggle to know how to respond in the moment to racist, sexist, or trans/homophobic comments and behaviours or to discrimination and misunderstanding around physical or intellectual ability or mental health whether directed at ourselves or at another. In this workshop we explorehow to recognize and respond to prejudice when it arises both within ourselves and others either blatantly or with microaggressions. How do our own attitudes and styles of communication and conflict resolution either reinforce or challenge prejudice and exclusion? From a point of self awareness, how do we then help our families, work places and communities to practice compassionate and inclusive communication?
Yoga 101
Learn basic breath techniques and simple movements to decrease stress, improve sleep and digestion and relieve pain. All ages, bodies and abilities are welcomed and will be accommodated. Yoga means to yoke or unite. We will aim to unite your body, mind and spirit during our hour or so together.
Yoga can quickly give us the tools we need to be in the present moment instead of dwelling on the past or planning for the future and that is truly liberating.
Reclaiming Culture
Have a céilidh | visit with Amber and friends and discover the deeps roots of the Gaels including song, story, music, dance, history and kinship connections. This is a participatory workshop where all cultural expressions will be welcome. We will also discuss some of the ways that colonization has affected the Gaels along with many other groups and potential ways forward in the reclamation and healing process.
Meditation and Mindfulness
This workshop is ideally delivered in three sessions but can be ‘shortened’ to cover the basics based on the identified priorities of the group/organization involved. We begin by asking: Why meditate? Using a participatory approach, we start by identifying the motivations of participants so that the workshop can be tailored to their needs and intentions. All workshops will include basic breath techniques, posture, short practice sessions and instruction on developing a beginner’s practice. With this foundation participants then explore what they notice in their bodies and minds during meditation. They will practice longer sessions of both sitting and walking meditation followed by time for reflection. For those individuals and groups wanting to move beyond the basics, time can be spent on exploring the broader picture of meditation as a path to recognizing and embodying interdependence and compassion.
Decolonizing Our Hearts & Minds
As Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission made clear in its 2015 report, we live in a country built on a history of colonization and the cultural genocide of Indigenous peoples. We are also a multicultural country with a long history of immigration from various parts of the world, refugee resettlement, and people descended from participants in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade that abducted and forcefully brought Black people to this land. Some communities have been here for decades, and even centuries; others form part of what has been termed our “newcomer” population. As we attempt to confront racism in our society, more individuals and organizations seek advice on how to confront systemic racism both at an individual level and in our workplaces and communities. In this workshop, we explore the following questions: What is colonization? How can we understand the histories of oppression? How do we learn to see from various cultural points of view? What does it mean to be an ally? How can we embody decolonizing ways of being in our daily lives? How do we bring a decolonized mind/heart to our families, communities, and workplaces?
Democracy in the Workplace
Drawing from the input and experience of participants, in this workshop we explore what an inclusive and empowering workplace looks like. How do we allow each individual’s creativity, particular skills and intelligence to emerge? How do we maintain the general health and wellbeing of each person in our group/organization? What does it look like to practice with regard for group norms and ground rules around decision making, communication and conflict resolution? How do we measure our success in inclusivity?
