Living Visionaries

Allan O’Meara is a therapeutic clown and laughter coach. Certified by the founder of Laughter Yoga, Dr. Madan Kataria, Allan is a pioneer in the worldwide Laughter Yoga Movement. Starting one of Canada’s first Laughter Clubs, Allan brings the healing power of laughter to children, adults, and seniors. He has worked in community centers, nursing homes, retirement communities, hospitals, and with business and health-care professionals. Allan runs a weekly non-profit Laughter Club and presents Laughter workshops, sessions and trainings. Allan is also a Dahn Yoga Instructor.

Charles has been gifted with a vision for planetary sustainability, regeneration and revitalization of the world’s food source through an intense, personal desire to experience optimum health in mind, body and spirit. Charles is a catalyst with more than 15 years experience in sustainable living, alternative energy and holistic healing modalities that instill homeostasis and remove the cause of disease.

Founder of Living Harvest Conscious Nutrition, now the fastest growing hemp seed food company in the world in less than four years, he is also co-founder and President of Conscious Planet, a newly-launched affiliate marketing program of what may be the finest wellness products on the planet based on the mission of Raising Consciousness. Charles is joined on his journey by his beloved, Wind Walrath, author, healer and all-round amazing gal as they travel throughout North America giving of their time freely to educate, train and support people in their quest for greater health and mastery of the life experience.

As singer, composer, teacher and sound healer dedicated to building community through sound and voice, Jerry has spent years developing several styles of Harmonic “Throat” Singing such as Tibetan and Tuvan. He is the director of the One Voice Harmonic (vocals in the Tantric traditions) and the MantraVani Orchestra, a sacred/world music ensemble. A student of Baba Hari Dass, Jerry also has over 20 years experience in teaching yoga and leading kirtan for thousands of people. He offers both personal lessons and workshops such as: Wisdom of the Voice, Bhakti Yoga and Voice Empowerment. Jerry also creates gatherings such as Bhakti Night, Chanting in the Round, Sacred Journeys, and Walking the Labyrinth.

Kathie inspired Paul to bring the Living Vision retreat back to the community after a 3-year hiatus in 2006 and was inspired herself to put paint to canvas and create the Living Vision Ceremonial Labyrinth to deepen the process during the weekend – Paul and Kathie are now both Reverends and are looking forward to performing marriages on the Ceremonial Labyrinth!

For 2008 Kathie brought the Oneness Blessing to Living Vision – inspired to be initiated as a Oneness Blessing Giver after receiving her first Blessing following the 2006 Living Vision weekend, for her 50th birthday (Easter Sunday 2008 and two days after Spring Equinox) Kathie’s journey into Oneness brought her to the inaugural week of the Fiji campus created by Anthony Robbins to facilitate Oneness for North Americans. Jerry DesVoignes has arranged and recorded the Oneness Moola Mantra and we’re thrilled that he will sing this for us again at this year’s retreat!

Rev. Mahara Brenna is a Master Rebirther with 30 years teaching Holistic Rebirthing throughout Canada, U.S.A., Europe and Australia. At the age of 23, Mahara healed a lifetime of epilepsy through this powerful healing modality. She is also a Holistic Health Educator, Mediator, Community Builder, Performer and Speaker. She has been leading community building on campuses for the past 25 years and designs and facilitates special events for the upliftment and unification of our Family of Humankind. Mahara is known as a “Mid-Wife for Souls”, a “Planetary Change-Agent” and has been teaching workshops on the Divine Feminine since the 80′s. She is proudly one of the founding members of the Akasha Mystery School of Sciences and Arts.

Minke is a Senior Inner Alchemy Instructor and has been director of Silent Ground Retreats for over 20 years. She has extensive training in movement arts, including Eurhythmy, and has produced several audio/visual Tao Tools. Minke has an enormous range of energetic and spiritual skills and a reputation as one of the top teachers of qigong, healing, and women’s sexuality. Minke teaches in Canada and internationally.

Transpersonal Therapist, Spiritual Teacher, and Professional Ballroom Dance Instructor.

Paul is the catalyst and host for Living Vision, the founder of the Ballroom Dance Instructors College (Vancouver) Co-creator of the “Studio” at Rhodes Wellness College and an instructor for the Spiritual program at Rhodes Wellness College. Paul’s philosophy is “Life is for Living”. In his practice as a transpersonal therapist and spiritual teacher, his approach is to use the arts, psychology and the spiritual principles of A Course In Miracles as vehicles to experience a passionate and playful journey into ourselves, our relationships, and the world around us. In his ongoing quest for greater authentic expression and inclusive community Paul has been devoted and passionate in his vision of bringing the power of transformative art and intentional community to people through his annual Living Vision retreat. Paul’s love for the transformative power of dance and community has inspired the creation of the Holistic Ballroom Dance Instructors College and the co-creation with Bea Rhodes of the “Studio” at Rhodes Wellness College for those people who just want to dance in the joy of community! Paul is currently co-creating with other practitioners in the creative arts the Ballroom Bliss series of workshops to encourage and develop greater creative expression through dance and the transformative healing arts. Paul finds joy in healing in the Quantum field through Matrix Energetics.

Electrifying percussionist and multi-instrumentalist. A native of Uruguay, Pepe began classical guitar studies at age eight. Pepe developed an interest in world music spending time in Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, Philippines, Europe and the USA, performing and recording Latin, Jazz and Contemporary music.

Moving to Canada in 1989 he specialized in the study of world percussion while quickly establishing himself as one of the foremost drummers and band leaders on the West Coast having performed Trichy Shankaran, Ann Mortifee, Christine Ducan, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Choir. Pepe recently formed Roots/Blues group The Blues Poets. As a teacher Pepe has been working with Vancouver’s School Board, teaching Samba music to children of all ages and workshops for music teachers.

Philip is a Senior Bodyworker, Somatic Counselor and Inspirateur. He has had a private healing practice for 30 years and has led seminars and consulted for a wide variety of theraputic and training institutes in Europe and North America related to The Healing Arts. His calling is using movement and touch as doorways to enhance and heal the emotional, psychological and spiritual. He is a natural empath; and a child, family and chocolate advocate.

Suzanne Kyra

M.A. Registered Clinical Counsellor, Certified Coach; professional speaker, clinical supervisor at Simon Fraser Universtiy Psychology clinic, and award winning author. Suzanne Kyra awakens the spirit of life though the sculpted meaning of her words, in her and her son’s book, Welcome Home Home to Yourself, which has won numerous awards including; 2009 Benjamin Franklin Gold winner in the category of New Age / Metaphysics / Spirituality; 2009 Nautilus Silver winner in the category of Art / Specialty / Gift; 2009 Independent Book Publishers Bronze winner in the category of Inspiration/Spirituality. All awards were given in New York city at the 2009 American Book Exposition. Suzanne Kyra will intimately share the journey prior to co-creating the book with her son, the journey and the losses and joys at the other end. The experience is expansive, vibrant and loving.  This year Suzanne was awarded Woman of the Year at the W.O.W. (Women of Worth) convention in Vancouver, B.C.

Trilby Jeeves

Trilby trained in her second language at Le Conservatoire D’Art Dramatique de Quebec, in Quebec City and was the first and only English student to graduate from the three-year acting program. She went on to perform in both French and English across Canada. During this time, she also worked part-time as a costumer, & set supervisor for the film & TV industry. Trilby’s directing experiences include the first French Canadian productions of “Les Monologues du Vagin” for two consecutive years, and a recent production for First Impressions Theatre of “The Memory of Water”.

Her passion for inspiring truthful performances and the idea of “play” evolved into her own Buffoonery Workshops, which has taken her throughout BC, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and to Puerto Rico. Trilby provides a safe and stimulating environment where students find their inner bouffon by getting out of the head and into the body. For actors, this practice leaves them with a unique tool for text exploration. For everyone, the bouffon shows you how to play again, laugh at yourself, and free up your spirit!

Trilby also helped design, and co-trains “Directing the Actor” workshops with her partner, Peter D. Marshall. You can follow Trilby, a social media enthusiast, on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tjbuffoonery

Vince Gowmon

Vince Gowmon, CPCC, BBA is a Certified Professional Life Coach and founder of Remembering to Play Events. He offers Spirit at Play Coaching and leads workshops for organizations interested in growing through the joy of play and the creative gifts of the intuitive mind.

Vince’s message is simple: Work is a function of the ego. Play is an expression of the soul! When we work at life we find less room for creativity, productivity and authentic expression. When we play with life, we live with less attachment to ideas, agendas or the perceived “right way” of doing things. We are more flexible and adaptable to life’s unpredictable cycles, find creative solutions in unconventional ways, and take risks to try new ideas and new ways of being. We connect to a world beyond our limited self and allow the mystery of life and all its potential to unfold more naturally and joyfully.

Vince is trained through one of the top coaching programs, The Coaches Training Institute, and their Leadership Program, as well as through the Centre for Right Relationship’s Organization Relationship & Systems Coaching program. He also holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University, concentrating on Human Resources, Marketing and International Business. He has been featured in the media several times including BCTV, City TV, CKNW Radio and The Coaching Show. His clients include the Ministry of Social Services, Health Care, Education, Government, Day Care workers, and various non-profits.

When Vince is not teaching he is playing elsewhere with friends in the outdoors, or hanging out in cafes, dancing, skating, playing board games or writing music with his guitar.