Manifesting Personal Sustainability in Your Life and Work

Weekend of April 22-24, 2011

Sunset at Esalen

In this Earth Day workshop, Thomas Joseph Doherty, a specialist in ecopsychology, will weave insights from neuroscience, environmental psychology, and mind-body health to present a model of personal sustainability. Thomas will share practices that he uses in his ecopsychology practice to help individuals recognize and validate their emotions about the current environmental situation, develop practices of mindfulness and acceptance, nurture themselves, celebrate their connections to the natural world, and most importantly, to engage in grounded action that manifests their unique sustainability vision and avoids burnout over the long haul.

The title of this workshop is inspired by the final stage of the archetypal hero’s journey: Once a hero has completed his or her trials and adventures, the challenge is to manifest the vision of possibility brought back from the “extraordinary world” into the “real world” of community and society—to be a Master of Two Worlds (M2W). Thomas will show how the M2W model can support agents of change who carry a vision of sustainability and who labor daily to foster their vision in their families, organizations, and communities.

Along the way, Thomas will detail research on the benefits of green spaces for stress reduction and productivity, the diverse ways people understand their connections to the natural world, how to cope with issues like global climate change, and how the M2W perspective corresponds with research on leadership, motivation, and resilience.

• CEUs available for psychologists.

• CEUs available for MFTs and LCSWs.

• Reservations Information (Accommodations & Pricing)

Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA

Once home to a Native American tribe known as the Essalen, Esalen is situated on 27 acres of spectacular Big Sur coastline with the Santa Lucia Mountains rising sharply behind. The Esalen Institute was founded in 1962 as an alternative educational center devoted to the exploration of what Aldous Huxley called the “human potential,” the world of unrealized human capacities that lies beyond the imagination.

Esalen soon became known for its blend of East/West philosophies, its experiential/didactic workshops, the steady influx of philosophers, psychologists, artists, and religious thinkers, and its breathtaking grounds blessed with natural hot springs.

Visit the Esalen website: http://www.esalen.org for more details about this special location.

Thomas Doherty teamed up with Explore Green to present Sustainable Self at Sundance over Labor Day Weekend.

Thomas led the group through a weekend experience that combined education on ecopsychology and mind-body health with nature-based stress management, eco-therapy and deep self-reflection.

Participants added to their restoration by enjoying massage and wellness treatments at the Sundance Spa, horseback riding, and fine dining at the Tree Room restaurant. A highlight of the weekend was a Sundance screening of the new documentary Play Again and discussion with producer and workshop participant Meg Merrill.

presents…

Identity, Coping And Thriving In An Ecological Age

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In this exclusive and timely weekend workshop and film premiere, Dr. Thomas Doherty, a specialist in the psychology of human-nature relationship and environmental issues, will lead participants in a journey of personal discovery and restoration within the beautiful Sundance Resort and the Wasatch Range.

Dr. Doherty—called by The New York Times “the most prominent American advocate of a growing discipline of ecopsychology” — will weave insights from neuroscience, environmental psychology, and mind-body health to create a model of personal sustainability.

Dr. Doherty’s Complete Bio on Explore Green

Participants are invited to the Sundance premiere of “Play Again” an award-winning documentary by Meg Merrill and Tonje Hessen Schei.

Click here to view the Play Again trailer

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 3

7:30 PM: The Promise of Ecopsychology

This 90-minute talk will discuss the psychology of environmental issues and human-nature relationships, with a focus on how people develop their beliefs and behaviors regarding the natural environment and ways to cope with stressful events like the current Gulf oil spill.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4

9:00 AM: Nature-Based Stress Reduction

This 2-hour workshop will provide hands-on experience of stress management techniques and mindfulness meditation in natural settings, with a focus on developing motivation and peace of mind regarding the current environmental crisis. The workshop will include an indoor orientation and non-strenuous outdoor activities.

1:00 PM: Positive Psychology and the Environment

In this 2-hour outdoor workshop participants will nurture themselves and celebrate their connections to nature. Dr. Doherty will highlight topics such as the positive and inspiring emotions and experiences people experience in beautiful natural settings, the history of peoples’ sense of place, and the possibility of an expanded “ecological self.”

8:00 PM: Sundance Premiere of “Play Again” with commentary by the film’s producer, Meg Merrill

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 5

11:00 AM: Grounded Action

This 90 Minute workshop is the capstone to our weekend. Participants will identify useful personal sustainability practices, and goals and strategies for effective environmental engagement that make sense in the context of their lives.

TO ENROLL:

$250 per person
Students: $100.
for all weekend activities and film premiere.

Sundance Resort will provide a special
discounted room rate for the weekend.

Call 1-801-223-4006 and ask for Mara Gabis
to book your reservation.

About Sundance Resort: Nestled at the base of Utah’s 12,000-foot Mt. Timpanogos, Sundance is a 6,000-acre community destination resort, dedicated to maintaining the balance of art, nature and community. Created by Robert Redford, Sundance is a haven for discovery and inspiration that offers diverse mountain recreation experiences year round. Only an hour’s drive from Salt Lake City and 45 minutes from Park City, Sundance is the resort you’ve dreamed about. Sundance features 95 rustically elegant mountain cottages and 10 mountain homes that echo the simplicity of the natural setting. Award-winning dining, a Native American-inspired spa, horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking and an Art Shack that features classes in painting, pottery and jewelry making make Sundance the perfect mountain getaway.

To visit the Sundance website, CLICK HERE