Facilitators
MARGARETE KOENNING
(Guest Presenter)
Colombian-born Margarete Koenning grew up in Germany and has been living and working in Australia for over a decade. She has been working in the social and therapeutic field since 1979. Margarete holds a BA in social work, and is trained in Gestalt Therapy and Family Constellation. She has been running her own private practice in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland for almost two decades.
During the 80′s, Margarete worked in the German hospital system as a group therapist, focusing mainly on addictions and mental health issues. Since the early 90′s, she works as a internationally respected Gestalt and Constellation trainer for many different institutes. Margarete was one of the first people in Australia to conduct Constellation Training.Her passion lies in creating a safe environment within her groups, enabling participants to find a safe place to heal and grow. Living in the vibrant and active community of Maleny supports Margarete’s sustainable lifestyle.
Margarete meets people with love and respect.
LUTZ PAMBERGER
(Guest Presenter)
Dip of Psych (Berlin), MAPS. Lutz Pamberger trained in Gestalt Therapy with the Gestalt Centre Berlin and the Gestalt Therapy Institute of Los Angeles. He has also trained in Family Constellations Therapy as developed by Bert Hellinger, with the Human Systems Institute, Portland and the International Systemic Constellations Association.
Lutz is a Registered Counselling Psychologist with the Psychologists Registration Board Australia (PBA), a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), the APS College of Counselling Psychologists and the International Systemic Constellations Association (ISCA). He lectured in counselling at the University of Notre Dame Australia from 2003 to 2007. Prior to that he was employed by a non-government funded counselling organisation for 10 years, where he held positions as a counsellor, supervisor and manager.
Lutz lives in Albany (Western Australia) and runs a private practice with his wife Sally. Lutz works with individuals, couples and families, promoting a healthy lifestyle and healthy relationships.He provides clinical supervision for Psychologists, Social Workers and Counsellors. He also provides assistance forhuman systems in the workforce.
Lutz’s assumption is that we need a healthy relationship with ourselves if we want to have healthy relationships with our partners, children, friends and the wider community.
ALISON CAMPBELL
Alison Campbell is a joyful dancer who delights in movement as her choice of true self-expression. As a dancer she interprets and transforms numerous styles from Jazz, Latin, Burlesque through to Indian and African to express a global rhythmical free-style. With her passion for dance, yoga and travel, Alison is an individual who loves variety and the stimulation of ongoing discovery and exploration.
A dancer all of her life, her dance training stretches across the globe from Australasia, South America, Hawaii to West Africa. “She’ll be out there dancing on the hills where eagles fly.” She has facilitated dance and performed both in Australia and overseas, most recently participating in The Carnival in Brazil. “Dance is like play” said Alison, “when you dance you are the choreographer of your life. You can convey anything you feel in the moment, move it, shift it and transport yourself to a place of joy knowing that you’re blessed with this opportunity to connect with the rhythm and express through movement.”
Join Alison’s dance workshop and you’ll have the opportunity to explore the ying and yang through movement and the energies represented by the four elements. Come out feeling the JOY!
[email protected]
www.talenttofly.com
ANDREW BARNES
Andrew has a Master of Health Science (Sexual Health), five diplomas in different styles of bodywork and energy healing, 14 years of teaching and facilitating sexuality and bodywork courses, retreats and coaching sessions internationally. He is the co-author of the book Heart of the Flower – the book of yonis.
Andrew Barnes’ worldview encourages us beyond the usual ways of enhancing our life experience. He draws from his wide-ranging experiences, bringing a distinctive presence, clarity, and approach to a broad array of topics. In addition to more conceptual themes, he addresses daily issues: sexuality, relationships, love, communication, behavioural patterns, vocation and health. With sensitivity, he shares his insights with warmth and at times a sense of humour. Andrew now supports others to find their inner truth and experience dynamic transformation in their own lives.
www.awakeningwithin.org.au and www.heartoftheflower.com
ANDY COPEMAN
& LAUREL HEFFERON
Andy Copeman is a musician, sound healer, sound and video artist and recording engineer and producer with a career stretching back to the late 1970’s. His journey through the diverse music of this world was helped along by several years as a broadcaster working with ABC Radio National’s “The Planet”.
His spiritual journey over many years has led him to explore meditation, shamanism, devotional and spiritual music from many traditions. His passion is the use of music, sound and images to connect with the Divine and bring healing, enjoyment, peace and passion to all involved.
Laurel Hefferon is a gifted healer with exceptional and diverse skills. Her broad knowledge base is an asset to her naturopathic consultations and is supported on a framework of experience derived from her background as a registered nurse with 30 years in the clinical setting along with lecturing in Wellness analysis Herbal Medicine and Naturopathic Philosophy.
Her passion is helping people change their health story through a range of modalities including Herbal Medicine, Naturopathy, Nutritional and Food as Medicine advice and Energetic and Vibrational Healing.
Together, Laurel and Andy are living their bliss in this piece of paradise, enjoying the rich abundance of this universe and celebrating their connection to spirit through their service to the community and the planet, their love for each other and their practices of meditation, tantra and shamanic journeying.
Awakening Centre, on 12 acres sacred forest in North Maleny, is the realisation of Laurel and Andy’s dream of setting up a beautiful centre of excellence in healing and music; a place of community, creativity, healing, passion and heart energy.
http://www.awakeningcentre.com.au/
[email protected]
AMRITA HOBBS
International facilitator, author, educator and Joining Elder, Amrita Hobbs is an amazingly passionate woman. For more than thirty years she has offered innovative workshops for people of all ages, her work has influenced the lives of thousands of people all around Australia and the world.
Her work focuses on the importance of connection and growing in community and on the value of bringing Rites of Passage and Rituals back into our lives. Amrita is author of ‘Getting Real… about growing Up!’ and ‘Weaving Web Stories’ for a better world. She has developed ConnXionS Cards as a communication tool to create intimacy in relationships and to build harmonious community.
[email protected]
www.amritahobbs.com
Skype ID: amrita.hobbs
ARAVINDHA D’ANGIOLILLO
The consciousness of healing is a changing force. While viewing an exhibition during his art college days, Aravindha D’Angiolillo found a seed germinating for a powerful new idea in healing consciousness. This began a journey that would see him combining inner child work, art, meditation, sacred cleansing ceremonies and affirmation exercises that have culminated in the Art 4 Heart – Alchemy of the Heart workshops.
He has helped a wide range of people from children with learning disabilities to adults, to clear emotional blockages like fear and depression. He emphasises drawing without the question of the conscious mind to release blockages from the heart and allow the universe, angels, and spirit guides to free the heart and transfer it to positive energy.
Aravindha explains, “Art is a form of releasing oneself from the mind, through the action of drawing, sculpting or painting momentarily forgetting where the pain is in your life. Healing is in letting go.”
http://aravindha63.wordpress.com/art-4-heart/
CARLA BLONDE & JAMES BAIRD
James Baird and Carla Blonde are part of your friendly kitchen crew and decided this year to speak out about an aspect of Joining they each have passion about – FAMILY. They each are experienced group facilitators, have families and have come through family breakups.
James is a Manshiner, Pathways trainee, Lover of the Earth and a home schooler.
Carla connects with society through homebirth, home-schooling and breath work.
CHINTA RIESS
Chinta is a dynamic group facilitator, teacher and performing artist, with over 16 years experience in these fields. Chinta inspires greatness in his students and work shop participants. With an enthusiastic friendly style Chinta creates an uplifting rhythm charged experience.
Chinta has dedicated his life to sharing his rich knowledge of drum music, ritual and ceremony to create community. Inspired by his dreams to create community through music Chinta embarked on the drummers path. His travels initially led him to the West Africa where he studied Djembe and Dun Dun with the Sou Sou and Mandinka people and studied Bougarabou with the Jola people of Casamance.
Through his passion and love of rhythm and a desire to immerse his being in the culture Chinta was quickly embraced into the communities and invited to drum and be involved for many ceremonies and gatherings. Since then he has traveled to many other countries in Africa East and West most recently Mali studying the drum and culture.
CYNTHIA CONNOP
Cynthia is the founder of the Living Love events program. She has been exploring transformational work for over 25 years, is a personal growth facilitator and a documentary filmmaker.
She has facilitated numerous workshops – culminating in the Living Love program for Men and Women, which is inspired by author and teacher David Deida. In her private consultations Cynthia draws on her skills in masculine/feminine polarity, sacred sexuality and creativity coaching.
[email protected]
www.LivingLove.com.au
www.facebook.com/LivingLove
Cynthia grew up in Melbourne, Australia, completed a Dip Art and later moved to Sydney to study full time at the Australian Film and TV School. Cynthia’s pioneering film projects include the international cinema feature and TV documentary ‘Sacred Sex’, the educational DVD ‘Secrets of Sacred Sex’, the David Deida DVD ‘Spirit Sex Love’, and ‘Spiritual Terrorist’ on the Indian mystic Osho. Her most recent film ‘Bloodlines’ (ABC TV1, Biography Channel) reveals a healing encounter between two women from both sides of the Holocaust. Cynthia now lives in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. She is a partner, a mother, a licensed Avatar master and is committed to co-creating an awakened, passionate world.
DEEJ & UMA
At the beautiful, sacred Joining this year are Deej and Uma.
Deej and Uma run workshops in somatic sex education, sacred sexuality, and embodiment training.
We are the founders of the Sensational Lover series of trainings, and the Tantric Play Parties.
We also have separate practices with individuals and couples. We are dedicated to empowering people to live more fully through quality somatic (body-based) trainings, teaching people to be more connected to their own bodies, their partners’ bodies, and their environment, so we can all have more pleasure and passion in our lives, be more creative, and have better sex.
We teach the Certified Sexological Bodyworker professional training in Australia, and are members of the Somatic Sex Educators’ Association of Australasia.
DIANNE AND MAL RYAN
Mal and Dianne share a joyous passionate life having married 14 years ago and blended a family of 4 boys and 2 girls; all of whom are now happy young adults and are starting families of their own.
Dianne is a spiritual woman passionate about her Beloved Malcolm, transformation, community, interconnectedness and Sacred Sexuality. She is a Founding member of Women’s Wellbeing Association and facilitates ‘Womanhood’ and rites of passage programs for puberty girls ‘Pathways into Womanhood.’
Dianne is a qualified counsellor, psychotherapist and her Path of Heart is the Sweet Medicine SunDance tradition and runs a Shamanic study group for men and women.
Mal jumped on the Men’s Movement of the 90’s and found himself in key roles in a couple of pioneering Men’s programs around the turn of the century. With initiation and Rites of Passage as a focus he attended Pathways to Manhood with 3 of his sons and then continued on several programs as trainee leader.
In recent years his personal focus has turned to the Shamanic Teachings of the Sweet Medicine Sundance path an interest he shares.
ERNST DAMS
Ernst has been co-facilitating the Living Love programs with Cynthia since early 2009. He has been involved with Deida-inspired men’s groups for over ten years and currently leads committed weekly men’s groups in the Byron Shire.
He is passionate about assisting men and women in exploring and deepening their true sexual essence, discovering their innate and unique gifts for the world and encouraging them to live & play in this enlivened polarity. Ernst grew up in the Netherlands, completed a BSc. degree in Tropical Agriculture and started his Australian journey in 1988.
He is a partner, a father, has a private counselling practice and is currently completing his masters’ degree in Gestalt therapy.
[email protected]
www.LivingLove.com.au
www.facebook.com/LivingLove
Jo O’Shanesy
As a social worker with thirty years experience working with traumatised children and families, Jo O’Shanesy brings a sense of clarity, humour and compassion to her interpersonal work.
Through her private practice Pathfinder Counselling and Consultation she has provided mentoring to other professionals and support to community based organisations with their strategic planning. Jo is a perfectly imperfect human being, flowing into expanded consciousness with each decade.
She invites you on a journey of mutual discovery.
KARA STEWART
Kara has been a passionate student of belly dance for 20 years and a teacher of this art for the last 10 years in Sydney and Byron Bay. She has also performed belly dance extensively in many countries around the world.
Kara more recently has been sharing her love of dance with women through ecstatic dance meditations in Byron Bay and Cairns. Currently Kara is assisting in sacred space retreats for women in Byron Bay and Brisbane. She also works caring for children following her commitment to love and creativity.
Kara’s passion in her work is inspired by everything that moves her spirit, including dance, music, nature and her deep love of and commitment to truth.
KAREN ANN LE PIERRES
My Mission is: To work towards demystifying spiritual and metaphysical experiences and to remove any frustration and confusion surrounding the natural abilities and senses. To help empower individuals to fulfil personal potential, and to achieve satisfaction and enjoyment of life.
- Psychic Medium & Metaphysical Consultant
- Psychic – Reading the living personal energies
- Medium – Messages from passed loved ones
- Reiki & Spiritual Healer
- International Reader
- Respected International Teacher
- Tarot, Runes, Crystals, Animal Totems, Guides
- Newspaper column & Radio
I taught for 10 years, I aim to show everyone that they have these abilities naturally within them. Like dancing or singing, we can all be trained to develop to our full potential.
I taught subjects such as Psychic & Mediumship Development, Tarot, Runes, Animal Totems, Aura & Colour Reading, Astral Travel, and Personal Development & Ethical Standards. I studied with and was mentored by Vi Kipling, Past President of the Spiritual National Union UK and principle of the Arthur Findley College for Advanced Training in Mediumship – UK.
I also studied with and was mentored by Carole Davis-Wilson. Carole is a respected Canadian Psychic Medium who is best known for her TV show – Medium at Large, FBI assistance and channel for the Hedges Mitchell Skull. I taught on International Psychic Medium Craig & Jane Hamilton- Parker’s internet site “Delphi” under the Teaching name of T+Eshmun.
I have developed many class programs and workbooks to accompany my teachings. Although I have stopped all metaphysical work for approximately 2 years, testimonials can still be found on this site. I had a psychic column in the Dalby Herald for 2 years under the name of Whitedove and was a regular on local radio and a guest on the ABC’s Paranormal Panel radio program.
I have been a regular guest at many spiritual churches giving psychic or mediumship demonstrations or short teaching sessions. I have supported many churches with readings days to raise money.
I am mainly known for my work at Toowoomba Spiritual Church – with Rev Gypsy and more recently with Maroochydore Spiritual Group with Rev Kerry Redfern.
LEYOLAH ANTARA
Leyolah Antara has been connecting people to their sexual energy as an evolutionary, creative impulse for over 20 years.
She has founded and developed a cutting edge ecstatic, tantric, shamanic practice called Kundalini Dance, which supports practitioners to self generate their sexual creative energy for personal awakening as well as teaching and developing Sacred Evolutionary Sexuality and Divine Feminine embodiment programmes for women.
Her work is deeply transformative and supports the emergence of life changing shifts in consciousness and the fulfillment of a richer, more creatively inspired life. Her work has taken her all over the world to teach retreats and workshops and she has trained over 70 Kundalini Dance Facilitators, in Australia and North America to initiate others into embodying their sexual creative energy, the Kundalini Shakti as a vehicle for awakening our higher creative potentials.
She has produced two interactive CD’s and instructional booklets, teaching manuals and is currently completing her first book: “Tantric Shamanic Dance – Awakening the Creative Impulse”.
www.leyolahantara.com
www.kundalini-dance.com
LISA EDGETON
Lisa has been practising yoga for 14 years and since 2006 has been teaching Oki-Do Yoga, working with Peter Masters, Ishii and Hisae Sensei’s and Masako Kunino. She loves the unique core principles of Oki-Do Yoga – smile/laughter, gratitude, positive mind, oneness and Hara (core strength) and says it opens us to playfulness, creativity, fun, vitality, connection (with self and others) and nourishment.
Oki-do is a unique union of Indian Yoga, Chinese Taoism, Oriental Medicine and Japanese Zen. Practices include purification, strengthening, asana, meditation, chanting and healing. Oki-do is inspired by the life and teachings of Dr Masahiro Oki who devoted his life to others through his work as a teacher, healer and author.
‘Yoga is a practice that vitalises the Buddha nature. It improves the natural ability to strengthen and improve the body and mind, and to reinforce the Tanden (hara). It’s a philosophy and hands-on training on how to live with yourself and the rest in harmony (co-existence and co-prosperity)’
Dr Masahiro Oki
MARK HEALY
A self confessed relationship junkie, Mark is a breath therapist, lover of deep connection, facilitator and organizer of men’s work, creator of labyrinths and sacred journeys, gardener, designer and installation artist.
Mark is passionate about connecting people with nature through the love of gardening with shapes and symbols and walking the sacred path called life.
He is the father of 7 children and a few extras and is committed to Divine Union with Robin, his new partner, and himself.
[email protected]
www.kitscape.com.au
MUKTI
Mukti is a 60 year old American who has been blessed to have spent many years with true Sages from both the Western and Eastern traditions. Currently, he is starting his fifth year touring the world conducting workshops, individual healing sessions and sacred ceremony.
Mukti has lead the sacred Native American Sweat Lodge Ceremony in America, Australia, India, and various countries in Europe. He has been blessed to see and participate in both public and private Native American Ceremonies that few have had the privilege to experience. He receives his guidance and sanctioning in this area from an old Native American Elder. He has also traveled to India 17 times to deepen and broaden his spiritual curiosities. He has been blessed with countless hours of interaction and years of inner reflection with true Spiritual Teachers from the Eastern Traditions, as well.
Mukti is scheduled two offer the Sweat Lodge Ceremony on Sept 23 and 24 at The Joining. He has also to made arrangements to offer this Ceremony on the following weekend of Oct 1,2 at 80 Coolah Place, Lake Coroibah ( near Tewatin on the Sunshine Coast ) for members of The Gathering. There is limited space so please register with him while at the Gathering or contact Sutara at [email protected] 04134-0997.
Come feel the power and transformational qualities of this unique ceremony that often provides a deep sense of clarity and renewal for the participants. Come pray and sing and laugh and reconsider the meaningful things in life. Come reconnect with the wonder of ceremony and the magic of Mother Earth.
For a list of important Q&A regarding the Sweat Lodge and to find out more about Mukti, Native American Ceremony, Workshops and what takes place in his healing sessions, go to www.windwalking.net . If you wish to schedule an individual healing session you can call Mukti at 0402 673 704 when he arrives in the Brisbane area on September 16.
Exchange for the Sweat Lodge Ceremony is by Donation
NIVANNII ROSE
I began my deeper inner work with rebirthing retreats. Talk about jump in the deep end!!! It changed my life literally – I was a computer trainer before I started my training as a Rebirther in 1994 and a Group Facilitator in 1995 with Nemi Nath at BreathConnection. Both these training were a year long while I lived on the community and worked in the office.
I have facilitated support groups, weekend workshops and 7/10/28 day retreats. I am still amazed at the depth, breadth and expansion I gained and learnt while with Nemi. I’ve studied and integrated some much since then. Nonviolent Communication with Marshall Rosenberg was (and still is) a passion.
I Love inspiring people, assisting them to get from one place to another … wherever you want to go. I wanted to be an air hostess when I was younger!!
I am currently inspired by Alison Armstrong.
PAUL FRANCIS
Paul spent the first 20 years of his working life employed by the British Foreign Office as a technologist. He travelled the world extensively experiencing life in the Diplomatic Service. He was posted to the British Consulate-General in Hong Kong and the British High Commission in Canberra, where he fell in love with Australia.
Paul has always been fascinated by the power of images “a picture paints a thousand words” and has collected paintings from many of the countries he has visited. “Paintings can capture a moment in time and retain emotions, memories and a vibrancy we can re-live after the event.” Paul confesses to being “crap” at art but believes that everybody, individuals and groups, has a painting to show the world. His company DoodleJam facilitates groups painting “doodles” (symbols and images) on canvas to music.
www.doodlejam.com
www.facebook.com/doodlejam.
www.twitter.com/doodlejam
PETER KROLL
I am a musician, sometimes artist/poet. I have supported my obsessions and passions through working in the IT industry.
Although I sometimes dabble there still, my work is now with facilitation of men’s groups. My aim is to embody and demonstrate the qualities of compassion, generosity and gratitude. Being human, I frequently fall short.
Nevertheless, my goal is to align my values with my life. In this, there is no destination, only the journey. Which sounds really pompous unfortunately, but what the hell…..
PIET CROES
Piet Croes is a Success Strategist, Fun-Shui Master, Lover of Life and Human Potential Researcher for 25 years.
PRAVAS
Pravas brings a lifetime of experience of relationship, of life and of death. He has attended this gathering over many years and is also a Senior facilitator of Common Ground men’s groups through the Men’s Wellbeing Assoc.
He brings a grand sense of humour mixed with a passion for life.
ROBIN CLAYFIELD
An author, facilitator, trainer, musician and Grandma, Robin has a passion for creative facilitation, ceremony, empowerment work, Permaculture, Deep Ecology and community co-operation.
She is delighting in sacred union and the divine dance of relationship with her new partner Mark. She feels strongly to share the gifts that are birthed through their connection and their commitment to dive deeply and transparently into the fullness and richness of LOVE, hand in hand with the Beloved in us all.
[email protected]
www.dynamicgroups.com.au
RUDRAN BRANNOCK 
I am the founder/visionary of The Joining.
I have trained in Aikido, Yoga and meditation, rebirthing, body and energy work, counselling, group facilitation, and am a student of Tantra and the Shamanic field.
My life purpose is in the discovery and promotion of the harmonious relationship between the masculine and the feminine at the individual, group, cultural and ecological levels.
SALLY GUILDFORD
Sally is deeply interested in the connection between nature and self. She is passionate about bringing people’s awareness to their body, connecting them to the present with feeling and experience.
Sally has several years experience teaching Voice and Kundalini Dance in various contexts- at festivals, workshops, weekly classes and one-on-one. Her primary intention is to assist people to discover joy, playfulness and feeling through sounding and moving their own bodies.
As we transform ourselves we transform the world.
SHANNON ICHIKAWA
I am a woman of many loves and talents.
One of my biggest passions is Aikido, closely followed by juggling, drama, song, yoga, dance, languages, co-counselling, being with children, games and nature. I got my Aikido 2nd Kyu(brown belt) at the age of 18 in Ki Society style in 1992. At that time I regularly assisted running Aikido classes at the Lismore Aikido club(with my dad, Rudran) and in local schools.
After that I studied Aikido in Sapporo, Japan and got my Aikido Shodan (black belt) in Aikikai style in 2008. I did an exploration of the chakra system in a performance at the Adelaide folk festival in a dance musical piece called Tribe. I then went on to perform at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in another dance musical piece mixing old school crooning with modern techno beats.
I have been in many amateur theatre productions with the University of QLD dramsoc at the cement box theatre. In Japan I continued with my love of circus skills by studying mime, and that ensemble performed at the Sapporo Street Performance Festival in 1999.
Now I teach adults English at Global Village Language School in Noosa, QLD. I joyously revel in the drama courses I run at the school.
SUZANNE WARWICK 
Suzanne is a Holistic Counsellor, facilitator of Transformational Group Work and ‘The Work’ of Byron Katie. Her intention is to create and hold Sacred Space, inviting the healing energy of awareness with love and compassion.
Her areas of special interest include Process Oriented Psychology, Steiner Philosophy, Art Therapy and Women’s Rites of Passage and Initiation.
TERRY BISHOP
Terry is a Joining Elder, a past masculine energy holder and Joining committee member for 2 years.
He is an initiated elder in the Men’s Wellbeing community, and has sat on the executive committee of Men’s Wellbeing for the last 6 years. He runs occasional workshops on Ken Wilber’s integral theory and practice, gender dynamics and integral spirituality.
He is in between transitions in his means of livelihood.
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