May 14, 2016
From the event website:
Perhaps the two most powerful drivers when it comes to control and power dynamics in our society are sex and money. Presented and facilitated by Yalila Espinoza, PhD, Kenneth Tupper, PhD, and Kevin Parker, MA, RCC, this full-day workshop will take a look at ethics, morals, oversight and the paradoxes that arise around second chakra energy when working with plant medicines and psychedelics in a therapeutic context. We explore how sex and money color the student/teacher relationship and some practical guidelines for working with teachers and plant sacraments. These, often taboo, topics will be framed in the context of healing and integration. Bring your stories, imagination and insight to this interactive event.
We have little understanding of our sexuality and a pronounced divide between the masculine & feminine energies. Once we recognize the consequences of sexual dis-ease in society we can take steps to use psychedelics to minimize harm and maximize healing. Yalila Espinoza will discuss how psychedelics can heal sexual trauma and enhance sexual vitality. Her talk will also encourage us to think about how we can join in manifesting a vision that highlights embodied wisdom and empowered sexual liberation for all beings.
Cultivating discernment on the spiritual path is an integral and necessary part of the journey. Kevin Parker, MA, RCC, covers the issue of power dynamics in group settings and how to safely and successfully navigate through issues of transference, boundary violations and abuses of power when working with teachers, gurus, shamans or rascals.
Kenneth Tupper’s talk considers the emerging status of ayahuasca as a commodity in international trade networks and the global economic system of the early 21st century. Is ayahuasca drinking becoming a bourgeois luxury for the affluent of the global North? Does the commodification of the brew somehow profane it? How does ayahuasca consumerism fit within the politics of international drug control? These and other questions provoke questions and reflections on what the economics of ayahuasca might reveal about the nature of money, value, economy, and ecology at a critical moment in human history.
Following the presentation portion of this workshop, there will be interactive dialogue and exercises to embody and integrate the material. We encourage your participation, stories, and insights at this engaging workshop.
PRESENTERS/FACILITATORS:
Yalila Espinoza, PhD is an integrative health advisor and creator of 01CENTER offering training in Plant Spirit Shamanism and Sexual Initiation. Her PhD studies focused on indigenous shamanistic practices, Amazonian plant teachers, and sexual healing. Yalila guides consciousness leaders to be sexually confident and share their authentic voice in the world. More info at www.yalila.com.
Kenneth Tupper, Ph.D., is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. His research interests include psychedelic studies; cross-cultural and historical uses of psychoactive substances; public, professional and school-based drug education; and drug policy from a public health perspective. For more information on Kenneth and his work, see: www.kentupper.com/
Kevin Parker received a Masters degree in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. He is a Registered Clinical Counsellor in private practice with offices in Nanaimo and North Vancouver. In 2014 he founded the first Psychedelic Psychotherapy Forum. His focus has been the link between spirituality and psychology and entheogens. More info: www.integralcounsellingbc.com
For more information, visit the event website.
