My husband Murray and I attended the five day non aboriginal ‘intensive’ workshop, November 28th to December 3rd, in Prince George at the Domano Renewal Center, that a trusted and respected acquaintance of mine gently referred us to. This healing workshop has proven to have enhanced all my relations, personal, professional and in the community. On a more personal note it has made a profound difference in my marriage as we learned through the workshop how to speak the same language, take responsibility for our own lives and, should there be a breakdown, how to breakthrough quickly instead of repeating the same unhealthy patterns in which we were stuck. “You learn a whole new dialogue,” to quote the workshop. I have been to many workshops, models of healing, and therapies and all I can say is this one is extremely unique, highly emotionally intense and positively one I feel compelled to share. I am aware of some others in the community who have been and also say the same about the Returning To Spirit Workshop. Here in Fort St James the contact person is Elder Holistic Healer Margo Sagalon.
There is a series of eleven follow up seminars you can take that follow the workshop. My husband and I are looking forward to completing the series that are offered and co-facilitated here in our community of Fort St James.
The same series of seminars are being held in Prince George as well. The time period for both these seminars ends in June of this year, after which there is the five-day reconciliation workshop where both aboriginal and non aboriginal groups will come together. My Father being of Miq’maw origin caused me to struggle deciding which group to join. However, since being raised non-aboriginal and after having learned that the model for each healing group is identical, I chose to go with the non-Aboriginal group.
This workshop has made such a shift in my home life that I made a promise to myself that I would share this information as a pay it forward so other community members can choose to have the same opportunities as those of us who have already been. Open mindedness and willingness is required to journey through this workshop. It took courage and energy to choose to stay for the duration of this workshop, as the journey opened many doorways that I have opened before but only this time successfully walked through and learned to transform, rather than band-aid it for a toxic cyclical wound. If you’re stuck anywhere in your life I highly recommend this workshop and I especially encourage the front-liners to take advantage of these workshops healing opportunities. “Get rid of what you know you already know,” as they told us, and begin the journey.
Three of the different slogans that have stayed with me from the workshop are: “Healing does not have to take a lifetime” a quote from an Elder who had taken the workshop; “Making the impossible possible”; and “Alter your conversation, Alter your life”. As an added note, this has nothing to do with religion. It is, however, about the spirit and returning to it. What more could one wish for themselves, their relations, professionals and communities?
This is my gift to you by paying this information forward. For those of you who have already taken the workshop, here is wishing you many completes!
Many thanks to the facilitators who make this workshop a safe and healing environment.
Halijo Webster
In the mix of Fort St James and loving it!