New School: 5 programs to support personal growth

Shutterstock

If there’s one for sure, it’s that life is a constant journey of learning.

Past any official education attained during our school years, the lessons of being human present themselves daily: Learning to make good decisions, to move past childhood trauma, to face insecurities, to get past ideas of how life should be, to tune into our own hearts and souls – to be our true selves. This human learning is the undercurrent that runs parallel with everything else we’re taking in in our lives.

If you find yourself on a path of personal growth, it’s only a matter of time before you get to a place where you want or need some support.

See Also:

We all face so much pressure to achieve, to earn, and to be something. To step outside of the pressures we’ve been carrying (since childhood, for many of us!) into a state of inner peace, self-acceptance and flow, requires some serious intention setting and re-wiring of thought patterns. I personally don’t think we can get there without support.

Here are programs that are designed to support people on their journey to personal growth, awakening, or consciousness (whatever you like to call it!). Each takes a unique approach, some more clinical; others more spiritual. There’s something here for everyone. Take a look and send me a message if you have any questions!

Adyashanti’s 30 Day Wake Up Challenge

Adayshanti Head + Heart/Doug Ellis Photography

If you haven’t heard of Adyashanti, you’re going to be so thankful you’re reading about him now. Adyashanti is a spiritual teacher and best-selling author, who brings a background in Zen Buddhism to the very accessible talks, retreats, and online courses he offers all over North America.

No matter what your religion or lack of religion may be, Adyashanti’s teachings are pretty non dogmatic, focusing on the human experience vs. any particular belief system. For anyone who wants guidance in stepping away from ego, and moving towards greater inner peace, Adyashanti offers several online, self-guided programs, which provide seekers with a structured course plus guided meditations, to be explored at your own pace. Take a look at these online spiritual courses and this 30 Day Wake Up Challenge in particular, which includes 30 days of teaching, guided meditations, two live Q&A’s with Adyashanti and a personal journal. Each course is around $70USD.

Tara Brach + Jack Kornfield: Power of Awareness Mindfulness Training

Mindfulness meditation teacher, Tara Brach, brings a real-world approach to her many teachings, retreats and offerings. With a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, she’s the author of several best-selling books such as Radical Acceptance and True Refuge: Finding Peace & Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart, and she’s one of my all time favourite meditation teachers.

I’d recommend Tara Brach’s Power of Awareness Mindfulness Training, which she offers with her teaching partner, Jack Kornfield, who’s also highly renowned. This 7-week program is framed around a call to live in the present moment. It includes full course material, weekly community mentoring sessions, and peer support. You’ll learn to heal difficult emotions and thoughts, cultivate deeper presence, enhance your ability to connect with others, and tap into a state of expanded being. They promise to help you cultivate presence, deep peace, abundant joy + you’ll get a nifty certificate from the University of California. Doesn’t that sound appealing? The next course starts November 18th. See the full program info here. If you want a sampler, try this free Mindfulness Daily course. The Power of Awareness runs at $297US.

Raising Humanity: The (re) Connection Project

Newer on the scene, Raising Humanity offers a one year online program called The (re)Connection Project designed to help people release emotional pain and live their best lives. A big part of the opportunity with this program is being able to embark on a journey with direct one-to-one teacher support, with renowned teachers like Patricia Clum and Maieytrei from Arkaya.

Structure-wise, participants receive three months of continuous experiential process followed by nine months of support for integration. The three month experiential period includes a range of healing modalities including energy healing, transpersonal psychology, breathwork, deep meditative experiences, holistic health support, and personal coaching, all of which is designed to help participants release old wounds on every level: mental, emotional, physical and energetic.

This program is offered 2-3 times each year. Each group, facilitated by founder Ashley Avinashi, is fairly small and intimate, in order to maintain the high level of personal guidance, which is also why this program is a little pricier than the others listed. I’ve heard incredible things about this program! The next course starts in 2020. Program runs approx $400USD/month.

Dr. Joe Dispenza: Online Progressive Workshop

Dr. Joe Dispenza

Dr. Joe Dispenza is a powerful teacher, who’s making major waves right now for his teachings about quantum mechanics. In a nutshell, these teachings are based on the idea that our own minds have the power to create our physical reality. If you’re interested in learning how to manifest, while also diving into personal healing and emotional release, Dr. Joe’s courses are extremely popular and he now has an online course available.

This online progressive course will “get you out of your comfort zone and push you beyond your ‘limitations’ to set you free from the old programs that have held you hostage.” He describes this process as one of changing our energy from living in the past to living in a new future. The program is structured as a series of interactive exercises and intensive meditations delivered in nine segments that can be viewed over nine weeks. By following this program, you’ll learn how to free stuck energy stored in your body in the form of self-limiting thoughts, unconscious habits, and memorized emotions, in order to open your heart and surrender to the quantum mind. For anyone who registers for a one-week retreat with Dr. Joe (priced at $1,899USD) this course is automatically included. You can discover the details of this program here, which costs $299USD.

Will Pye: Living Impeccably 12 Month Course

Will Pye Gratitude

For those seeking a longer term commitment, Will Pye, author of The Gratitude Prescription, has created a 12-month course called Living Impeccably that offers a combination of guided support, community interaction, and teachings from Will. If you’re not familiar with Will’s teachings, they are very much geared towards the science-backed benefits of gratitude, quantum mechanics and the real power of our mind to create our own reality. He’s in the same vein as Dr. Joe Dispenza but frames the path around cultivating gratitude.

During this program, participants get two sessions per month of live, online teaching; one 90 minute Interactive Webinar that offers opportunity for Q&A, and a community of support (other participants) that can be accessed anytime. At the onset of this course, you’ll be guided to state your own intentions for the duration of the year, and you’ll work towards those with the comprehensive support of this program. Learn more about this program here, which is priced at $57US/month x 12 months. Scholarships are available.

If any of these programs resonate with you, do a little YouTubing and you’ll find lots of talks with each of the above teachers, so you can get a feel for their style. If you’re not quite ready for a full program, but do want to dip your toes into exploring local healers and teachers, I’d recommend a breathwork session or event and sound meditation as two great tools for personal growth, or consider an upcoming BC yoga retreat or spiritual retreat in BC. And if you have a personal growth program to add to this list, please send me your recommendations via DM on Instagram.

Monica Krake is the founder of Head + Heart, your guide to all things spirituality and wellness. Discover events, retreats, resources, teachers, and community across North America. www.headplusheart.com