Rare Opportunity: Apply for Leadership Embodiment Workshop Held Late February

Would you like to navigate the impact of stress and intensity in your work and life more skillfully, with curiosity and compassion? Would you enjoy connecting with others from diverse backgrounds wanting to bring more conscious leadership to our work and lives?

Join educators, organizers, farmers, and earth-workers for an introduction to the practices of Leadership Embodiment at the beautiful Light on the Hill Retreat Center in Van Etten, NY. This workshop, held the weekend of February 28, is informed by the Japanese non-aggressive martial art of Aikido, mindfulness practices, and posture awareness.

Much of the effect we have on others is communicated non-verbally by our body language, tone and gestures. Some believe as little as 7% of our communication is conveyed by words. How we show up and the physical postures we hold are the key to lowering emotional reactivity, while increasing our power, resilience, and flexibility. Leadership Embodiment introduces participants to straightforward practices to effectively enhance our embodied leadership.

This 2 day, in-person workshop equips participants with tools that enable us to: 

• Project a powerful, open, and expansive leadership presence.
• Create an inclusive space for collaboration and teamwork, especially in challenging situations.
• Receive feedback and listen from a place of open curiosity without taking the feedback personally, and
• Stand our ground and speak our truth in the face of pressure and resistance.

Leadership Embodiment practices are based on principles from the Japanese non-aggressive martial art of Aikido, mindfulness practices, and posture awareness. Through simple physical exercises that apply light pressure, you will learn to recognize your personal patterns that arise when you are in stressful situations. Once familiar with your unique pattern, we apply centering practices to help you shift to a more creative, inclusive, compassionate, and skillful state. Working with a partner, the learning exercises are examined step by step to create a lasting imprint in the body. Partner debriefs and group conversations create a dynamic, experiential, and supportive learning container. Participants will refine their personal declaration during the workshop and leave with a renewed commitment to offer their gift to the world.

Starts: Friday, February 28, at 4 p.m.
Ends: Sunday, March 1, at 1 p.m.
Location: Light on the Hill Retreat Center, Van Etten, NY
Cost: This program is normally offered at a registration cost of $400, with an additional $350 in food and lodging costs. However, thanks to *grant support, we are able to make this workshop retreat available for only $100. If cost is a barrier, please don’t hesitate to reach out for a full scholarship.
Apply here: This opportunity is open primarily to New York State. Space is limited to 25 participants. All participants are requested to attend a 45-minute virtual workshop orientation prior to the retreat.
Deadline: Application process closes January 30 or until filled.

Apply Now

About the Venue

Inner Light Lodge offers spacious, light-filled accommodations with panoramic views extending to Pennsylvania. Participants may request single or double occupancy rooms with shared bathrooms, or opt for a private cottage. The dining room looks out on the beautiful view and offers plenty of space for enjoying gourmet meals and meaningful conversation. The fully equipped commercial kitchen is stocked with healthy, organic, often locally grown food for vegetarian meals that feed the body and soul.

 About the Workshop Hosts

Graham Hall, Instructor. Graham has been practicing Leadership Embodiment (LE) since 2007. In 2012 he attained his Leadership Embodiment Associate teaching certificate. He engages Leadership Embodiment practices as a foundation in his coaching practice to help his clients connect with their innate inner power and to manifest their hopes and dreams. Through use of LE practices such as shaping their declaration, clients manifest their unique gifts into the world. His interest in coaching and LE evolved from working on complex projects with extremely diverse communities to deploy new technology and processes for Cornell University. Leadership Embodiment practices have had a profound impact on his personal journey. Currently, he is transitioning from his 45 year career in Information Technology/Project Management to assisting others in their purposeful journeys via LE workshops and personal coaching. To relax and appreciate the abundance and beauty of nature he has a thriving, expanding dahlia garden (currently in hibernation in his basement!)  He marvels and is inspired by the humble dahlia tuber. Each tuber bursts forth their stored energy when summer’s warmth returns. Graham experiments with new dahlia varieties which delight and support his passion for contemplative photography!

Damon Brangman & Amara Steinkraus, Special Saturday Evening Sound Healing Program. Sound Healing is an ancient practice using vibrations from instruments like singing bowls, gongs, and chimes, or the human voice, to promote relaxation and balance the body’s energy, aiming to reduce stress and anxiety by restoring vibrational harmony. Damon is a farmer/educator and musician and founded Roots Rising Farm to offer hands on garden education through school and community gardens. He has been on a personal healing journey since being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. His passion for sound healing arises from wanting to assist others on their own healing journey. The earth is healing itself, and we play an important role in allowing the process to heal us, if we can only stop for a moment and listen.

Violet Stone, Workshop Coordinator. Violet Stone leads a wide range of retreats and workshops for the agricultural community drawing on themes of connection, wellness, purpose, integrity and courage. She sees this work as contributing to a more inclusive ‘culture’ of agriculture. In this highly technological age of automation and artificial intelligence, we have much to gain from the act of offering one another genuine listening, open-hearted attention, and wonder. Violet is a passionate life-long gardener, growing ever more appreciative for the beauty, joy, sustenance and healing that our non-human relatives so generously gift us. Violet has led programs for the Cornell Small Farms Program since 2007 and also serves as the New York Northeast SARE Professional Development Coordinator.

*This program is supported by the Equitable Farm Futures Initiative funded by New York State Agriculture and Markets and the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under sub-award number SNE23-010-NY funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture.