The Haven News Update Volume 6, Issue 4

Another Successful Haven Symposium

Hand's up - Who's having fun?

Hands up who's having fun at Elfi and Gary's presentation at The Haven Symposium in Vancouver!

This year's Symposium was another fantastic event and a wonderful way to take The Haven out into the world. Over 300 people attended our keynote address on Friday night by Dan Millman and listened intently as Dan shared his approach to living wisely and well. After hearing the man himself, our audience then enjoyed the movie Peaceful Warrior, based on his best selling book. It's the first time that The Haven has ever offered a movie as part of the Symposium, and judging by the 'buzz' as people left, it was a hit!

Spring at The Haven…
Spring has arrived at The Haven and our dear friend Don is hard at work in the garden. Every day new blooms appear and the crocuses, daffodils and flowering trees are giving everyone's spirits a long-awaited lift. We look forward to an abundant season in many ways. Spring Crocus

Saturday offered the opportunity to spend some time hearing more from Dan and other Haven faculty members in the panel discussion, skillfully moderated by Linda Nicholls, followed by a delicious lunch and presentations by The Haven faculty members in the afternoon. Thanks to Lee Pulos, Rick Jackson, Susa Holt, Gwen Ewan, Elfi Dillon-Shaw and Gary Dillon for their fascinating presentations on a range of different topics - as ever, it was hard to decide which to choose. As well as being a great opportunity for old Haven friends to meet, this year the Symposium welcomed a record number of people who had never been to a Haven course before, and we were delighted to give them a taste of what makes The Haven so special.

Congratulations to our business card draw winers - Carol MacDonald, Greg Martin and Jennifer Garvin. And a heart-felt thank you to all those people who came together to make this event such a huge success - Dan Millman, The Haven staff and faculty, our audio/visual technicians and our willing volunteers (including our photographer, Mike Gobbi).

Director of Education - Message from Rachel Davey (Director of Programs)
Gwen Ewan Photo

Back in the summer of last year, Gwen Ewan temporarily took over the duties of the Director of Education at The Haven from Joann so she could have her surgery and concentrate on getting well.

Sadly, it didn't work out the way we had all hoped, and since Joann passed away back in January, Gwen has been continuing in her 'acting' role as Director of Education.

The time has now come, not to replace Joann, since that would be asking too much of anyone, but to find someone to continue the work that Joann loved, in a role that she created. I asked Gwen if she would be willing to take this on, and I am delighted that she has agreed. As of April 1 2007, Gwen is The Haven's Director of Education, working closely with me to support, maintain and develop The Haven's educational objectives.

I want to thank Gwen for 'stepping up to the plate', and providing continuity and stability into the future.

Education Master Plan for The Haven
The Haven Foundation Board approved the Education Master Plan (EMP) for The Haven Institute at their meeting at the end of March. The EMP is the result of a consultation exercise with faculty, board, interns, participants and students on a scale never before attempted by The Haven - many thanks to all those who took the time to input into the process and to the members of the Education Commitee, who were tasked with the creation of the EMP.

The EMP provides a clear direction into the future for The Haven Institute - one that will ensure we continue to offer courses which have a profound and lasting impact on those who participate in them. You can find the EMP on our web site.

Continuing Education Credits
We are always on the lookout for ways to make it easier for people to come to The Haven, so it's with great excitement that we can announce that two of our courses have been approved for Continuing Education (CE) credits. Dealing with the DSM IV, led by Randy Wong, has received approval from the Canadian Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (CARP); Transforming Fear and Anxiety has also been approved by the Canadian Counselling Association (CCA).

This is just the start of an initiative which will result in many more courses receiving approval by a range of different organizations. For more information on this, or if you have any suggestions of organizations to approach, please contact Rachel Davey, Director of Programs, at programs(at)haven.ca.

Upcoming Courses

Apr.29-May.04, 2007		Come Alive
May.15-May.17, 2007		Burnout to Balance
May.17-May.20, 2007		Practicum: Level I
May.18-May.20, 2007		Awakening Your Erotic Body
May.18-May.20, 2007		Couples in Conflict
May.20-May.25, 2007		Come Alive
May.25-May.28, 2007		Living with Passion
May.25-May.30, 2007		Discover your Intuitive Power

Saying Goodbye to Peggy Olson

Peggy Olson, a much loved Haven participant and intern, died suddenly on March 1 in her Saskatoon home at the age of 50. Peggy dedicated her time to helping others through her work as an Occupational and Physical Therapist and her studies at The Haven. She was a lifetime student of the arts and a gifted musician, dancer and visual artist. Many people here at The Haven knew and loved Peggy. Martie Robinson and Isabelle Favreau, both good friends of Peggy's, share their memories of her:

Peggy Olson was a very dear friend to many of us. Her death was a terrible shock, because there was nothing about Peggy that hinted at her coming death. She was not elderly, nor sickly, nor weak. Peggy had a strong spirit, and was a brave and courageous person, a self-reliant woman with much curiosity about life and an appetite for the future.

The Haven played an important role in Peggy's life. It takes perseverance and courage to address the painful issues in our lives. Peggy took full responsibility for herself and who she was; she worked at building and maintaining relationships and was a generous contributor to the community. The way that The Haven incorporates music, drama and art in the healing process was a perfect fit for Peggy. A self-confessed drama queen, she truly engaged with these processes and found inspiration and truth in them. At The Haven, she interned and used her learning to assist others on their paths.

Peggy's journey was not always an easy one. When she was struggling, at home in Saskatoon, she would find peace in imagining the bench on the front lawn of The Haven, where she liked to sit and gaze at the ocean and smell the sea air. She often said how she was looking forward to moving to the west coast, one day.

A week after her death, a group of Peggy's friends gathered at that bench, in front of The Haven, in the pouring rain, and we looked out to sea/to see, like Peggy used to do. Upstairs in Swallow, we remembered her, told 'Peggy stories', sang a funny song that Peggy used to sing, and we shared our grief. Peggy, our friend, we hold you tenderly in our hearts, now and always.

Year Six of the Meenoostahtan Minisiwin course

Once again we were happy to welcome Joe Pinterics and his group of outreach workers, mediators and elders from the Meenoostahtan Minisiwin / First Nations Family Justice to a custom-designed course focusing on boundaries.

Led this year by Ernie and Cathy McNally, and assisted by Marlyn Farrell, Jan Frison and Wendy Huntington, these gatherings have built enduring, warm friendships and made significant contributions to the work people accomplish when they return to their communities. It is testament to the quality of the experience to be had at The Haven that this group travels all the way from Northern Manitoba every year to learn, connect and relate. 'The best ever' was the verdict, and we look forward to welcoming the group back next year.

If you are interested in finding out more about custom-designed courses for groups, please contact Rachel Davey, Director of Programs, at programs(at)haven.ca.

Giving Heart to Heart
Ben and Jock Cut the Ribbon at the SIBA Holistic Center
Ben and Jock - SIBA Ribbon Cutting

On Sunday February 25, the SIBA Holistic Health and Fitness Group had a grand opening of their new offices in Richmond, BC. Bennet Wong and Jock McKeen attended as special guests, and helped in cutting the ribbon. After witnessing a traditional Chinese dragon dance to bless the centre along with 50 attendees, Ben and Jock gave a talk on 'Health and Happiness' to a very eager crowd.

Founded by Simon Ho and Linda Wong in 1996, the SIBA Group promotes a wide variety of courses and exercises in the Greater Vancouver area, to improve mind, body and spirit wellness. SIBA stands for "Strength, Integration, Balance and Awareness." Linda and Simon are originally from Hong Kong, and their clientele benefits from their ease in both English and Chinese. They have also studied with Ben and Jock at The Haven.

At their opening, they very generously asked the attendees to donate to The Haven Foundation and raised more than $800.

For more information about SIBA call 604-273-3098 or email yogalindawong@hotmail.com

Just Quickly...
Our memorial for Joann Peterson will be held at The Haven from 1 - 3pm on Saturday 23 June 2007. Full details in the next News Update.

There's Always Something
Stay informed, visit our website www.haven.ca, email us at info@haven.ca, or call us at 250-247-9211 (toll free: 1-877 247-9238). Take care, enjoy yourself and each other. Be in touch soon.