A. Inner Journey Canada is a non-profit
educational organization that offers the Inner Journey Seminar and a
selection of related personal development programs. In addition, we
provide ongoing support for graduates' continuing personal development
work and a variety of social events throughout the year.
A. Inner Journey Canada is a volunteer
non-profit organization run by graduates of the Inner Journey Seminar
and supported by a team of trained facilitators.
A. Three couples from the Ottawa/Gatineau
area participated in a weekend course in Collingwood which was led by
Michael Schiesser. They were so enthusiastic about Michael's work that,
when shortly thereafter, he created the Inner Journey Seminar, they
invited him to bring the program to Merrickville.
Graduates told their friends and loved ones and soon there was
sufficient demand to run two or three Inner Journey Seminars each year.
An expanding community of graduates began to emerge, bringing with it a
demand for support and follow-up programs and a desire for social
interaction. Inner Journey Canada was formed by a group of graduates to
respond to these needs and to provide an organizational structure for
the programs offered.
Q.
Where does Inner Journey Canada's
money come from?
A. We try to set tuition fees for our
programs so that we break even or generate a small surplus. For
instance, the break-even point for the Inner Journey Seminar is about
14 or 15 participants. The surpluses are divided between general
revenue to be used for running the organization and a bursary fund
which has been established to assist people who want to participate in
the Inner Journey Seminar but lack the financial resources. Other
sources of revenues are surpluses generated by social events and
donations by members.
Q:
What are the criteria
for
participants? Is there any pre screening of participants?
A: The program is suitable for most
people over 18 years of age. For a few people it may be too demanding.
There is a detailed questionnaire that participants are asked to
complete shortly after they register; this is reviewed by the program
facilitators and participants are often interviewed before the start of
the program as part of the screening process. If we are in any doubt
about the suitability of the program for a particular person, our
policy is to err on the side of caution.
A. Certainly. Several gays and lesbians
have participated and found it very beneficial. For most of the
program, sexual orientation would only be an issue if the participant
wanted to work on that. However there are a couple of
segments which have a heterosexual orientation and these may bring to
the surface issues that gays or lesbians face living in a primarily
heterosexual world. The Inner Journey is designed to bring up personal
issues and is a very safe environment in which to deal with whatever
comes up.
A. Yes. We have had people in
wheelchairs, in casts, with heart conditions and all manner of other
physical problems. Provided we are fully informed of the
participant’s needs, the facilitators and staff will adjust
the participant's program accordingly.
Q.
Is the Inner Journey seminar designed
for couples?
A. Not specifically, but the Inner
Journey Seminar is designed to enhance the participant's relationship
with self and with others. There is considerable emphasis on the
relationship between the genders and on how masculine and feminine
energies operate in both genders. When couples participate together
they invariably report that the experience has expanded and deepened
their relationship. When only one partner participates, the
relationship is usually enhanced and, quite often, the other partner
will be sufficiently impressed by the change that has taken place in
his or her partner that he or she will choose to participate in the
next Inner Journey.
Q.
I am in therapy already.
What would the Inner Journey offer that I am not already getting?
A. The Inner Journey does not replace
therapy but it can complement it. Because it is an intensive
experience rather than periodic, most participants find that they
progress much more quickly in therapy after the Inner Journey weekend.
It allows for a quantum leap instead of slow steady unfolding.
However, we recommend that you discuss
the advisability of taking the program with your therapist.
If he/she has questions about the program, our facilitators
would be happy to answer them.
Q.
I am not comfortable in groups (or I
am shy). How can this program work for me?
A. In some ways, the program is a kind of
laboratory which provides you with an opportunity to observe your inner
reactions to a variety of experiences. Your discomfort in
groups may be one of the experiences you will get the opportunity to
examine in greater depth. You may discover a great deal about
yourself that you didn't know before. Although we do use some
group processes, the program is really about what is happening inside
you and allows for a very individualized experience.
Q.
Can you tell me
something about the
program? What actually happens? What will we do?
A. The program is experiential; it is a
combination of transformational practices drawn from both Eastern and
Western traditions which are designed to provide an opportunity to
explore your inner self, to deal with issues that are blocking your
aliveness and self-expression, and to enable you to experience a
tangible sense of peace, acceptance and joy. We deliberately don't tell
you the specifics of the program because many of the experiences rely
to some extent on the element of surprise. It is also true
that the process names would not mean anything to you unless you had
already had the experience being referred to.
Q.
I've heard that it is experiential.
What does that mean?
A. Although the program does present some
theory, it does so only in support of a variety of both group and
individual exercises which are carefully designed to bring up in each
participant the personal issues that the individual will
derive the most benefit from dealing with. In an experiential process
of this type, the participant gets to experience feeling the feelings
and thinking the thoughts as opposed to just talking about them.
Q.
What makes the Inner Journey Seminar
different from other personal/spiritual growth programs?
A. There are many good programs which
deal with varying degrees of effectiveness with some of the same
aspects of our human journey and comparison is difficult, if not
impossible. Whereas traditional western psychology is limited
in that it largely ignores our essential spiritual nature, eastern
spirituality does little to acknowledge our psychological nature. The
Inner Journey Seminar draws on both traditions to enhance each other's
effectiveness by creating a finely crafted, unique blend of western
psychology and eastern spirituality. In addition, the program is
experiential and is body centred (i.e. it focuses on using
the bodily sensations which accompany thoughts and feelings as a way of
bringing experiences into the present, into the here and now). This
body-centred approach is a powerful tool for healing past wounds and
for claiming new freedoms.
Another unique aspect of our program is
that it is designed for very small groups and has an extremely high
staff-to-participant ratio which is close to one on one. This
is possible because previous graduates volunteer to assist at each
weekend. The result is a very safe
“cocoon” in which to work.
We are not familiar with any other
intensive residential program of this nature regularly offered in the
Ottawa area although other programs are offered in the U.S. or other
Canadian cities like Toronto. Our graduates who have travelled to take
other programs tell us that the Inner Journey seminar is as good as or
better than others and is far more affordable.
A. The way life occurs for human beings
is determined by our subconscious conditioning which is the source of
our beliefs and assumptions about ourselves, about others and about
life in general. We did not have much say about this conditioning; it
evolved as a result of our environment and our personal history.
Although it has helped us to survive and even flourish, our
conditioning has also limited us in many ways. The Inner Journey
Seminar is designed to allow each participant to discover the nature of
his or her own subconscious conditioning. The resulting self-awareness
causes the conditioning to lose some of its grip and thereby opens up
the possibility of entirely new ways to experience life. Once you
experience this expansion of possibilities, you will not want to
continue to live with the same level of limitation.
We do not promise a life transformation
on the weekend because, for most people, transformation occurs slowly
and incrementally over time and takes work but the Inner Journey
seminar can certainly kickstart or speed up that process.
And, if you are ready and willing, it could shift your life in
significant ways. Many graduates have made substantial life
changes after the program.
Q.
Is there a particular religious or
philosophical slant to the Inner Journey Seminars?
A. All IJ seminars are totally non
denominational, yet they draw on a variety of both western and eastern
philosophies and religious traditions. There is inherent in
the program the belief in some ‘force’ greater than
ourselves but, if you don’t share that belief, you can still
benefit from the program.
Q.
Do participants ever have a severe
emotional reaction to any part of the seminar? What safety
measures are in place at the seminar in the case of severe reactions?
A. Yes, occasionally somebody does have a
strong reaction. This is perfectly normal and is a natural
part of the healing process. Experienced facilitators are trained to
provide a full range of emotional support and close attention is paid
to each participant's process throughout the seminar. We also have
close to a 1 to 1 staff to participant ratio. In addition, we ensure
all medications are taken and all dietary needs are met. Our job is to
provide a completely safe space in which each participant can fully
experience his or her process.
Q.
Are there any follow-up resources
available to participants?
A. After the Inner Journey weekend, there
are two events scheduled in the first month to assist in integrating
the weekend experience. The Inner Journey is a stand-alone program and
some people do it, get tremendous value out of it and don't participate
again. But for people who want to deepen their experience, there is a
range of other programs available. In addition, facilitators are
available for one-on-one coaching sessions and the community holds
monthly "tune-up" events and several social activities each
year. Staying connected to other IJ graduates is another way
for individuals to continue their exploration and to practice using the
tools from the seminar.
Q.
What are the qualifications of the
facilitators for the Inner Journey Seminar?
A. The professional requirements are
similar to any counsellor or psychologist in the transformational
field. Equally important is the "being" level of the
facilitator. Because of this, facilitators are required to be
engaged in their own personal "inner journey" of
transformation. The development of awareness and compassion
are the key characteristics of an IJ facilitator.
In order to become certified, trainee facilitators have to undertake a
course of study involving two levels of intensive facilitator training,
ongoing personal inner work, and several years of practical
experience. They are certified by the founder of the program
only when he determines that they are sufficiently trained and have
walked far enough along their own spiritual path.
A. No. It is also offered in San
Francisco, Chicago, Washington and occasionally in Seattle and Orlando
but we are fortunate to be the only Canadian city in which the program
is offered.
A: There is an early registration
discount of $50 for registration one month or more in
advance. There is a $100 discount for couples who do the
program together. A bursary fund exists to provide financial
assistance in special cases.
Q.
Will employers cover this as training
or development?
A. In the past, most employers would not
cover what they considered to be personal growth courses. However, with
the increased understanding of the role of Emotional
Intelligence in the workplace, particularly for leadership positions,
there is a greater openness to such programs and some participants have
had their registration covered. The Inner Journey will
contribute to the skills involved in emotional intelligence (e.g.
self-awareness, interpersonal skills, stress management, adaptability
to change). You would need to explore this possibility with your
supervisor.
Q.
Whom do I contact for more information
prior to signing up for the IJ seminar?
A. The names, phone numbers and e-mail
addresses of a couple of contact people are on the website. These
people will be pleased to speak further with you about the program.
“After the Inner Journey, I was able to hear criticism
without getting defensive. I also started taking more responsibility
for my mistakes. I was way behind on a deadline. Instead of avoiding my
client, I told him that I screwed up and how I was going to respond. He
appreciated my honesty. In fact, he paid us before the job was finished
and hired us for more work.”
Pat
“The Inner Journey made me realize that some errors I made in
the past are just that: errors. I don’t need to beat myself
up because I was not living up to my expectations; I simply need to
digest the lesson. This might seem obvious, and it was definitely
something I knew; but the Inner Journey brought that knowledge to
reality and I am now able to live without that guilt inside
me.”
Stéphane
“I’m calmer. I accept myself more. I’m
more organized. I’m busier than ever, but because of my
attitude, I have more time. I’m having a ball!”
Richard
“I feel the tools and techniques will really enable me to get
on with a spiritual path that was wanting to come out. I learned that I
have the power to change my life, to stop behaviours, to listen to
emotions so they don’t control me.”
Steve
“It was a life-changing experience. I learned a tremendous
amount about myself, my abilities and my emotions. I felt
things I did not know existed, and I touched and connected with others
in ways I never knew possible.”
Dave
"Thank you for the most powerful weekend of my life."
"The Inner Journey was a rare opportunity for me to go within and heal
what was trapped inside. I feel 20 pounds lighter."
"The greatest gift of all has been an expanded capacity to love and be
loved."
"The Inner Journey rekindled my purpose and passion, and gave me tools
to instil clarity in the career decisions I faced."
"The Inner Journey helped me to understand my spouse and strengthen my
marriage. We have recaptured what it feels like to be truly
in love!"
"The Inner Journey Weekend was one of the most profound experiences of
my life."
“I discovered the man in me.”
“This was the first time I had ever taken this kind of
course. It was exhilarating. I realized I had always lived in my head.
The Inner Journey put me in touch with my body. It made me realize I am
so much more than my mind.”
Jim
“My wife had taken the program and really wanted me to go,
but I was passively resisting it. When I finally did the Inner Journey,
it was a profound experience. It has certainly enriched my marriage and
removed blocks I didn’t know existed.”
A. The Inner Journey provides participants with tools and
techniques that will be with you for the rest of your life.
Your life will be richer and more fulfilling.
The Inner Journey Seminar
challenges self-limiting beliefs by reinforcing your self- awareness
and intuition, allowing you to stretch beyond your perceived
limitations. After the weekend,
you will have more tools to impact your relationship to: work, family,
friends and ultimately, to yourself.
