Spring time has been quite busy in terms of events covering mental health topics. A lot of dates overlapped and it was hard to pick which sessions to attend. A lot of paid courses, trainings, and webinars were going on as well, so we were offered more opportunities than usual. Here is where I managed to peek:
Mental Health and Well-being, Apr 11-17
‘Wisdom of Life’ partnered with the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation to put together a comprehensive online event on mental health and well-being. They came up with the term “mental health renaissance” to describe the current trends in mental health. “More people are talking openly and honestly about their mental health than ever before. Stigma has been substantially reduced, and everyone from kids, elite athletes, celebrities, late-night talk show hosts—as well as us everyday people—are being more open and vulnerable about what we are experiencing”. Key speakers addressed numerous important topics including:
- psychedelics and ketamine-assisted therapy
- energy psychology, hot & cold therapy,
- transcranial magnetic stimulation
- exercise & movement, nutrition & supplements
- indigenous psychology
Attendees listened to more than 60 presenters including Deepak Chopra MD, Gabor Maté MD, Andrew Weil MD, Michael Singer, Tara Brach PhD, Jewel, don Miguel Ruiz, Wim Hof, Thema S. Bryant PhD, Sharon Salzberg, Mariel Hemingway, Patrick Kennedy, Jeezy, Peter Coyote, Dan Siegel MD, Kristin Neff PhD, Ray Lewis, Roland Griffiths PhD, Rick Hanson PhD and others. The Summit featured a free screening of the stunning and widely-acclaimed film THE WISDOM OF TRAUMA.
Expanded States of Consciousness World Summit, Apr 18-26
Organizers of this mental health event stated, “It is critically important to catalyze deep conversations about consciousness and our shared human destiny in this increasingly complex and fast-paced world, where we often feel disconnected from ourselves, each other, and the natural world”. With that goal in mind, they gathered more than 65 practitioners, scientists, philosophers, researchers, meditation teachers, and wisdom holders. Among them were Deepak Chopra, Marisa Peer, Wim Hof, Gita Vaid, Andrew Weil, Grandmother Flordemayo, Dan Siegel, Joan Borysenko, Paul Stamets, Luisah Teish, Adyashanti, Ella Manga, Thomas Hübl, Sandra Ingerman, A. H. Almaas, Diana Quinn, Ken Wilber, Rosalind Watts, John Vervaeki, Marie Mboumi, Krishna Das, Amoda Maa, Dawson Church, Monica Williams, James Fadiman, Gangaji, Dennis McKenna, and many more… Speakers talked about the profound potential expanded states of consciousness have for personal growth, lasting transformation, and genuine spiritual awakening. They also covered the latest expanded states innovations, practices, research and tools for healing difficult-to-treat maladies like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addictions and their underlying traumas and attachment wounds. Other topics included:
- the relationship between consciousness, mind, and the brain
- the difference between flow states and expanded states of consciousness
- the positive impact psychedelics and plant medicines can have on brain function and neuroplasticity
- the most effective strategies, practices, and tools for integrating expanded states of consciousness experiences
Each of the nine days of the event included Live Neuro-Somatic Mindfulness (NSM) Guided Meditation Sessions and Live NeuroDyamic Breathwork Sessions.
Integrative Medicine Summit, Apr 28
This summit was presented by the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine.
The virtual event explored some of integrative health’s hottest topics, including mental health, novel approaches to gut health, and new paradigms in healthcare.
The one-day online conference also included experiential sessions on narrative medicine and cooking with Dr. Andrew Weil. The Integrative Medicine Summit 2023 brought together leading physicians, researchers, experts, and authors for an exciting day of exploring topics including:
- Integrative Medicine and the Future of Healthcare
- Chronobiology
- Tapering Anti-depressants
- Treating Anxiety and Stress Among the Underserved
- Healing-Centered Engagement
- Choosing Pre & Probiotics
- Novel Microbiome Therapies
Relational Empowerment: Forging Connection in a Disconnected World, Apr 28
Dr. Diane Poole Heller and Terry Real held this webinar on relational empowerment to teach attendees to enhance intimacy in their personal relationships. They aimed at addressing the pervasive sense of loneliness and disconnection that seem to have taken hold of our world recently. They quoted a recent global survey by the BBC finding that over 40% of respondents admitted to feeling lonely “sometimes” or “often.” “The truth is, although we long for meaningful relationships, many of us lack the necessary skills to form them. This is because of the attachment patterns we learned as children. While these adaptive behaviors were once essential for our survival, they can now hinder our ability to build the authentic connections we crave. Whether we’re in a therapeutic setting or navigating personal relationships, we can see firsthand how these attachment adaptations create challenges.” So the webinar focused on attachment and relationship-building skills.
The Nature Summit, May 9-15
This event took a slightly different perspective on mental health, putting the accent on our relationship to nature. The stance the speakers took was that the natural world is our best teacher, and if we work on our relationship with nature, we will forge better mental health. The summit presented the latest science on how nature can improve your health and well-being. It stressed the importance of developing mindfulness and contemplative practices that allow us to draw on nature’s calm and peace. Further topics included how to engage and take action during the ecological crisis, how to learn powerful nature-based leadership practices, and how the natural world inspires our innate creative nature.
Reset Super Conference, May 15-21
During this mental health event, 60+ health and wellness experts shared their wisdom and proven healing modalities for regulating the nervous system, switching off the maladaptive stress response, and cultivating physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Thinkers and healers like Dr. Gabor Maté, Britt Frank, Marianne Williamson, Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith, Dr. Pedram Shojai, Dr. Daniel Siegel, Dr. Richard Schwartz, Dr. Stephen Porges, and many more were on the panel of experts for this event. Attendees gained knowledge and practical tools that empowered them to create more energy, build better habits, balance their mind-body connection, recover from symptoms, and show up in life with greater vitality, peace and fulfillment.
From understanding how trauma contributes to a chronically dysregulated nervous system to learning about tools and techniques for regulating the nervous system, the conference included topics, such as setting boundaries in relationships, building resilience to deal with anxiety, the importance of sleep, the connection between the brain and the body. In addition to exclusive interviews, each day of the event featured complimentary yoga videos, actual recorded therapy sessions, and techniques and tools that can provide you with immediate support in your healing process.
Self-care Summit, May 16-22
This mental health summit was aimed at helping to prioritize our own self-care. Self-care means ensuring that both our physical and emotional needs are being met. It involves conscious participation in activities that promote healthy functioning and enhance our well-being and quality of life. Engaging in a self-care routine has been proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and loneliness, reduce stress, increase happiness, and much more. It can help us adapt to changes, build strong relationships, and recover from setbacks more easily. More than 30 presenters, including self-care experts, authors, mindset and success coaches, and experts in relationships, finances, health & wellness, guided attendees on their journey to better self-care. Sharon Salzberg, Richard Schwartz PhD, Kristin Neff PhD, Ken Honda, George Mumford were just a few of the speakers who helped in optimizing our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Topics included transforming limiting beliefs about self-care and learning to value self-care as simply living smart; organizing our living space and daily schedule to support healthy self-care practices; deepening our spiritual journey with consistent daily practices for more connection, meaning, and joy; embracing a balanced approach to personal financial management to create more ease and freedom in our life.
Coming up next
Summer is typically less dense in events, so let’s wait and see what world renowned psychologists will tell us over the holiday season. Stay tuned and enjoy the sun and sea!
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