ALL ARE MOST WELCOME.
To book please contact me on Email: Christine Clear

or TEL: 087 783 7421

SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE IN THE WORKPLACE

CLEARVISION offers a series of courses which focus on energising and empowering people in the workplace.

CLEARVISION was developed from lectures examining the philosophical writings of eminent masters in the great spiritual/wisdom traditions.
Much of what emerged from these courses was seen as being as extremely practical and purposeful for how to live and work in the contemporary world.

CLEARVISION believes that such contemplative writings are an important and dynamic legacy, and when examined, encourage inner strength, affirmative behaviour and creative and sustainable working practices. Almost all of the different philosophical and spiritual traditions have pertinent insights on decision making, maintaining energy, and creating new possibilities in our lives.

‘Creating Good Decisions’, ‘Cultivating Energy’, and ‘Change and Courage’, are three courses suitable for people wanting or facing change. Such courses will enable participants to make decisions with discernment and courage, to become adept at finding and cultivating energy and countering the challenges of change.
CLEARVISION facilitates learning from the wisdom traditions through study, conversation, and reflection on the great writing of our heritage. These courses recognise the wisdom within any group and may also encourage participation from each of the members.

DISCERNMENT

How do you make good decisions? How do you choose one course of action over another when the way isn’t obvious? How do you distinguish between what is valuable and what is redundant? What do you do when a decision is apparently failing, and what are the guiding principals that will fortify and support your decision?

This one-day course will explore the discipline behind affirmative decision-making.

Participants will learn techniques of how to reflect on their experience and see how a practiced discernment can be applied to every part of their lives. Often, how we understand and interpret our experience underpins what choices we see facing us. By reflecting upon our own beliefs, and desires, and understanding our often limited perceptions and reactions, we are able to gather information on both affirmative and destructive behaviour.

This course will combine both a short lecture comprising of philosophical, political, and spiritual writings and also participants’ own experience and analysis. For example, participants will examine two decisions from the course of their ordinary, working life. The first is a decision with which they are unsatisfied, the second, one which they are satisfied. They will be asked to explore the consequences of their actions; what were the conditions which made one decision more effective than the other? What was the outcome of either decision? What was the driving force behind either decision?

By concentrating on a decision-making process which is directed towards efficient and positive behaviour, an empowered and energized self is brought into focus. A workforce which is engaged in a conscious discernment process should facilitate greater vitality and creativity in the work environment. By focusing on the individual in exacting moments, this course will translate a process by which the whole organisation can benefit.

This course will benefit middle and higher management making daily decisions and those who would like to review this process and its efficacy.

CULTIVATING ENERGY
How energy is blocked and released

If we could see the universe as it truly is, most spiritual traditions say, we would know that positivity, not negativity is the foundation of all creation. Modern business now uses the phrase ‘Give as Gain’ accepting the basic potency of affirmative behaviour.

~Where does clear-sighted, focused and creative behaviour come from?
~From where does the pursuit of excellence, justice, and self-actualisation spring?
~What does ancient and contemporary spiritual writing have to say about inner life and the nature of reality, and what do they know that business and corporate acumen does not?

This one-day course will examine the qualities of human energy. It will examine how philosophy, psychology, art and ethics combine to celebrate human creativity and endeavour. Throughout the day a number of exercises will bring awareness to the nature of human energy. What human conditions release our energy? What conditions block our energy? According to most wisdom traditions, love and fear express the extremes of human energy. How then might we cultivate qualities which secure energy and avoid or dilute those which drain it. Through certain exercises we will experience the effect of being filled and emptied of energy as a result of our own and others’ behaviour.

The aim of the course is allow participants define how affirmative and creative energy enables them, and how destructive and reactionary energy blocks them. The course will draw on self-empowerment techniques, and clear communication modes, to energise and empower work satisfaction and thus working relations.

COURAGE AND CHANGE, CHANGE AND COURAGE

What philosophical and spiritual writings can help us be courageous during change? What do the wisdom traditions say about the dynamics of flux? How do they relate courage to change, and how do they cultivate inner strength and vision during marked transitions? What practical teachings do such writings offer contemporary experiences of change?

This course is interested in how we exercise our choice and courage in our everyday lives.

It will explore the dynamics of how to move ahead slowly when the future is uncertain and unknowable, how to move quickly when presented with opportunities, and how to stay the course though everything might be changing. The course will show how spiritual writings have understood hope and the strength involved in believing in a desired future, and ponder the warnings of being burnt by the corrosive effects of doubt and despair. Using spiritual and philosophical texts this course will draw out the dimensions of effective and positive results of courageous change.

The course will be contemplative and conversational in nature, and draw stimulus from art, psychology, mysticism, literature and history to see how inner strength and vision have allowed people to stay focused during challenging times. The course will explore the nature of personal and social evolution, and see what if anything we can learn from spiritual, philosophical, political and historical testimony.

During the summer I undertook a Diploma in Life Coaching. As a twisted contemplative, I thought such programming was the chattering end of the capitalist imperative for my and other peoples’ attempts to run faster, with less baggage, to further places. This surely is the goal of coaching - the drummed up and hapless optimism which fuels the very human but ultimately conservative need to belong, to compete, to succeed.

Almost two weekends ago I attended a conference called ‘Mercy not Sacrifice’, which I found fascinating, edgy and sharp. It was a Feminist interpretation of Hosea’s God calling for love and not death to be the heart of human worship, and this was a community of precise feminist thinking which celebrated an economy of life.

What’s this got to do with Life Coaching?

Well, its two fold. I think good life coaching can give you legs in this culture. In other words, courage. If it’s surgical, passionate and if it’s purified it can cut to the chase very sharply. But, how do you keep life coaching sharp? Well, you hold onto the contemplation of love, you hold onto the idea that for every problem there is not just a solution, but an antidote to keep the beauty of balance. You hold onto the ideal of complexity. You allow contradiction, paradox, confusion and you keep an eye on the end game which is to assist the person to connect with themselves across the desert and rest at that oasis. Life coaching can, amazingly, deal in the local currency of freedom. And just like a good doctor the training for a good life coach is being able to reach a good diagnosis. A person might be suffering overload, not because they HATE THE GUTS OF ALL THEIR WORK COLLEAGUES, THEIR FAMILY, THEIR FRIENDS, THEIR NEIGHBOURS, ACQUAINTANCES, ANIMALS etc., but because every time their soul tries to steer them towards, or away from something - to integrate, and to create meaning - and their spirit begs to talk, they end up going shopping. They’re refusing the call of the wild because it can feel something like loneliness - well, at the beginning it can, at least. And so they flee. Good life coaching has the potential to give a person legs because it can present, nay, dangle courage before their eyes.

Does this sound righteous and unbelievable?

And aspirational?

And a product of our capitalist spirituality of always doing, and never being?

And theological even by railing against fear, i.e.,’be not afraid’?

Ultimately,I think the word here is edge, and the adjective is keeping. Keeping the edge. I heard at the conference that Dan Berrigman SJ, keeps his edge through purification, prayer and community living. Is this still life coaching. Contemplative coaching, perhaps?

I hope so.

Contemplative coaching is what I’m doing when I’m stirring up the passion of mysticism, the ideology of mercy, with the practicality of goal setting. Who says the end game for coaching isn’t a soul heard? A spirit rested? A body respected? An ‘unknowing’ borne? An endurance sexed up?

- Oh, that’ll be me I guess.

So, welcome to the wonderful, whacky but exacting world of contemplative coaching and join me in on the merry task of drilling for peace.

For further details, please see the Contemplative Coaching category or contact, Christine Clear

We are here.

The Pale Blue Dot at YouTube

CELEBRATING SPIRITUALITY FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THIS YEAR’S DUN LAOGHAIRE FESTIVAL OF WORLD CULTURES

SATURDAY

Above are the photos from the Saturday session. NB You can click on the photos to bring up a larger version. If you’d like to see them in a slide show, hover the mouse to the right of the photo until an arrow appears - or simply click on the photo.
I’ll be adding some text here shortly - just thought I’d put the photos up for you to enjoy for the moment. The photos are by Ged Barrow, with thanks.

SUNDAY

Above are the photos from the Sunday session.
I’ll be adding some text here shortly - just thought I’d put the photos up for you to enjoy for the moment.

A schedule for the talks, as well as meditation periods, will be posted here shortly

MAKE TIME FOR SPACE.
The festival of world cultures launches its first dedicated meditation space in the form of a unique Yurt tent.

Have you ever longed to take some time out from your busy, noisy world? Have you ever sought a refuge where you could just sit down and reflect? Well, for the first time at the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Festival of World Cultures, a dedicated space, in the form of a Mongolian yurt will allow you to sample the nourishing effects of meditation and conversation aimed at strengthening the spirit. The Yurt will be located on the Sandycove seafront and will open between noon and 7pm Friday 24th – Sunday 26th of August 2007.

click on image for larger version. For slideshow hover mouse over side of image to bring up arrow. Image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

It was chosen during this festival to act as a symbol for all the migrating millions, more numerous now than at any time in history.
The Yurt is a circular canvas and felt tent used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia.

Festival revellers are welcome to take some time out from the celebrations; for some it maybe just an opportunity to enjoy a timely refuge, for others, a chance join in on the series of meditations given by leaders from different spiritual traditions, Buddhism, Islam, Catholic, Shamanism, etc. For others still, it will be an invitation to join a talk exploring central themes of contemporary spirituality.

Commenting on the yurt, the organiser Christine Clear, a Spirituality Consultant said, “This is an opportunity to celebrate people’s spiritual culture. I suppose spirituality, belief, however one understands it ultimately offers a context for culture.

Many of the artists and participants come from strong faith traditions. This space will see how they, and we, practice love, joy, peace; how we come to terms with disappointment, suffering, loss; how we ultimately find a way to connect to ourselves, each other and the earth. Everyone is very welcome to come for a little R n R, TLC, or a quiet catnap between shows!”

The yurt’s door will be open for most of the day, but will be shut for the guided meditations and talks. There is no admission charge and yurt welcomes anyone wishing for some respite and reflection. All activities are too free, but donations for speakers etc will be gratefully received!

For further information please contact Christine Clear.
M: 087 783 742. Email: Christine Clear / Website: www.christineclear.org

MEDITATION TENT……….AN EARTH YURT…………A SACRED SPACE.

What happens when you put the words Love, Earth, Conversation, Meditation, Contemplation and Imagination together…? You come up with a funky Yurt proudly erected on the main drag at Sandycove sea front for Dunlaoire Festival for World Cultures.

Not so much environmentalism as mysticism, not so much ecology as wonder, not so much protectionism as crazy attraction, this tent will hold workshops around our complex relationship with love and earth, and their interaction. Invited participants from different Spiritual and Earth traditions will be asked to share how love of and from the earth sustains human life.

Please see this website for updated information on invited participants and sequence of events.

MYSTICISM TODAY: A Forum for Love.

An interfaith/intertradition forum on Love. This is an exciting opportunity to learn from the different spiritual traditions what they understand by love, where they understand it comes from, how can it be practiced and how it can be shared through our human relations and connections.

From Buddhism to Christanity, from Judaism to Shamanism, from Hinduism to Native American Traditions, this forum will bring together practioners from many world traditions and see how we can explore and develop and share our understanding of love.