DreamworkCanada — 2022 Workshops

We are pleased to be able to tell you about four Dreamwork Canada workshops we are planning, beginning January 25. We have arranged them for Tuesday evenings for two hours—6:30 PM—8:30 PM, ET. We hope this time slot will enable people in different time zones to join us.

Like our other workshops these sessions will offer an approach to understanding our dreams as one of the ways God speaks to us. Participants will learn about dream interpretation within a Christian context using the concepts of Carl Jung. There will be an opportunity to explore participants’ own dreams as well as working with the dreams of others in a group context.

Many of you have expressed an interest in learning how indigenous communities relate to their dreams. Our first workshop will feature a Mi’kmaq leader who will explain the Mi’kmaq approach. We hope to be able to connect with other indigenous communities in the future

WORKSHOPS

Tues, January 25 (6:30 – 8:30 pm ET)
Listening to Your Ancestors Through Your Dreams with Julie Lush

Tues, February 1 (6:30 – 8:30 pm ET)
Symbols in Dreams and Art Therapy with Mary Sanderson

Tues, February 8 (6:30 – 8:30 pm ET)
Creating With Your Dreams with Marybeth Leis Druery

Tues, February 15 (6:30 – 8:30 pm ET)
Active Imagination: An Inner Dialogue With Parts of our
Unconscious Selves with Miriam Frey

To register, follow this link: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/bloor-street-united-church/events/dreamworks-exploring-gods-forgotten-language-2/

For more about Dreamwork Canada, please visit our website: www.dreamworkcanada.squarespace.com

Workshop Facilitators and Descriptions:

1) January 25–Julie Lush
Julie Pellissier-Lush, a Lennox Island First Nation band member, is an actress, and bestselling author of ‘My Mi’kmaq Mother’, Poet Laureate for PEI, recipient of the Queens jubilee medal in 2013, the Meritorious Service Medal recipient in 2017, and the Senators 150 metal in April 2019. She writes, acts, and does photography to preserve the history and culture of the Mi’kmaq for future generations. Julie wrote the poems for the play ‘Mi’kmaq Legends’ in 2010 and they have been performed for the last 8 years on many different stages in the Atlantic region. It is her hope that this play will someday travel all over Canada and beyond so more people have the opportunity to learn about the rich Mi’kmaq history! Julie lives in PEI with her husband Rick, her five children, and her Granddaughter Miah.

Listening to your Ancestors through your Dreams
Come and learn how to hear the messages being sent to you in your dreams from your ancestors. Just like the Creator, they are always there guiding you and keeping you safe by sending you messages while you sleep. Learn what they are trying to tell you.

2) February 1—Mary Sanderson
Mary Sanderson is an Art Therapist. She worked for fifteen years with refugees, particularly at The Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture and for five years at the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge, a federal penitentiary for native women in south west Saskatchewan. Both populations strengthened her belief that God speaks to us through Art.

Symbols in Dreams and Art Therapy
As an Art Therapist, I have always believed that spontaneous art is one of the (many) ways in which God speaks to us. Using specific symbols from Art Therapy, this workshop will illustrate the significance of symbols and what they can tell us—in dreams or in waking life.

3) February 8– Marybeth Leis Dreury

Marybeth Leis Druery is a Spiritual Director and Expressive Arts facilitator who integrates creative expression with spiritual practices. Her winding path took her from being a high school Math teacher to co-founding the not-for-profit Student Open Circles, where for 20 years she has facilitated university students from diverse backgrounds to explore self-awareness, spirituality, values, leadership development, and to volunteer in groups with Hamilton’s underserved communities. Marybeth deepens her journey through practices from diverse spiritual traditions, art, dreamwork, body awareness, and meditation

Creating with Your Dreams
Listen for the voice of your soul, emerging within your dreams. Engage with symbol through visual and written creative practices to uncover hidden parts of yourself as you journey towards wholeness. Experience guided expressive arts exercises to mine your dreams for meaning. You’ll create from found objects in response to a dream and play with images as a path to understanding your unfolding story. Try some simple steps for doing dream work on your own or in a group. Learn from each other in a judgement-free atmosphere of respect with no pressure to share.

Bring a written dream with you to engage in individual reflection and creating. You will have the option to share your dream in a small group exercise. In advance, write out your dream in present tense, double spaced. Bring your journal, blank paper, and pen or pencil. You will also have the option to use any crayons, pastels, markers, paint, glue or scissors you have. Bring a variety of found objects such as a jar, egg carton, cardboard, objects from nature, etc. No artistic experience or skill needed!

4) February 15–Miriam Frey
Miriam Frey is a spiritual director and the coordinator of the Ontario Jubilee program, a training program for spiritual directors. Her journey of self-awareness began in earnest when she spent three years in Nairobi, Kenya, Africa, volunteering as an administrative assistant with Mennonite Central Committee. There she met a Jungian analyst who introduced her to dreams as a way to listen for God’s presence and guidance. Miriam continues to attend to her spiritual growth through dreamwork, the enneagram, and meditation.

Active Imagination: An Inner DialogueWith Parts of our Unconscious Selves
We will use the wisdom of Robert Johnson (1921-2018), a noted lecturer and Jungian analyst who studied at the Jungian Institute in Switzerland and at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in India. He is the author of He, She, We, Inner Work and Owning Your Own Shadow. Together we will learn the process of using the imagination to dialogue further with dream characters and images that reflect our inner world.

To register: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/bloor-street-united-church/events/dreamworks-exploring-gods-forgotten-language-2/
You will see Bloor Street United Church mentioned in this link. Dreamwork Canada is an ecumenical group (Anglican, Mennonite and United churches) but is grateful for Bloor Street’s support in allowing us to base our CanadaHelps’s registration with them. We appreciate ongoing support from The Mennonite New Life Centre.