Mind-Body-Eco-Spirit Health Event

ATOP Of MeaningfulWorld Presents

Mind-Body-Eco-Spirit Health is a Basic Human Right: Each one Heal One

and ceremony for Meaningfulworld Ambassadors

www.meaningfulworld.com

201-941-2266

Michele Gonen, Intern at ATOP of Meaningfulworld

Healing bowls, purple scarves, candles, hearts, and colourful and healing art work were dispersed purposefully and aesthetically enticing all around the auditorium, providing a peaceful, comfortable, and spiritually moving environment. The Association for Trauma Outreach Prevention (ATOP) of Meaningfulworld held its Annual Conference at the 777 United Nations Plaza in New York City on 18 June, 2011 from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The event was Chaired by Dr. Ani Kalayjian, President of ATOP of MeaningfulWorld, with assistance of numerous staff members, volunteers, and interns.
The program began with a special love meditation conducted by Jennifer De Mucci, Vice President of ATOP of Meaningfulworld, and afterwards a spiritual sound healing session with Alicia Di Giovanni & Sandee Covey centred the audience. Katherine Kaze, an ATOP Intern, delivered a presentation consisting of the twenty-year history and thirty missions of ATOP. She spoke about the various national and international missions of ATOP utilizing the Seven-Step Biopsychosocial & Eco-Spiritual Model and Youth Empowerment Programs in New York City public schools.

Following, a panel of speakers discussed their role in promoting health through an interconnectedness of the mind, body and eco-spirit. The presenters consisted of Majid Ali, M.D., Gabriele Kallenborn, MD, Laurie Nadel, PhD, and Edmund Gergerian, MD, after which a lively and informative Q & A session followed.
Dr. Ali, a traditionally trained surgeon, now an integrative practitioner, and WBAI Radio Host, discussed how individuals know themselves the best in terms of their health and the responsibility of being a “primary physician” for oneself. Dr. Kallenborn, a trained naturopathic physician, physical therapist, and nurse practitioner, informed the audience about Neuromodulation Technique (NMT) which she utilizes with clients. During NMT, she uses the power of suggestion and Muscle Response Testing to assess the Autonomic Control System (ACS), “modulate” a person’s condition, and then uses “queries” to reset the ACS to alleviate pain or illness. She briefly mentioned that she practices hypnotherapy, meditation, and Chinese Medicine. Dr. Nadel is the author of a best-selling book, “The Sixth Sense” and a trained hypnotherapist whose clinical work revolves around helping people who faced trauma and developed Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from the terrorist attacks on September 11th. She poignantly shared how she had been living with PTSD since 1974 when she was a CBS reporter in Chile and struggled with hiding and running from the Chilean secret police. Since then she has become a human rights activist, founding the Human Rights Committee and Committee to Protect Journalists , as well as a psychologist who assists 9/11 victims and their families of processing their trauma through analysis of their dreams. Her life story was a powerful symbol of the power of post-traumatic-growth after a devastating episode. Dr. Gergerian, a holistic psychiatrist who is trained in techniques of Electromagnetic Field Balancing (EMF), flower remedies, sound healing, among others. He explained how the body can work through various systems, including the biological (i.e. digestive, endocrine, etc.), Chakra, and Biofield systems. According to EMF the Biofield system integrates all the previous ones and involves 12 fibers which are located around a person and its purpose is for self-balancing. He engaged the audience with an experiential exercise of transferring “love energy” from one hand to another. He also emphasized how it is important “to love yourself 1,000% so that you could have a 100% and use the excess to love others.” Dr. Kalayjian supplemented this by stating that it is critical for caregivers to practice self-care before tending to others. A lively Q&A session followed as the audience clarified new concepts, and reinforced their commitment to heal themselves.

There was an initiation of seven Meaningfulworld Ambassadors who completed the ATOP Humanitarian Relief Certificate Program. The newly awarded Ambassadors included: Karyn H. Jorgensen, MSW, Katerine Kaze, Michiko Kuroda, Mary-Ellen Lewis, LCSW, Sharon Hope Muja, MA, David M. Pressley, and Rashmi Jaipal, PhD.
In the afternoon session, ATOP’s film on humanitarian outreach in Haiti was shown. The afternoon panel discussion, showcasing selective healing centers, included: Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, Global Peace Partners, Effective Conversation, and OM Factory. This panel was facilitated by ATOP Intern, Wesley Beeks. The panelists spoke about using active listening, empathy, silence, and meditation to help connect with oneself and with others. A moment of silence was encouraged to allow audience members to feel the impact of the technique. Some words of advice included having fun and unite with one’s “inner child,” looking past what a person is and instead towards the hope of what a person can become, and maintaining respect for others on all levels, from an individual to collective groups, to alleviate conflict.

A gourmet cooking workshop was given by renowned chef, Celine, from The National Gourmet Institute, teaching the health benefits of whole foods and its impact on our mood and body. She demonstrated easy steps in creating delicious, healthy recipes. A summer squash soup with some herb puree was served both cold and hot, as well as an acidic black bean salad.

Simultaneously, a spiritual sound healing and meditation took place in another corner. A productive raffle was conducted while cosponsors provided gift items from OM Factory to massages, energy healing, educational books and CDs as well as Jewelry. The program concluded with Collective Healing and Heart-to-Heart Healing Circle.

A special gratitude to all of our co-sponsors: Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention (ATOP) of Meaningfulworld, WBAI, Voices for Freedom, Joni Rose Fine Art, Armenian Constitutional Rights Protective Centre, Dr. Gabriele Kallenborn Healing Center, Dr. Kazuko Gaia Holistic, Dr. Dardashti Integrative Mental Health, Natural Gourmet Institute, Rithy Chen, Martha Zamora, Sheriyar Cem, The Shine Center for Mindful Awareness, Armenian American Society for Studies on Stress and Genocide, Oleg and Juliya Voronov, Alfred Pena’s Rhythmology, Marty Epstein and Rachel McDavid, Mystic World, Aya Institute of Systemic Constellations, and One-by-One.

Gratitude to all of our ATOP staff and volunteers: Jennifer De Mucci, Katherine Kaze, Ann Rizzuto, Wesley Beeks, Jaklin Temurcu, Oleg Voronov, Omar  El Jabari, James Armstrong, and Michele Gonen. A special gratitude to our Corporate Sponsor: The Global Health Institute.
ATOP Meaningfulworld’s Mission is getting ready now to leave for the Democratic Republic of Congo end of June to mid-July 2011 to help surviving communities with emotional and psychospiritual wounds from years of armed conflict, poverty, discrimination, and displacement.

Your financial support is appreciated. Our organization is a charitable humanitarian organization and your donations are tax-deductible. A donation of $17 will help one person in Congo travel to the conference location and receive training by our teams. Kindly donate online at www.meaningfulworld.com, or send a check to ATOP at 135 Cedar Street, Cliffside Park, NJ 07010.

Good intentions are no longer enough. I wanted to support humanity in my own way. Meaningful World was a natural way for me to help the victims of tsunami.

So many systems have failed us and as we transition from failed models, attitudes and behaviors that are polarizing, destructive and failing all around us I could not just sit back, be overwhelmed and do nothing… I am doing something with Meaningful World.

Meaningful World cultivates well-being, relatedness, a deep awareness and understanding how to elevate some of the world's suffering. Our choices impact all living systems and I choose to be an agent of good.