FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 1, 2010  New York, NY
Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention of Meaningfulworld
Dr. Ani Kalayjian
Phone: 201 – 941-2266
Email: DrKalayjian@meaningfulworld.com
www.meaningfulworld.com.

A cutting Edge Conference at the UN on Health, Consciousness and Spirituality

Health, Consciousness and Spirituality are integrally related to one another, and well-being depends on all three. This was the theme of the recent conference “Health, Consciousness and Spirituality” held on Saturday 26 June 2010, at the United Nations Church Center in New York. A morning panel of experts, a film about the Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention’s international humanitarian relief activities, meditation, and an afternoon workshop by celebrated author Andrew Harvey on “Finding Hope in Sacred Activism” completed  the inspiring program. In addition, seven trainees graduated from Meaningfulworld’s Humanitarian Outreach training program. Dr. Ani Kalayjian, Founder and Executive Director of organizing agencies Meaningfulworld and the Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention (ATOP), led the day’s events, facilitated the panel discussion, and provided her own expert contributions.  The conference opened with an interfaith prayer and a shamanic drumming session by Peter Maniscalco with  a yoga movement exhibition by Candace Morano.  Dr Kalayjian’s opening remarks were derived from her acceptance speech  from her ANA Honorary Human Rights Award, challenging people to embrace SQ Spiritual Intelligence, which is a universal tenet, just as the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“Disease is separation from one’s own nature, and one’s nature is part of a larger whole,” stated panelist Dr. Majid Ali. “So, one cannot talk about individual health without talking about community.” Dr. Ali, an accomplished surgeon and pathologist, presented on the morning panel a speech on “Healing through Consciousness Raising”. According to Dr. Ali, health is the result of awareness of, connection to, and living in accordance with, one’s own nature, on every level of being, from the physiological to the spiritual. Joining Dr. Ali on the morning panel were the Queen Mother of Harlem Dr. Blakely and Appreciative Inquiry organizational consultant Denise Lalonde.  According to Queen Mother Dr. Blakely, “When we speak of health and consciousness, we must speak of sacredness. Life is sacred, life is holy.” “From the beginning to the end of all life, it’s just a journey. How do we respect that journey, interpret that journey, and experience that journey? This journey is a conscious, emotional, human, and spiritual journey.” She urged audience members to “Stay on the sacred journey of life”. Denise Lalonde gave listeners a taste of Appreciative Inquiry, encouraging them to connect to a time they felt most alive, inspired and proud, and to notice their energy level rising in response to these thoughts. Appreciative Inquiry, according to Lalonde, focuses on increasing what is working, raising energy levels and creating positive momentum for individuals and organizations. She urged audience members to pay attention to their daily thoughts, and to the questions they ask themselves, and to notice whether they are ‘energy zappers’ or thoughts that lift them up and invigorate their lives.

Later in the day, an afternoon keynote speech and workshop, “Finding Hope in Sacred Activism and Heart Yoga”, was presented by author, teacher, and activist Andrew Harvey.  Harvey’s presentation drew from his books, including Sacred Activism and Heart Yoga. According to Harvey, sacred activism is born from the fusion of two of the most passionate impulses of human beings – the fire of the mystic’s passion for God, and the fire of the activist’s passion for justice.  “When you feel that passion, let it through,” urged Harvey, sweat running down his face in the heat of the urgency of his message. “All are messages from the One to start waking up to why you are here, to live this glorious existence.” According to Harvey, this passion is “a passion for the transformation of the world, on all levels of the world. It is through and with this passion that we are going to birth a new world.” He believes we are now going through a global dark night of the soul, but one that is part of what he calls “the mystical mystery of evolution”, and is “designed to galvanize at a deep level”.  He urges audience members to delve into discovering and fulfilling their individual and collective life missions. “The clue to discovering your mission is to discover your heartbreak,” he said. “Discover your heartbreak, get together with others, and start doing something.” The Institute for Sacred Activism, founded by Harvey, is creating a global Network of Grace, through which people with common concerns and missions can join together for action. “We are dealing with a terminal situation,” stated Harvey. “We have to get going.”

Yoga poses were selected to empower, release, and connect with mother earth, as Dr Kalayjian summarized the conference insights as: Commit for a practice involving your body, which is your temple (exercise), commit for a practice on the spiritual level (pray, meditate, engage in sacred activism), and commit to a practice on the emotional level (journal, release, talk with friends or healers).  Dr Kalayjian invited the audience to end in a circle of heart-to-heart connection while words of gratitude were expressed from participants.

Participants left the day’s events with new insights and inspiration, freshly recommitted to the intersection of health, consciousness and spirituality, and activism.

The conference, “Health, Consciousness and Spirituality” was organized and hosted by Meaningfulworld, the Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention (ATOP), UN CONGO Committee on Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns-NY, as well as its working group Health, Transformation and Spirituality, Global Health Institute, Association for Spirituality and Psychotherapy, and WBAI. Other supporters were: Flower Power, CandaceMorano.com, Spirituality and Health magazine, Health Harvest, Yoga Sutra, Dr Chan Acupuncture, Siva Rose, Laura Aversano, Hagitte Gal-Ed, Myrna Noble and Harvey Newman.

The Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention (ATOP) of Meaningfulworld, founded by Dr. Ani Kalayjian, is a global nonprofit organization with consultative status as a nongovernmental organization at the United Nations DPI (Department of Public Information). Meaningfulworld.com is dedicated to fostering a meaningful, peaceful, and just world in which every individual enjoys physical, mental, ecological, and spiritual health. For more information, see www.meaningfulworld.com.

For more information about the speakers and their programs, please see:
http://www.instituteforsacredactivism.org, http://www.majidali.com, http://www.ethicsinmedicine.us, http://www.queenmotherfesman.com.