
Dave Dobson: Moving Forward: Tools for Transformation
Dave will be offering a series of four workshops focusing on facilitating personal growth and transformation.
Most of us operate on autopilot, employing old habits in the hope that we will achieve the change that has been eluding us. The truth is, if we aren’t getting what we want out of life, be that personal health, a rewarding job, or meaningful relationships, then something has to change. By understanding how life works, we can take a path of constructive development by making the right choices, saying the right things, and responding to life’s challenges in a way that results in positive outcomes, instead of painful experiences.
Dave will be drawing on Ayurvedic principles interpreted in a contemporary way, as well as nutrition, psychology, and communication ethics to provide participants with practical tools they can use to improve the quality of their lives.
These workshops will be open to all. Modules 3 and 4 will develop and extend areas covered by Dave in the YogaJaya teacher training program, so if you are a YogaJaya teacher training graduate who enjoyed Dave’s classes, there will be something here for you also.
Module 1: Prakruti - Understanding Ourselves and Others
October 25th 18:45-21:15
This workshop will apply Ayurvedic principles to help participants understand their own unique constitution (prakruti) and how it relates to their physical and psychological well-being.
Understanding personal constitutions is extremely useful in helping us understand ourselves as well as others on a much deeper level. It helps us understand our physical and psychological tendencies, and what will take us out of balance and bring us back into balance at any given time.
Topics for this module will include:
- Defining and recognizing the different constitutional types and subtypes
- Understanding the health challenges of each constitution
- Understanding the emotional tendencies and personalities of the different constitutions
- Recognizing the early signs of imbalance
- General guidelines for keeping and restoring balance to mind and body
Module 2: Diet and Lifestyle as Vehicles to Health and Awareness
October 26th 18:45-21:15
To be able to recognize life’s opportunities and realize our dreams, we need clear minds and healthy bodies.
This workshop will explore diet and lifestyle as vehicles to improving personal health and awareness. Dave will draw on Ayurvedic principles viewed in a contemporary way, incorporating an understanding of Western nutrition, raw food and yoga to help participants make dietary and lifestyle choices that are best suited to their personal constitutions and conditions.
Topics for this module will include:
- The relationship between digestion and toxins in our bodies
- How to improve digestion and assimilation of food
- Food and taste in relation to different constitutions: finding a diet that’s right for you
- Exploring the relationship between food and awareness
- Exercise and lifestyle considerations, including personalizing your yoga practice to suit your constitution and current state of health
- Making life transitions in a fun yet lasting and effective way
Module 3: The Dynamics of Relationships and Transformation Through Communication
October 27th 18:45-21:15
Life is an opportunity to become the person we dream to be and to help others to do the same. What we become is a result of what we do, both mentally and physically. Our diet and lifestyle are an important part of this, however once we have them worked out, the real test comes through how we handle our relationships and how we communicate.
This workshop will look at what it takes to build healthy relationships and effective communication.
Topics will include:
- The mind, body, spirit connection
- The relationship between experience, trauma and transformation
- Integrity: principles to get yourself together
- Keys to building and maintaining healthy relationships
- Communication tools and ethics – what works and what doesn’t
Module 4: Emotional States
October 28th 18:45-21:15
Our emotional state is a reflection of the relationship between our spirit and our mind. At low emotional states our altitude on life is also low, as spirit is not home and we are moving from our head instead of our heart, where views words and actions quickly become twisted. Emotion therefore, has a huge influence on how we operate and communicate. Recognizing this and being able to work with it is key to transforming challenging situations we find ourselves in.
This workshop will look in depth at communication in relation to emotional states. Expanding on the communication tools introduced in the previous workshop, we will look at how to handle difficult situations to achieve positive outcomes for all involved.
Topics will include:
- Understanding the relationship between different emotional states and communication
- How to deal with people who are in various emotional states, such as anger, depression, or people trying to exert control
- The importance of passion
- Keeping altitude – how to stay positive and maintain a high emotional state
- Moving forward and maximizing transformation