By Char Eulette and Pam Packard
Pam tells us, “My friend
Candace is a yoga and meditation instructor in our local jail (so cool!) and
has also been playing the crystal singing bowls and gongs for quite some time.
Almost two years ago she had the idea that we partner up to do full moon
ceremony and sound baths at our favorite yoga studio in downtown Flagstaff. Our
first one was the full Wolf moon of January 2016. We also did the full Flower
moon last May and we just did the Strawberry moon this June.”
The joining of these wise
women to create an array of successful, yoga-centered, life-awakening, healing
and empowering earth-based ceremonies are much loved by their community and
regularly attended. They are attracting not only Yoginis but turning the
community on to the higher purpose of Yoga (that teaches us to tune in and
respect life), and for some - maybe for the first time. This combination of
Yoga, Meditation and Ceremony is a great
match that resonates well on many levels. Their attendees pay up to $25.00 a
person for each special event that they have now come to value and depend on.
I say - “Hail to
insightfulness and wisdom of Pam, Candace and Malissa who are making Flagstaff,
AZ a flagship creating noble and successful Yoga to community inspired events.”
Reading about their story in
this article may just be what you need to get you thinking about viable ways to
create a buzz and offer relevant events like this in your community and engaging like-minded
organizations.
What’s amazing that’s coming
from this dynamic team? Pam tells us,
“We are very proud that this fall 2017, we will be holding a free to the
public, world-wide “Peace ceremony” at an outdoor venue in historic downtown
Flagstaff--sponsored through the City.”
Here are some excerpts of
events written on their Facebook event invitations to give you a feel of the
warm and fresh way they market their offerings:
June 9, 2017: Join the pack as we gather once again to howl
at the moon--the full, ripe Strawberry moon of June. What are you ready to
harvest? To bring to fruition? Come energize and solidify your intentions with
ceremony and sound bath led by Celebrant Pam Packard and "Gongster"
Candace Ryan.
December 31, 2016: Good
Riddance Ceremony! No matter what kind of year you’ve had, it’s time to put it
to rest. Join us in ritual ceremony to empty ourselves and make room for the
hopes and promise of the new year. No hindrances, nothing to hold us back, just
a fresh start and a pure heart for 2017! This brief ceremony will prepare you
for a guided meditation and sound bath immediately to follow, where you will be
bathed with crystal singing bowls and gongs. (Not a full moon ceremony).
May 21, 2016: Come howl with
us at the Full Flower Moon May 21 as Candace Ryan and Pam Packard once again
come together in a healing ceremony and sound bath. We will focus on gratitude
and a sense of community. Please bring a single flower for a sharing ritual.
January 23, 2016: January was
dubbed the month of the Wolf Moon for amid the deep, dark cold of midwinter,
wolves could be heard howling in hunger outside the villages. Through ceremony,
we will honor the “hunger” that grows within each of us—our dreams and desires
for betterment, peace and prosperity. Come howl with us, giving voice to your
intentions, strengthening your resolve to endure this period of
seemingly-endless darkness, and reaffirming your belief in the rightness of
your place in our pack and the turning of the seasons.
The women’s personal bios
appear on their FB event page at: https://www.facebook.com/soulsticelife/
Pam Packard is a certified
Life-Cycle Celebrant® dedicated to the belief that ceremony can have
long-lasting, life-enhancing effects in our lives. “In ceremony,” she says,
“past, present and future meet and all take their proper seat.” Seasonally
minded and spiritually open, she loves using relevant and meaningful words,
symbols and rituals to honor and help order the human experience. She holds
three certificates from the Celebrant Foundation and Institute (Ceremonies for
Couples & Ceremonies across the Life-Cycle, 2010, and Ceremonies for
Healing, 2015), as well as a M.A. in English from NAU (1994).
Celebrant Foundation &
Institute website to become a certified Life-Cycle Celebrant® www.celebrantinstitute.org.
Candace Ryan is a Yoga and
meditation Instructor, Reiki Master and Holistic Coach. She is the Founder and
Facilitator of The Peaceful Revolution Project offering yoga and meditation to
underserved and at-risk populations since 2013 specifically to the inmates in
the Reentry and Exodus pods at the Coconino County Detention Center for the
last 4.5 years, as well as the Facilitator at Soulstice. Her passion is working
with under empowered, at risk and underserved populations by providing an
inclusive approach to yoga and mindfulness geared towards individuals
struggling with addiction, generational trauma.
Malissa Bobbitt , Studio
owner, Northern Arizona Yoga Center, Flagstaff, AZ. Master of Education since 1999, Malisa has
taught many disciplines to many ages. In
2006, she completed her 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training with Tom and Trisha
Kelly in Encinitas, California. Since
then, she has taught 1000s of hours and continued her education with Master
Teachers Rod Stryker, Tim Miller, Leslie Kaminoff, and many others. In February of 2011, she completed a Yoga
Alliance, 500 Yoga Teacher Training that mainly focused on Yoga Therapy; Many
of her teachers have studied directly with Desikachar himself. She founded Vertical Soul Yoga in 2011 and is
the Director of the Yoga Teacher Training.
Her passion is to make yoga accessible to all and to create a loving space
to practice the art of yoga. From studio website: http://northernarizonayogacenter.com/:
Pam Packard Life-Cycle
Celebrant,
"The future belongs to
those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." -Eleanor Roosevelt
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!" -Henry David
Thoreau These are two of my favorite quotes as they really inform my belief in the
importance of ceremony and ritual. We are each of us always moving forward,
crossing thresholds, marking passages, and we should do so with ceremonies
unique and meaningful to us as individuals, not some
old-tired-one-size-fits-all sort of thing. Everything you want and nothing you
don't is what you'll get from me as we work together to usher you into your
beautiful future.
Weddings and Ceremonies for
Couples, Ceremonies for Families and Children. Serving Northern Arizona, the
Grand Canyon, the White Mountains and the Colorado Plateau
https://www.wedding.com/pro/officiants/mountain-song-ceremonies/28280
# # #
Encore Career
The CF&I support doesn't end when we hand our graduates their diplomas. Our Alumni Association provides additional educational and professional development via an extensive online ceremony library and business resource library including topically relevant webinars and presentation tools. CF&I graduates are also invited to join one of our 42 regional chapter for mentoring, networking, client referrals, and ceremonial idea sharing. These local resources are invaluable in nurturing the continued growth of our Celebrants in field.
The Celebrant Foundation & Institute is proud to have Life-Cycle Celebrants® who are now practicing throughout the world. Our reach is growing for sure, but there is so much more work to do! We are committed to advancing this great Celebrant movement and giving people of all walks of life greater choice in how they want to mark the milestones in their lives.
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