Conference Programme

Friday, 18 November 2022

Scroll down to see all talks and descriptions:

THE POWER OF RESILIENCY

with Ceci Buzon - Recorded session

In this fun, interactive and informative session, Ceci presented ways that we can strengthen our resilience. She identified the 16 Guidelines and its four wisdom themes as a key way to develop our resilience. We need to train ourselves to think in a more flexible, less rigid way. She explained the Giants and Dwarves game for children to teach flexible thinking. She asked whether we can adapt, mould and be fluid whenever a difficult situation arises - like the shape of water. Can we see problems from several different perspectives? She led an exercise on the compassionate eye. She emphasised the importance of focusing on what we can do to help rather than what we cannot do. This gives us courage and combats feelings of depression or overwhelm. Resilience can help us to feel hopeful and to let our children feel hopeful too.

We are all connected

with Pam Cayton - Recorded session

"Empathy is the seed that blossoms into compassion." - Pam Cayton

During this moving session, Pam began with a grounding exercise then shared a 7 step technique she has developed for awakening kindness in children. The first step is to ask "What do I really want?" This involves a simple "centering" process where children go inside and ask deeply. What she has seen emerge is that we all want to feel happy and to be treated with kindness. This is the beginning of empathy - an understanding that if I want to feel happy, so do others. Then the "how" to be happy is explored. This involves feeling grateful for what we have and seeing how everything we enjoy is dependent on others. Pam shared ways that we can help children understand that our perceptions or the world are relative. How no-one can "make me angry". Nobody makes your emotions, you are in charge of your own emotions. She also spoke about the lost art of listening - how connection and communication feels good. It deepens our empathy and develops our compassion