Warm greetings to you all :)
We continue to grow! The Foundation of Light is entering a new chapter in its history with new energy, new classes and a renewed vision of who we are and in what direction we are moving.
The Visioning Committee is working on revising the Mission and Values statements, and at present has come up with concise wording describing “Who We Are.” Eventually, these will be added to the
website and to other informative literature about us. Meanwhile, the Visioning Committee would love to have YOUR feedback or approval on the statement below describing who we are:
The Foundation of Light:
We are an inclusive spiritual center where all may learn and grow through
meditation, healing, study, movement, the arts and meaningful service.
Does this statement resonate with your idea of the Foundation of Light? What other language do you believe we might use in creating the Mission and Values statements? Please submit your
comments here. Your participation and help are very much appreciated. Thank you!
MEMBERSHIP IN THE FOUNDATION OF LIGHT
When people were asked at our Visioning sessions what they believe the Foundation of Light represents, “Community” was near the top of the list. If it is now time for you to renew your annual
membership, please do so here, and continue to be a part of the exciting renewal in progress at the Foundation of Light.
We’re reaching out especially to people who have loved the Foundation and been active here in the past, but who might have forgotten that maintaining your membership at an annual rate you
can afford is important—both for the FOL, and for you as a stakeholder. We have some new membership benefits, including free use of the library, meditation room or grounds for three hours each year. Invite your friends to game night, host a book club, or try out a class you're thinking of leading here. Please refer to our membership page for more details. Let’s be a community of participants who each feel a personal investment in our collective future!
FALL EQUINOX - Sept. 24. Classes all day; Celebration at 6:30pm
Join us as at the Foundation of Light as we celebrate the Fall Equinox! There are activities all day - Meditation at 9am, Dance Church at 11:30am, and at 4pm you can choose between
Creating Art from Within and a Posture and Movement workshop.
The Equinox festivities begin at 6:30pm with a ceremony and meditation at the Stone Circle, followed by a potluck dinner at the main building. After dinner there will be a song circle.
Please bring a few of your favorite songs to share, and an instrument if you like. This gathering is free and open to all. Details
Spirit Kindred Festival - Sept. 7-10 in Enfield, NY
The Foundation of Light is a sponsor of this year's Spirit Kindred Women's Medicine Gathering that's happening in Enfield this weekend. This is a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in a weekend-long celebration of plant medicine, song, dance, ceremony, and women sharing knowledge and building community. https://www.spiritkindred.com
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
We are blessed to have quite a few new offerings here this fall and are excited to share the details with you. There's something for everyone - art, meditation, yoga, dance, healing, structural health, self-hypnosis, shamanism, firewalking, sound healing, drumming, live music, storytelling, earth wisdom, monthly moon talks, low-cost blood testing, and Poranguí live in concert! Several highlights
are listed below. Please find the full calendar at www.thefoundationoflight.org/#events. Check back often as new classes and events are being added weekly.
FEATURED CLASS - Dance Church
Dance Church Ithaca is your home for daytime free movement expression in Ithaca, NY! Join us every Sunday from 11:30am to 1:00pm. Inspired by the 'Five Rhythms' teachings of the late Gabrielle Roth, participants are encouraged to tune into what is alive in them and in the music in each moment and move from that place. The DJ is the 'minister', the music is the 'sermon', and the dancers are the
'congregation'! This family-friendly event is open to all ages, abilities and bodies, and the widely varying music depends on the Host/DJ for a given week. A suggested donation of $10 is collected at
the door; no one is turned away. Details
SEPTEMBER
Ecstatic Dance - Sept. 7 session at Spirit Kindred Festival
Please note that tonight's Ecstatic Dance session takes place at the Spirit Kindred Festival in Enfield instead of at FOL. More details on the festival in the description above.
Self-Hypnosis for Happiness - Sept 10 at 1:30pm
Join Devin The Mindful Mage for a journey into your own mind to learn all about the powerful positive resources within you. In this workshop you will learn about hypnosis and how to use it yourself (self-hypnosis) to enhance your quality of life and navigate the challenges of being human. Details
Creating Art from Within - Sept. 10, 17, 24 and Oct. 1 at 4:00pm
Join artist Katrina Morse for an exploration of self through art. All ability levels are welcomed - from total beginner to advanced. These projects are exploratory and process-oriented; any completed work is simply a welcome side effect. This is a 4-week series but each class is a standalone session, so you are welcome to attend as many as you like. Details / Registration
An Evening of Ancient Irish Shamanic Practices - Sept. 11 at 7:00pm
Join us for an evening of ancient Celtic Shamanic lore and ritual with Michele Hallahan, who is visiting from Ireland. She brings with her an ancient culture of storytelling, Irish myths and legends, and shamanic practices particular to Ireland. Take a guided journey to your ‘inner well’ and participate in a millennia-old whitethorn tea ceremony. Details
Red Cross Blood Drive - Sept. 15 at 1:00pm - 6:00pm
There is a huge need right now for blood donors. If you donate this month you get a free Red Cross t-shirt!
Details / Registration
Posture and Movement for Structural Health - Sept. 24 at 4pm
Learn how to be more at ease in your body and with your movements! This workshop teaches the kung fu and yoga of standing and walking, with guided meditations from the Buddha's original
teachings, as well as qi gong for health and wellness. Details/Registration
Our Super Moon! - Sept 27 at 6:00pm
Come learn about 2023’s last Supermoon Harvest Moon! Learn how the Moon is instrumental in the evolution of life on Earth and how different cultures used a lunar calendar to structure
their lives. There are many ancient beliefs of the Moon that science also corroborates as we discover even more about Earth's companion. Details
OCTOBER & NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS
Yoga and Meditation Classes
Weekly Sunday morning yoga with Lara Green starts up again on Nov. 5th at 10am. We are in the process of adding more yoga classes and a weekday evening meditation session. More details coming
soon.
Sound Bath with Orientation to Sound Healing - Oct. 6 at 6:00pm
Experience the power of sound as a tool for mental, physical, and spiritual attunement. Singing bowls, gongs, flutes, crystal instruments, drums, guitars, and a range of other tools are used throughout the journey. Vibrations and overtones produced by these powerful instruments can be felt throughout the body. The evening will also include an orientation to the vast world of sound healing and meditation to better integrate the experience. Details / Registration
Sound Healer Training Weekend - Oct. 6-8
This comprehensive sound healer training with Adrian DiMatteo will provide participants with the skills and knowledge needed to facilitate guided meditation and sound healing experiences. Through hands-on training with a variety of instruments, participants will directly experience the power of sound as a tool for mental, physical, and spiritual attunement. Details / Registration
Worlds Rhythms Universal Drum Circle - Oct 13 at 6:00pm
A new monthly drum circle has started at FOL that is open to all ages and experience levels. It takes place every First Friday at 6pm (except in October when it's on the second Friday). Come
join us :) Details
AMBA Wellness - Oct. 14; 6:00 to 10:00am
This is a mobile blood testing clinic that's coming to FOL. Choose from a variety of blood work panels at a low cost. Details coming soon.
Stories from the Mahabharata - Oct. 20 at 7:30pm
A poet, an elephant-headed god and a king astray in a forest: so begins the Mahabharata, a Hindu epic shot through with the wisdom of ancient sages and the ten thousand sorrows and joys of this life. In this live telling of stories from the great epic of India we will meet a princess born from a fire, hear the speech of the river Ganges and more! Performance storytelling by Jay Leeming; music by the
Calliope Chorus. Details
Firewalk Empowerment Workshop - Oct. 21 at 7:00pm
Gain a whole body understanding of how to bring more courage into your life! A series of challenges, all optional, bring you to an opportunity to walk barefoot and unharmed across a bed of hot
coals. Led by FOL Board Member Tony (Zahir) Simons. Details / Registration
Land Whispering with Patrick MacManaway - Nov. 10-12
Patrick's family have been connected with the FOL founders since 1970, and we are excited to have him back for a weekend workshop on how to connect and communicate with the natural
intelligences that surround us. You will learn about dragons! One can register for Friday evening's presentation separately. Details coming soon. patrickmacmanaway.com
Poranguí - The Beauty Way Tour: A Transformative Music, Dance, and Healing Experience - Nov. 18 at 7pm
Multicultural musician, healer, and educator Poranguí and co-facilitator Ashley Klein will create an intentionally curated container to experience the healing power of music and authentic expression. The Beauty Way Tour offers participants an evening of improvised world soul music, dance, and sound healing along with a unique opportunity to connect with themselves and their community, emerging, transformed and more whole. Details / Tickets
Harp Elementals - Tuesday evenings in Nov.
Pamela Goddard will offer a four session class and meditation exploring essential Buddhist teachings intentionally interwoven with harp music meditation and group discussion. We will work
with the four basic areas of awareness for breathing meditation - Body, Feelings, Mind, and “Objects of Mind” - one area per week. Details coming soon.