workshop

"I" Empowerment Therapy (IET)
Basic Healing Meditation Workshops for Adults

What are IET Basic Healing Workshops for Adults?

           IET Basic Healing Meditation Workshops for Adults are about common pains that confront adults: burn-out, separation or divorce, empty-nest syndrome, middle-age crisis, loneliness, frustration and emptiness.

           These psycho-spiritual workshops guide adults to resolve their pains and find spiritual meaning in life.

           The workshop duration is one week. The first half is devoted to psychological healing. The second half is devoted to spiritual development.

           IET Basic Healing Meditation Workshops comprise relaxation, discernment, samatha-vipassana meditation, catharsis, yoga and zen meditation and situational rehearsal sessions.

           IET is not only about healing. IET is about enjoying life, discovering its mysteries and expressing oneself to the fullest. IET Workshops are therefore geared towards peak experiences: discovering one's inner beauty and strength, nature-healing, communing with nature and making deep, personal relationships.

How are IET Basic Healing Workshops held?

           IET Workshops are held in groups and one-on-one sessions in the English language.

           Daily schedules include waking up at 6:00 am, morning physical exercises, meditation and catharsis sessions interspersed throughout the day, nature-tripping, group discussions and journal writing at night and one-on-one sessions with the Director whenever possible. Sleep is at 10 pm or earlier.

Where are IET Basic Healing Meditation Workshops held?

           These are held at the SAIDI Formation Center in Antipolo City, Rizal, Philippines. The center is about 30 minutes from Manila. If not available, other retreat houses near Manila are used. Out of town workshops may be arranged for interested groups.

Who are eligible for IET Basic Healing Meditation Workshops for Adults?

           All adults are eligible except those who have (1) severe physical illnesses such as imminent heart attacks and stroke and (2) severe psychological problems such as schizophrenia, psychosis, suicidal depression and uncontrollable aggression that need constant medical and psychiatric attention.

Who is the facilitator?

           GONZALO B. MISA
           Ph.D. Candidate in Clinical Psychology, Ateneo De Manila University
           31 years experience in combining meditation and catharsis
           Author of "I" Empowerment Therapy
           Founder of "I" Empowerment Institute

How does the facilitator conduct workshops?

           The IET facilitator guides the participants towards psycho-spiritual growth. He respects the privacy and autonomy of participants. He knows that participants want psychological and spiritual experience, not imposed            beliefs. He therefore never imposes his thoughts, feelings and volition on the participants. He knows that the participant has all the resources within him/her and his task therefore is to empower the participant by making him/her experience his/her own spiritual identity, the "I" that is unique to each person. This empowerment results in liberation and peak experiences for the participant.

What is the methodology of IET Basic Healing Meditation Workshops?

           IET Workshops empower a person with his/her spiritual identity before allowing him/her to confront, resolve and discard his/her pains and neuroses. After healing, the person embarks on his/her own spiritual journey.

What are these pains and neuroses?

           These are repressed feelings of pain that are related to trauma, unhealthy personal relationships and unfulfilled dreams.

What are the phases of IET Basic Healing Meditation Workshops?

           These are:

           A. PREPARATORY EMPOWERMENT PHASE
           1. Relaxation exercises: Cardio-vascular exercises, Yoga and other mind-body exercises.
           2. Discernment exercises: Empowerment exercises that show the participant his/her true spiritual identity.
           3. Samatha-vipassana meditation: Concentration and awareness exercises that allow the participant to experience the spiritual power of healing himself/herself.
           B. HEALING PHASE
           4. Catharsis sessions: Properly empowered, the participant confronts, resolves, purges and heals his/her pains and neuroses. This experience enables him/her to understand the pains of other people.
           C. SPIRITUAL PHASE
           5. Yoga and Zen meditation: Elevates the participant to a higher spiritual plane that he/she will find to be genuinely and basically human. Truly a stage of wondrous enlightenment and insight. An exhilarating experience.
           D. GOING BACK PHASE
           6. Rehearsal sessions: Armed with self-understanding, participants rehearse resolving conflict situations at home and make realistic plans to achieve their personal goals and dreams.

What services can the participants expect?

           For formal workshops, the participants can expect medical and psychological tests, individual rooms for privacy, a doctor / assistant who is on call for emergencies.

What are expected of participants?

           They are expected to:

           1. Read the "I" Empowerment Manual for full disclosure of IET before applying for the workshop.
           2. Abstain from alcohol, nicotine and drugs two weeks prior to and during the workshop and hopefully, after the workshop. The reason for this is that IET Workshops aim to bear out to the participant his/her dependencies for him/her to confront and resolve.
           3. Write a personal journal in the evenings that will serve to make him/her understand and synthesize his/her experiences.
           4. Take medical and psychological tests to gauge their responsiveness to the therapy.
           5. Be open to change.

What is not expected of participants?

           Participants are not expected to:

           1. Believe anything that the facilitator says unless they experience and know it as a fact. After the experience, belief is no longer necessary.
           2. Divulge their secrets and private life unless they want to or unless they feel that it will help them.
           3. Do the bidding of the facilitator or the group of participants unless they feel that it is for their own good.

Are there documented feedback from past participants?

           Yes, there are. One group of participants were drug addicts. Another group were gifted artist scholars from the Philippine High School for the Arts. There is also a feedback from MW (see home page).

How much are the fees of IET Basic Healing Meditation Workshops?

           A one-week IET Basic Healing Meditation Workshop for Adults costs (to be announced) payable before the workshop.

           What are the funds of IET Workshops used for?

           Funds are used for IEI operations.

How does a person make a reservation to join an IET Basic Healing Meditation Workshop for Adults?

           The person first reads the I Empowerment Therapy Manual. If he finds the contents of the manual interesting and helpful, he then fills up the Reservation Form.