FAQ
Why come to The Inner Journey Seminar?
Many of us spend our time focused on our outer journey throughout life by seeking satisfaction and success through external sources: money, material things, jobs, relationships. While there is nothing wrong with having these things, and while we may experience feelings of achievement, they are often fleeting. A deeper part of ourselves remains unfulfilled. The Inner Journey is an opportunity to explore those deeper parts of ourselves, heal wounds of the past, learn to be present in the NOW, and create new possibilities for your future.
How long has IJS been in DC?
Howard Ross met Michael Schiesser in the fall of 1999 at the second Inner Journey course. Howard was so moved by his experience in the Inner Journey that he was trained to lead the course and eventually formed a partnership with Michael to make the work more available. Howard and Michael have continued to partner in the work for the past decade. The first Inner Journey was delivered in the Washington, D.C. area in the summer of 2000 and a local community began. Since 2000, hundreds of Washingtonians have participated in the Inner Journey Seminar. In 2008, the WDC Inner Journey Community was registered as a 501c3, non-profit organization.
What is the Inner Journey?
The Inner Journey is a 3 1/2-day residential program intended to support you in powerfully and dramatically transforming the quality of your life. Drawn from years of experience and research into a wide range of personal, philosophical, and spiritual transformational practices, the Inner Journey is a modern-day response to the ancient search for truth and meaning in our lives.
How is Inner Journey different from other courses?
There are many courses available that are designed to create breakthroughs for us in our lives. Some have an outlook of looking forward and creating possibility, while spending no time acknowledging wounds of the past. Some programs are designed to be silent, being with self and confronting our own inner world. Some programs are designed solely for emotional healing and do very little with being in action to create the life we want. Some programs are designed to “break down” the ego, stripping away the things we identify with in our lives. Some programs may be just quiet meditation to calm the mind. All of these can be valuable in their own way.
The uniqueness of the Inner Journey is it’s multi-dimensional approach. There is a balance and inclusivity to the program and you will experience the aspects of many different kinds of transformational approaches. Often, we are inclined to participate with a certain type of program based on our personalities. What we find is that when people stretch themselves to experience something more unknown, or even a little uncomfortable, the opportunities for growth are expanded. You may arrive at a new perspective that can catapult you into that feeling of inner fulfillment, feeling fully alive, self-expressed, and reconnected to your heart.
The design of Inner Journey Seminar has two "wings"; self-awareness and love. These two are not always adopted together in other programs or spiritual teachings.
Awareness: During the course, participants have an opportunity to explore how their thought processes, (Eckhart Tolle refers to this as the mind or “ego”) can sometimes create patterns in their life that hinder personal growth and create an existence that lacks passion and full self-expression. The course uses many techniques to foster self-awareness including Jungian archetypes, meditative practices, journaling, sharing, and presencing techniques.
Love: Participants have a wonderful opportunity to explore their relationship to love, how it currently lives for them or doesn’t, and how one may have more access to it in their lives. Many of us have experienced emotional "wounding" at a very young age and as a result have protective-coping mechanisms and emotional blockades. As adults, these coping mechanisms created to protect us at an earlier time in life can also cut us off from fully experiencing natural, human emotion and thus dampen our capacity to fully love and accept ourselves, our partners, our family, our friends, and very often our spiritual source. The course uses several ancient techniques from all over the world such as breath work, chanting, meditation, movement, and experiential processes that are a combination of Michael Schiesser’s extensive experience. This helps participants to gain greater conscious access to their hearts and the capacity to love, forgive and feel compassion.
How is the weekend organized?
During the first half of the program, you will have the opportunity to explore the common bonds that connect you with your own gender. Separately, men and women participants explore their own personal concerns and also the common concerns faced by others of the same gender. You develop a deeper understanding of what it is to be a woman and what it is to be a man. In a safe and structured environment, you can heal wounds of the past and create possibility for your future. You will awaken your power, love, strength and passion!
This initial inner exploration prepares you for the second half of the program when the men and women come together for a profound healing between the genders. You begin to dissolve the barriers to love and begin to open up to expressing your passion, your commitments, and your desires. This journey of love, truth and celebration will have an extraordinary impact on your relationships with yourself and with those who are most important in your life.
Where and when is the Inner Journey held?
The Inner Journey Seminar is held at peaceful retreat sites in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The program begins on a Thursday evening at 7pm and completes on Sunday around 6pm. The next Inner Journey in the Washington/NOVA area and is scheduled for Feb. 5-8, 2009 at The Land Celebration in Gore, VA www.thelandcelebration.org
What is the cost for the Inner Journey?
The total cost of the program is $695 and includes tuition, lodging and all meals (except Thursday dinner) from the time you arrive until you leave, follow-up materials, and one follow-up 1-hour coaching session with a course facilitator. Payment may be made with check or credit card on the website. Call 202-957-IJDC (4532) to register and pay by check. There is an early registration discount of $50 if registered 1-month before the course, and $50 per person discount for couples at any time with an additional early registration discount of $100 per couple. $165 of your cost is non-refundable. Balance refunds are available only if cancellation is made more than 2 weeks prior to the course date. Cancellations made within 2 weeks of the course may only be transferred to the following course.
Who participates in the Inner Journey?
Anyone 18 years of age or older who wants an extraordinary, loving, passionate and successful life. The Inner Journey welcomes people of all races, religions, ages and sexual orientation.
Who presents the Inner Journey?
The Inner Journey is a non-profit educational organization and is led by highly experienced facilitators. Michael, Howard, and Neelama educate and follow facilitators through years of apprenticeship prior to them taking a lead role as a full facilitator in the program.