6th & 7th February 2021

tickets: $49 - $89

8:30am-1:30pm PST (San Francisco)

11:30am-4:30pm EST (New York)

4:30pm-9:30pm GMT (London)

Who Is “Break Free From Chronic Pain” For?

Your symptoms and pain are real. The pain may not be apparent to the naked eye. You long for symptom-free days so you can get on with your life, but those days are hard to find. Your body may be stuck in fight or flight and it’s craving some relaxation so it can repair itself.

It’s possible to shift out of this mode for good and start enjoying life. It takes a ‘village’ of knowledge to get to the emotional roots of pain.

With simple lifestyle changes you can:

• understand the message of pain

• heal your body

• dream big (again)

There is hope.

What is chronic pain?

Chronic pain is pain that persists for more than 3 months (other causes ruled out), and have not been able to find permanent pain relief via the usual ways. According to the latest research in Pain Neuroscience, the cause of persistent, chronic pain is to be found in the way that pain perception and sensitivity are heightened in the nervous system.

Factors like anxiety, stress and our tendency to react to pain with fear may alter the nervous system so that a person can start experiencing a variety of symptoms that are not due to structural or tissue damage. When a person is threatened there is a specific sequence of events, now known as: “The Trauma Response”. The threat jumpstarts the body into a fight, flight or freeze response. The limbic (lower) brain is activated, hormones are released and the body is primed to defend itself from danger. Chronic pain may be triggered by a range of stressful situations, trauma and/or repressed emotions. However, it may also manifest after an injury due to a person’s fear of re-injury or following a significant event in a person’s life.

Some people may be familiar with American doctor, Dr. John Sarno, who coined the term Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS). TMS is also known as MindBody Syndrome, Tension Myoneural Syndrome and PPD (Psychophysiologic Disorders). TMS applies to all various chronic pain conditions and is another way of diagnosing chronic pain.

Not sure if you have chronic pain, here’s a quiz to find out.

Some types of chronic pain: neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, joint pain, back pain (including pain attributed to a herniated disc), foot pain, arthritis (not rheumatoid arthritis), piriformis pain, sciatica, nerve pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines, plantar fasciitis, pelvic pain, fibromyalgia, IBS, acid reflux and vertigo.

Cecilie Holter

Writer, Journalist, and Researcher

A Norwegian native who has lived most of her life in the UK and the US, Cecilie has spent decades researching the nature of our shared legacy of transgenerational, collective trauma. Her own journey as a child raised in the shadows of war trauma and loss is currently culminating in her upcoming memoir. She is also currently enrolled in Thomas Hubl's "Principles of Collective Trauma Healing;" an intensive Certification Program.

Cecilie invites you to a deeply personal conversation about how our forefathers' ungrieved trauma can directly impact our own lives - through illnesses, addictions, and other manifestations of our unconscious or unaddressed soul wounds. Our doctors tell us to look up our family's medical history. I hope that with current breakthroughs in our understanding of the legacy of trauma, doctors will start asking us to become familiar with our family's emotional and spiritual history, which I believe is the source of all ailments, both physical and psychological.

Diane Hynes

Bodywork therapist, massage therapist & Qi gong teacher

Diane is an insightful bodywork therapist with 30+ years of experience in the complementary health field. She began exploring nutrition at 16 and found the benefits of shiatsu while living in Japan 10 years later.  The focus in her practice is to guide and support each individual in their own journey, believing the body has an innate ability to heal.  When one's energy, or vital chi, is not flowing then illness can arise. Using bodywork, herbs, nutrition, Qi gong and more, you can create strength and good health in your body, mind and spirit.

Diane Hynes is a NJ licensed massage therapist (LMT, CHMLDT, ATMAT) and bodywork practitioner.  Shiatsu/Shin Tai, CranialSacral Therapy, Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD), Myofascial Release, Arvigo Therapy of Mayan Abdominal Massage, and Tuning forks are some of the techniques utilized.  She has trained as an herbalist and includes nutrition guidance, Qi Gong, and lifestyle education in her consultations.  Qi Gong is an important practice for overall  lifelong health.

Diane currently has a private practice at Hope Wellness Center,  in Hope, NJ. She instructs various classes at the International School of Shiatsu, Warren County Community College  and provides bodywork, Qi Gong and Meridian stretching classes/lectures locally, nationally, internationally. and online

Dorit Noble

Nia Dance Training Faculty

It's been nearly 16 years since Dorit took her first class in Cape Town, she had no intention of teaching Nia. She just desperately wanted to take classes.Dorit felt a spark light her up when the teacher said to the class, it doesn't have to look good, it has to feel good, it can look ugly. At that moment, she let go of feeling self conscious and had FUN moving, sweating and experiencing the Joy of my Body's Way. Dorit originally found her voice as an opera singer, but today, she is the Nia UK Resident Trainer. Nia is an expressive fitness programme that will guide you into Loving your Body and loving your Life. It is empowering, graceful, playful and tender and all this is packaged as a one hour fitness program. The best part is Nia is a gift available to Every Body. Dorit looks forward to dancing with you from London, U.K.

Dr. Jennifer Marie Lane

Chiropractor, Thrive Healer & Dream Readings

Dr. Jennifer Marie Lane is a Network Spinal chiropractor, dream oracle, author and mother. Her healing work is a blend of soul technologies, chiropractic and practical magic. She believes that all the stories we hold in the body that cause discomfort and dis-ease separate us from the truth of Wholeness. She has a deep reverence for the body’s ability to heal through remembering our connection to Source. Her passion is for facilitating these life-enhancing experiences where body, mind, heart, soul and spirit(s) intermingle – where Dreams come alive.

Born in Hawaii to Navy physicians, she traveled the world experiencing a diversity of cultures and educational environments. She moved to Bend, Oregon in the Spring of 2018 after nearly three years of traveling the US with her husband and son (who was born in the RV). Jennifer and her husband are the co-founders of Bend Wellness Center where they facilitate healing experiences for patients and clients in person and online.

Katie Eades

Teacher, business owner and empowerment coach

At the heart what Katie does is—love of learning, laughing, and empowering people to use neuroscience to shape the way they think and behave, creating more meaning, coherence, and alignment for teams. Our science-based approach to growing soft skills and a growth mindset, facilitates significant shifts in behaviors that drive engagement, resiliency, adaptability, capability, and creativity.

Katie offers individual, executive, business, and NeuroLeadership coaching programs and workshops that use the science of change leadership to engage people and organizations create a significant shift in behaviors for accelerate success—virtually. At OWL Professional Coaching, the currency of trust is vulnerability, and Katie consistently delivers, creating a virtual container for powerful coaching that can in, just a few days, break down silos and walls that have built up for years. Katie’s ability to empower people to fully step into their authenticity and courageously live in full expression of their naturally creative and resourceful self, is at the heart of her coaching. Her superpower is using the science of leadership to shift perspectives permanently to create transformational change.

Lindsey Roberts

Mind Body Kitchens culinary school owner & self-healer of chronic migraines

Lindsey spent 2/3 of her life with crippling chronic migraine, but something clicked after her immersion at Ballymaloe Cookery School, in Ireland. She learned that foods in their most natural form were healing for the body, as well as a positive mindset. This journey led her far from her 5th grade teaching position in California, as she found herself earning a Mastering from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy, working for Jamie Oliver and running a culinary school. These experiences taught her there's something magical that happens when we gather and break bread with others. We look each other in the eye, connect, share stories, cultures and traditions. But most of all we have fun, we celebrate and feel joy. Isn't that the best feeling and one you're craving right now? Healing the body can be both fun and delicious. Join Lindsey in her postage stamp-sized kitchen from London, U.K., to learn how to cook real food, find your intuition in the kitchen, & live life without restriction - all while having fun in the process and becoming your own wellness expert.

Lydia Hwang

Intuitive healer, vibrational sound healing and Aura-Soma practitioner

Lydia is an intuitive healer using sound and color. Following her autoimmune diagnosis in 2004, she launched her dedicated pursuit of self healing spanning 7 years and two continents (United States and the South of France). Beginning at the Tama-Do Academy, she studied with pioneering leader Fabien Maman; regarded as the founding father of vibrational sound therapy.

Lydia deepened her intuitive work by studying closely with Patricia Janusz to unlock the mystery of color healing and Nicole Bertolucci for natural energy healing. After solidifying her foundational studies, she teamed up with master chime builder Wolfgang Dienert to hone her professional craft and develop her unique skill set utilizing chimes, the monochord table and Tibetan bowls. In 2016, Lydia became certified as an Aura-Soma practitioner; a system of color, plant and crystal energies that illuminate one’s true colors and help transformation, attain balance, harmony, happiness and vitality. Today, she alchemizes mediums of sound and color into a uniquely powerful healing practice called “Color Soul” intuitive readings, co-facilitates events, is a faculty member of Ratna Ling retreat center and a founding member of Savasana Sound. 

Maria Trindade

Structural Integration, Craniosacral & Manual Lymphatic Drainage Therapist

Maria is a transformational bodywork therapist with 17 years experience in a range of complimentary bodywork skills ranging from Structural Integration to Manual Lymphatic Drainage. She works one to one basis with clients, tailoring treatments to each individual’s unique needs to nourish and heal her clients, whether they are wanting to improve their health and wellbeing, train more effectively or are rehabilitating after an injury or surgery. She works with a diverse range of people from mums-to-be, to executives in the corporate world, politicians, royalty, celebrated actors, musicians and sports personalities. Maria is an inspirational role model, embodying what she teaches. She has a particular interest in spirals in the body and a passion for using her knowledge and expertise to help clients discover their potential. Her commitment keeps her engaged in continuous professional development, attending workshops and keeping up to date with the latest research, constantly incorporating her new knowledge into her relaxing, detoxifying and regenerative work.

Nandar Matari

Meditation Teacher & Trainer

Nandar was born and raised in Myanmar (Burma), where she started learning and practicing the precious ancient methods of mindfulness and meditations from many Buddhist monks and masters. She worked in different careers as English Teacher in Myanmar, Financial Consultant later Sales Manager and Recruiting Specialist in Germany. In spite of her great professional successes, she did not feel fulfilled and she decided to follow her passion of teaching meditations since 2014. Through her daily convention of meditations and diverse experiences in the past 27 years, she has created different forms of guided meditations to transform people’s lives with Meditation for better health, more productivity and personal transformation. She is currently living in Zurich, Switzerland.

Nicole Pitesa

Self-healer of Lyme Disease

Changing the function and structure of the brain through limbic system retraining has been Nicole’s most powerful tool in getting her life back from severe chronic illness. Finding her power and learning she had everything she needed to heal has been the most beautiful and transformational journey. Nicole is passionate about helping others find their own unique healing power through Limbic system retraining, emotional release and meditation. She will share her personal journey in discovering the limbic system and how it plays a role in the manifestation of symptoms. Nicole will also share how she uses essential oils to access the limbic system and release emotions, which helped her symptoms to go into remission. She is currently living in Idaho, U.S.A.

Nora Dornbush

Medical Intuitive, Registered Nurse (retired), Reiki Master, Health & Wellness Coach

Nora’s mission is to empower those who are ready to take charge of their own healing. She describes herself as a medical intuitive and energy healer. Nora believes all healing is self-healing and practitioners guide and hold space for the healing to occur. She studied with the Whole Health Medicine Institute and received a badge of completion from Dr. Lissa Rankin’s Mind Over Medicine: Six Steps to Healing Yourself course.

Nora also continues to work with animals using intuitive energy healing as well as studying and finding a healing correlation in the way small and large pets interact with their families. She finds true pleasure in working with people in all stages and walks of life and especially with limited verbal or non-verbal children and adults. As an empath, she is able to feel what is affecting her clients vibrationally and help them to vibrationally tune to their own knowing that their healing comes from within. Originally from Illinois, she is currently residing in Fez, Morocco.

Dr. C. Picara Vassallo

Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbs & Spiritual healing

Dr. Picara knows exactly what it’s like to be an empathic, highly sensitive person who has been riddled with chronic pain since childhood.  From strep throat to scoliosis, migraines to UTIs, digestive pain to menstrual pain to her eventual diagnosis with a thyroid condition at 18 years old, she's spent her personal and professional life studying alternative medicine and spiritual practices looking for practical answers.  

Combining eastern medicine, psychology, and spiritual techniques from rare lineages, she was able to overcome and manage her pain as well as resolve her need for thyroid medication for the past 15 years. She’s been sharing with patients in her private practice these tools she uses herself.  Now she wants to share them with you so you can be more empowered around your pain and learn how to transform it to reveal your gifts. 

Dr. Picara has had a private practice in Manhattan for over 10 years. She received her bachelors in psychology with a specialization in neuroscience from an Ivy League university. She has a Masters and Doctorate in Chinese medicine and Acupuncture.  She’s also certified in Spiritual Healing and currently working on her Masters in Divinity.

Rachael Shores

Watercolor artist, connecting people to their joy through color.

Rachael uses art techniques to teach people how to utilize curiosity, open their perspective to new possibilities, and thrive in uncertainty. She has been teaching herself drawing skills since the age of 4, using art to express herself and make sense of the world around her.

It was during her 9 year travel journey -often trading her art for necessities - that she realized that creativity had supplied her with the ability to stay open, flexible, and grateful to the opportunities her adventures presented her.

After learning Thai Massage in Thailand, she earned her massage license in Asheville, North Carolina in 2010. It was massage that helped her comprehend the significance of the mind-body connection. We can use the body to move emotions through and ease the healing process. Rachael currently lives in Germany with her husband, where she continues to experiment with how to shift our emotions using creativity and to teach people creative skills for their healing journey.

Renate Novak

Personal Growth Facilitator, Certified Hakomi Practitioner

Renate assists individuals in attaining a more expansive and satisfying life experience through mindful self-study where awareness is raised to unconscious beliefs, habitual thoughts, unprocessed feelings and body sensations. By transcending the conditioning of the past, a future becomes possible that includes vibrant well-being, a sense of freedom, healthy relationships and work that is aligned with our true nature of SELF. Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy is a Body Centered Therapy that assists clients in recovering their innate authentic self by becoming mindful and self aware. In the field of loving presence, safety and mindfulness held by the practitioner, the client can study body sensations, feelings, thoughts and memories and understand their meaning. HAKOMI therefore helps resolve inner confusion and conflict, helping the client find the path to a purposeful and illuminated life. Renate is currently living in New Jersey, U.S.A.

Ute Arnold

Body Psychotherapist, Gestalt Therapist, Alexander Teacher & Artist

Ute Arnold, MFA, founded and has been directing the non-profit Unergi School of Body-Psychotherapy since 1993. She developed the Unergi Body-Psychotherapy method by integrating Alexander Technique, Unergi Core-Support Movement, Gestalt Therapy, Art Therapy and the Healing Forces of Nature. Ute is a visual artist and Holistic Body Psychotherapist and author of the book Stuck is Not a Place.

She has been leading workshops and trainings since 1978, for centers in Europe, Canada and the United States. She holds degrees in Art and Design from the Schaeffer School of Design in San Francisco and the Chelsea School of Art in London, England and is a certified Gestalt Therapist and Alexander Teacher.