Expanding Consciousness at SEL

There is a healthy selection of 14 classes under the Spirituality section in the new SBCC School of Extended Learning catalog of courses, 11 of which are being offered for the first time. Among the choices are SEL regulars David Cumes, who leads “Dreams and How Spirit Guides Script Them” and “The Spiritual Power of Music” as one-day offerings, and James Kwako, who teaches “How to Use Your Dreams for Healing” and “Healing from the Loss of a Loved One.” Other intriguing new titles include “Get Guidance from Your Higher Self,” “Exploring Metaphysical Dimensions,” “The Dao of Joyful Transformation through Quantum Physics,” and “Spirituality and Activating Energy”.

Fees for the one-day classes range from $19-$38. But there are also free alternatives listed in the tuition-free “Self-Management” section. Non-Violent Communications practitioner Rodger Sorrow leads both beginning and intermediate sections in “Nature and Self-Healing,” featuring short walks of varying difficulty with a pause for a teaching/meditation break in the middle. Explore self-discovery and self-healing techniques, nutrition, and stress management techniques. Sorrow also teaches “Essence of Compassionate Communications” more directly employing the NVC techniques developed by Marshall Rosenberg who was a frequent visitor to SBCC during the days the program was known as Adult Ed. Longtime SEL teacher Spencer Sherman once again offers “Consciousness, Science and the Nature of Being,” investigating current thought in the physical and social sciences as they relate to spirituality and enhance our understanding of ourselves.

Dana Drobney’s “How Meditation Helps – Mindfulness in Everyday Life” employs meditation as a practice to help older adults and others accept the challenges and joys of aging with courage and clarity. The experiential course features practicing a range of meditation techniques that encourage health and well-being. All experience levels are welcome. Terri Cooper‘s “Honing the Intuitive Edge” aims to strengthen and expand the skill of intuition to build rapport and confidence that comes from full attunement. Other titles in the tuition-free “Self-Management” section of the Spring catalog include “Adventures in Self-Esteem”, “How to Communicate Simply, Lovingly and Effectively” and “Ten Ways to Be Happier.” Most of the ongoing classes get underway during the week starting January 13, while the one-day workshops are sprinkled throughout the season, which runs through May 9. Application and registration are required even for the free classes, and can be completed in person at the Wake Campus at 300 North Turnpike Road or Schott Campus at 310 West Padre Street, or you can register online at www.sbcc.edu/ExtendedLearning, where you can also find complete course