Inner Peace Wellness
Meet Philip (founder & director)
I grew up in Montreal and at age 17 left to do a BSc. in Biology at The University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, NB, Canada (because I had no idea what else to do, except that I was expected to gain a college degree). I worked for Agriculture Canada at the facility on the Lincoln Road for Dr. Richard Tarn as a technician in the potato breeding program. After a few years, I decided that it was not to be a lifelong career path, so I began some interest / aptitude testing. We discovered that I had the skills and inclinations to be an English teacher, a professional photographer or a Speech Therapist. At the time I was also very interested in the ministry (I was attending the United Church of Canada), but was struggling with watching the UCC waffling over whether to ordain gays and lesbians. I thought this is a no brainer; it made sense to me that Jesus, whose essential teaching was love and acceptance, would not have hesitated to ordain any person teaching Love. Because of this I became disillusioned and left the church to begin my own spiritual search for a philosophy that was inclusive and based in love instead of fear and guilt. In my view, most religions mix fear and guilt with the teachings of Love. Love is the only spirituality, which implies unconditional acceptance. If that is indeed true, then when any other doctrine is taught it would be inconsistent with Jesus' teachings (or any of the other great traditions). An irony to be sure.
In the end I was deciding between the ministry and Speech Pathology. Late one Friday night I received a call from the Graduate Liaison at the University of Maine at Orono. He, interestingly enough, had struggled with the same two choices - what are they odds of that? After much soul searching I accepted a position as a student at UMO and began a degree in the fall of 1985. A strange event occurred as I was walking across the parking lot behind the Speech building - I heard a voice say "This is only a stepping stone" It was such a real voice that I looked around to see who was talking. A stepping stone to what? Something better? I did one undergraduate year and two graduate years. My thesis was a phenomenological analysis of the lived experience of a man with aphasia. During those years I dabbled in a variety of New Age groups, practices and readings without settling on any one in particular.
In 1988, after completing a Master's degree in Speech Pathology, I “came to” A Course in Miracles (ACIM) through a series of "coincidences" and have been a student since. At the time I was married to a woman I had met at UMO, Arlene, and we had hosted an ACIM study group for some time. After three and a half years we divorced and we both moved from the St. John, NB area to the Fredericton area to pursue new jobs.
In the fall of 1994, I faced a professional and personal crisis that 'coincidentally' lead me to yoga. On the very day that my physician told me to find out how much sick leave I had (and to take it), I attended our regular Wednesday night meditation / ACIM group at which my friend Pat gave me the catalogue from Kripalu, something that I had requested a few months before! Interesting timing... At the time I was aware that my strong intellect was not making me happy and that there must be another way. I knew I had to do something, but I did not know what or when or where I would end up. My massage therapist, Joan, was also encouraging me to learn Reiki and said that I had healing hands. I took her advice and started the Reiki training with Pat Cyr from Ontario.
After perusing the Kripalu catalogue, I decided to take a month of sick leave and visit Kripalu in January of 1995. I felt like Indiana Jones about to step into the chasm. As it turned out yoga was the vehicle back into my heart - I was sold on yoga.
I had also enjoyed the Reiki training so I returned to Kripalu in August 1995 to do a week of Energy Balancing training. During the program we practiced with each other daily. Of course most of the participants were professional body workers, but each day 2 or 3 of them would tell me I had "good hands" and encouraged me to "do something professionally with them. " Coincidentally, the timing was perfect; When I returned to Fredericton, I discovered that the Montreal-based Kine-Concept Institute was starting its first course, so I signed up. That November I again returned to Kripalu for a month-long Yoga Teacher Training, which was utterly fabulous. I began teaching in January of 1996 and have taught (and upgraded) ever since. I am now certified as a Professional Level Kripalu Yoga Teacher and have published a book.
I graduated from the Massage Therapy training in the fall of 1996 and have been practicing ever since. I have gone on to acquire training in Myofascial Release, Structural Integration (Postural ReAlignment), Thai Massage, and Cranial-Sacral therapy.
My personal 'life mission' is to teach and practice inner peace through love and forgiveness (however imperfectly). Through cultivating the awareness of Love's presence within, I believe that we strengthen our ability to experience and express love and forgiveness, which are essential to spiritual growth, happiness and health. I draw inspiration and guidance from my study of A Course in Miracles and the great teachings of many spiritual paths including yoga. It is from this foundation that I offer yoga, massage therapy and Reiki as tools for personal growth, transformation and inner peace. This 'life mission' is my barometer. I often ask myself if what I am doing, thinking, choosing, is consistent with my goal. Of course I lapse all the time; to me it feels like moving from wakefulness to sleep or awareness to forgetting. As Gurumayi Chidvilasananda said “One must welcome repetition on the spiritual path.”
Philip