Each session starts with a 10-15-minute video about Stillness, where Professor Emeritus, Gary Irwin-Kenyon also guides us through simple relax-into-stillness movements, based on the principles of tai chi. These are movements that virtually everyone can practice. You are encouraged to incorporate these movements into your daily life— no matter how demanding your schedule.
The movements are gentle and involve simple breathing techniques that simultaneously help you to become more aware of how to stay relaxed under prolonged pressure, while also helping to calm your nervous system.
By practicing regularly you cultivate your ability for stillness, and add to your repertoire of movements. The result is that — with continued practice that only asks for a few minutes of your time each day— your resilience is improved and your spirits are lifted.
In each section we introduce new techniques and knowledge, which can be used by you as standalone tools after the session, as well as serving as inspiration to start learning more about a particular skill.
In addition to stillness, the growing list of topics covered include self-management and conscious living techniques, becoming more aware of how we are breathing, self-compassion, processing grief, the science behind the Pathways advice, heart coherence guided meditation, and creative writing.
Films range between 10 and 30 minutes in length. Many of the films include follow along exercises.
To benefit from the Pathways Series you should not be multi-tasking while following the content.
Following registration, you will receive access to a new topic weekly. Put aside 30-45 minutes to watch, follow along and learn about each new topic.
Practice the relax into stillness movements each day.
In the long run, the Pathways Series content will only help you if you adopt the practices and tools being shown. Just watching and following along at the time cannot lead to lasting benefits.
The Pathways Series has been compiled by Rahzeb Choudhury, the founder of Lifelong Inspiration and, Ashley King and Daphne Noonan, co-founders of Person Centred Universe.
Founder @Lifelong Inspiration
Rahzeb is the founder of Lifelong Inspiration. Lifelong Inspiration promotes and develops ideas, services and tools to advance a person-centred agenda. In long-term care, Lifelong Inspiration is most well known for True Doors®, decals help that improve the lives of people with dementia. True Doors began as a social art and life story project and is now a respected brand adopted from Tasmania to Vancouver.
Rahzeb has been a London city banker, market analyst, and language technology entrepreneur. He and his family are based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Co-founder @Person Centred Universe
Daphne has twenty years of experience working in a variety of roles in long-term care in Ontario and Atlantic Canada. She was previously the Executive Director of Nashwaak Villa Nursing Home in New Brunswick, which she took through a transformation to become an award-winning Planetree Gold Certified organization following the principles of person-centred care.
At Person Centred Universe she provides transformational leadership coaching and other consulting services, develops new programs, and is a sought-after speaker in industry events.
Daphne holds a BA in Gerontology, M.Ed in Adult Education, a diploma in Health Sciences specializing in Therapeutic Recreation, and is certified for Dementia Care Mapping from the trailblazing Bradford University in the UK.
She has previously been a board member of the provincial chapter and national federation of the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada.
Co-founder @Person Centred Universe
Ashley first became interested in the field of aging when she was providing care to her grandmother at home.
She has fifteen years of experience in community and long-term care. Alongside Person Centred Universe, Ashley is the Executive Director of Kenneth E. Spencer Memorial Home in New Brunswick.
Ashley has developed numerous training programs including the use of individualized music therapy, therapeutic activity, and Snoezelen Rooms, among others.
Ashley holds a BA in Gerontology, is a certified educator for the Dementia Understanding the Journey Course, holds a certificate from the NCCDP as a Certified Dementia Practitioner and is certified for Dementia Care Mapping from the trailblazing Bradford University in the UK.
She has previously been a board member of the provincial chapter and national federation of the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada.
Professor Emeritus of Gerontology St Thomas University, Canada
Dr. Irwin-Kenyon was born in Montreal, Quebec, and completed his early studies at Concordia University. He did his doctoral work at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and then became a postdoctoral Fellow at the Andrew Norman Institute for Advanced Studies in Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Southern California. He was also a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Linkoping, Sweden, and is a frequent visiting scholar in Scandinavia and the Netherlands. Dr. Gary Irwin-Kenyon is founding Chair and Professor at the Gerontology Department, St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.
He is a Fellow of the Andrew Norman Institute for Advanced Studies in Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Southern California. Gary is listed in Who’s Who in Canada (Grey House Publishing) and the United States (Marquis Biographies Online).
He has authored, co-authored or co-edited six books, including Narrative Gerontology, Storying Later Life, Restorying Your Life, Ordinary Wisdom, and Pathways to Stillness.
Gary is a teacher and practitioner of Tai Chi with more than thirty years of experience. He designed a program, Tai Chi as Narrative Care, which he has been teaching for the past ten years to special groups, including residents in long-term care. He conducts workshops and seminars in Canada, The United States, Europe, and Asia. Gary is also an apprentice barista. He resides in St. Andrews by the Sea, New Brunswick, Canada with his wife Liz, where they operate Seahaven, an organic B&B.
Founder of the Iris Center, Canada
VP at Planetree International, USA
Jim Kinsey is the Vice President of Engagement Strategies at Planetree International, a not-for-profit organization that provides education and information in a collaborative community of healthcare organizations, facilitating efforts to create person-centered care in healing environments. In his role, Jim is responsible for coaching and directing organizations to implement the Planetree Framework of person-centered care. He specializes in complex healthcare system implementation, long-term care environments and other post-acute environments. Jim is a strong advocate for reducing/eliminating biased care and enhancing the skills of professionals in the field of aging. He started in healthcare as a nursing assistant, later attending nursing school and has worked in a variety of settings including high risk acute care, sub-acute and long-term care. He is a co-author of Planetree’s Long Term Care Improvement Guide, co-authored and served as content reviewer for Managing the Long-Term Care Facility: Practical Approaches to Providing Quality Care First Edition, (Perley, Editor). He is a sought-after speaker and educator for topics associated with person-centered care implementation and has created and implemented comprehensive staff, physician and leadership training curricula for Planetree.
Professor of Health Humanities at VID Specialized University, Norway
Mindful Movement, the Netherlands
Erik is a feldenkrais, kung fu, qi gong, and tai chi teacher. He helps people from all walks of life to breathe and move more mindfully. Erik is also a professional musician. For the last 25 years, he has been a lead solo bassist for the multi-grammy-award-winning Metropole Orchestra.
Life Coach and Trauma Counsellor, Mexico
I have endless faith in your ability to find answers to your most important questions, uncover self limiting beliefs and change long standing patterns that stop you from living a more abundant and fulfilling life.
My faith is grounded in more than 20 years experience as a professional life coach, counselor and social-pedagogue. I combine evidence based therapeutic approaches with millenia old holistic techniques from yogic, zen and daoist traditions.
I coach people who want to live life with more love, passion and compassion for themselves and the world around them.
Alongside coaching, my partner and I organize custom-made performance experiences for museums, clubs, festivals, restaurants and network events, Origins: Krien & Merante. We have been resident artists for the infamous fetish Dutch Wasteland events for more than 15 years and, among others, hold residencies in New York with Caravan Gitane, Design Hotels Europe and Aces of Space in Dubai.
In my home country, The Netherlands, I worked extensively with people with high-functioning/high-intelligence Aspergers, ADHD, ADD and PDD-NOS, developmental disorders, differently abled adolescents and adults. I co-founded the social care organisation, Amada ZorgCollectief, an innovative healthcare collective that is based on anthroposophy and positive health. I ran monthly cooking workshops following a GAPs diet for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
I volunteer for Slachtofferhulp Nederland (Victim help Netherlands), an organisation that provides direct help to victims of crimes, sexual and domestic abuse, road accidents, disasters and calamities.
I’ve traveled, worked and lived in North America, Europe, West-Africa, South Asia and Australia. Each of these experiences has taught me important life-lessons about myself, about people and about our beautiful planet.
Aged eighteen, on a walking trip through the Sahara desert, a childhood friend and I got lost among the minefields of Mauritania before finally finding the last Moroccan army out-post, I was first confronted with fear, thirst and finally acceptance. I became aware of my limitations and where to find the courage to continue.
On a 2000 km (1200 mile) manual scooter trip along the East coast of Australia, to raise funds for a charity project in Nepal, I learnt about brotherhood, setting goals, allowing yourself to fail, pursuing dreams and how to access the depths of my endurance.
During an overland journey from Amsterdam to India and the himalayas and back in an old Mercedes Camper bus, I learnt about the wonders of cultures we never hear about, the misery of corruption and the beautiful relentless optimism of human beings.
All these and many other valuable experiences have shaped me to who I am today and guide me as a life coach and counsellor.
Merante and I are now based in Oaxaca (Mexico), where we are developing an eco-retreat and a safe space for deep trauma recovery. An inspiring place in nature to do the work and come out ready and equipped to face the constantly changing world.
Introduction
Stillness
Relax into stillness
Introduction
Relax Into stillness movements
How are you breathing?
Introduction
Doing and being
Filling up your cup
Introduction
Keeping on keeping on
Four simple questions
Introduction
You can't think your way to stillness
Mindful, conscious living
Introduction
Stillness, loneliness and solitude
Heart Coherence Guided Meditation
