Spiritual Living—Conscious Awakening in Europe
—Rev. Mary Laquet

Say yes, Go deep.
Rise up and meet
The call of your heart.
Right here’s where we start.
Say yes.

These are the lyrics of the community song that greeted attendees of the Spiritual Living—Conscious Awakening Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. It is truly a community song, having been spontaneously created by the musicians of the conference: Dr. Michael Gott, Rev. Cynthia James, Dr. David Ault, and Dr. Dennis Merritt Jones. Their effortless collaboration took place just hours before the opening event of the conference and set the tone for the synergistic experience that unfolded through the week.

The conference, hosted by the Centre for Peace—Geneva and Rev. Beth Linguri, was held on August 12-16, 2012, at the Chateau de Bossey near Celigny, Switzerland. Situated along the Jacob’s Trail pilgrimage route, the Chateau is often used by pilgrims for overnight lodging. During this conference, the Chateau offered nourishment and respite to another kind of pilgrim—those on a pilgrimage to the heart.

All the musicians named above were featured speakers at general sessions and they led workshops. Joining them in leading this inward pilgrimage were Rev. Karen Russo and Dr. Petra Weldes. Rev. Pattie Mercado provided leadership for our youth attendees.

The week was a truly transformative experience for attendees and facilitators alike. It began on Sunday evening with the guest speakers introducing themselves and the workshops that they would be offering during the week. These talks were interlaced with music and audience participation.

At the end of the evening, an award was presented to Tina Turner, Dechen Shak-Dagsay, and Regula Curti for their contribution to peace and understanding through their musical work, Beyond. Regula Curti was on hand to accept the award. She gave a heart-filled talk about the passion that she and her cocreators have for honoring the different spiritual paths and recognizing how each person’s spirituality is a step toward harmony in the world. Curti then introduced their new work, Children Beyond: Understanding Through Singing, a CD of children of various backgrounds singing the sacred songs of the world religions with the members of Beyond. She then shared a video of the making of this new project.

By the end of this first evening, it was apparent to everyone in attendance that a shift had taken place. We were all now joined in a common movement toward oneness. This movement continued through the week as the pilgrims of the heart ventured deeper within. Their internal awakening blossomed forward, and a bonding took place between everyone present. One person described the week as “an amazing time spent in unconditional love with amazing people from many places of the world….New friends. New Ideas.” Another said, “Wow! There are no words for it. An energy you can describe as heaven.…” And yet another said, “I have attended many conferences. None has exceeded this for atmosphere, energy, participation, joy, companionship, and overall spirituality.”

The workshops given by our featured speakers and by other facilitators from Europe and the United Kingdom gave participants the opportunity to explore the inner self, their relationships, their past experiences, and their beliefs from numerous perspectives. Each day provided a foundation for the next, with a focus on personal meaning and purpose. By the end of the week, new ways of being were revealed for attendees.

During recreation periods, tai chi, yoga, and group meditation experiences were available. Representatives of Do As One were also on hand to teach us to breathe together and to promote their global project.

Geneva is iconic as a center for world peace. After the experience of this conference, Geneva is a new center for peace—peace of mind, peace of heart, peace of spirit.

If you want to take part in this event next year, mark your calendar for August 11-16, 2013. For more information, please visit www.newthoughtconference.com. A conference is also being held in England on May 18th and 19th, 2013. Information on that event is available at www.daretodream-uk.com .

Rev. Mary Laquet is Co-Minister of The Revealing Center, a CSL global Focus Ministry dedicated to teaching spiritual principles.