Online Learning Webinars

Watch the following video to explore Open Center Online Learning webinars, then read more about our upcoming programs below.

Experience outstanding holistic programs from anywhere in the world with Open Center Online Learning webinars. This season, the Open Center is launching a compelling new initiative: a series of live webinars with distinguished faculty, accessible from the comfort of your own home. It’s time to take the Open Center’s work worldwide via the Internet! To participate in any of these events, only a computer and broadband connection to the Internet is needed. Each webinar is an interactive, two-hour experience with an intimate feel. We encourage you to let friends and family outside the greater New York area know that these new programs are now available.

By registering, for each webinar event you will receive the following:

• 90 minutes of live, interactive webinar content.
• 30 minutes of question-and-answer time with the teacher.
• Access to download a recording of the complete webinar, after the event. (Free software provided to view.)

Computer System Requirements
No matter where you are on the planet, as long as you have a computer with a broadband connection, web browser, and sound capabilities (microphone and speakers or headset), you will be able to participate and engage in the question-and-answer period. If you can watch YouTube videos, you can attend this webinar online. Recommended System Requirements: Windows 2000 (PC) or Mac OSX 10.5 or higher, and browsers version Internet Explorer 6, Firefox 3, Safari 4, and Chrome 11 or higher. ACCESS INFORMATION WILL BE EMAILED TO REGISTERED STUDENT A FEW DAY PRIOR TO THE EVENT.

Hermeticism as a Philosophy of Hope
Mervat Nasser, MD, M.Phil
The Hermetic philosophy represents the intellectual, philosophical and reflective tradition of ancient Egypt. It reached us through the Corpus Hermeticum, manuscripts collected in the city of Alexandria in the second and third centuries. Its enduring legacy is reflected in the work of major European figures of science, philosophy, art and literature, and in its tendency to emerge at times when humanity is faced with difficulties and uncertainties. Its appeal in our post-modern era stems from our disillusionment with the reductionist view of science and also our rejection of a religious extremism that threatens humanistic values. Hermeticism, on the other hand, preaches no religious dogma but offers instead harmony, reconciliation and transformation.
AN ONLINE WEBINAR
(1 session) Saturday, February 18, 1–2pm EST
12OLWSW102
Free of Charge
To register click here

The Science of Flourishing and Happiness: An Interactive Webinar on Flow, Purpose, Achievement and Positivity
with Louis Alloro, MEd, MAPP, and Emiliya Zhivotovskaya, MAPP
The dynamic new field of Positive Psychology uses rigorous research to understand happiness and well-being and is expanding rapidly worldwide. Discover a scientific model that explains human flourishing and how to increase your experience of positive emotions, engagement, meaning and achievement. Join Louis and Emiliya, two of the first 100 people to hold a Master of Applied Positive Psychology degree from the University of Pennsylvania (where the field began), to understand the inner workings of human flourishing and how to use this new science and art to benefit daily life and work.
AN ONLINE WEBINAR
(4 sessions) Sundays, April 29, May 13 & 20,
and June 10, 1–3pm EST
12OLWP101
$129 (No Member Discount)
$99 Early Bird rate by April 15
To register click here

Alexandria: The Ancient and Ongoing Quest for Spiritual Harmony in a Global Civilization
David Fideler, PhD
The Greek philosophers had spoken of the cosmopolis or “world-city” in which all individuals are related to one another, regardless of country, race, or religion. With the coming of the Hellenistic age, global civilization became a tangible reality, and Alexandria, Egypt, its most significant expression—a meeting point between East and West, philosophies and religions. We will explore how Alexandrian learning and spirituality changed the course of world civilization, and their relevance today. David Fideler, now based in Sarajevo, was editor of the journal Alexandria: Philosophy, Myth and Culture. His books include Love’s Alchemy and the forthcoming Nature’s Intelligence.
AN ONLINE WEBINAR
(1 session) Sunday, January 29, 1–3pm EST
12OLWSW101
$25 (No Member Discount)
$20 Early Bird rate by January 15
To register click here

End-of-Life Doulas: A New Model for Guiding Patients Through
the End Process of Dying
Henry Fersko-Weiss, LCSW
End-of-Life Doulas are transforming the time when a person is actively dying into a sacred experience. Using guided visualization, meditation, light therapeutic touch, aromatherapy, legacy work, and rituals, EOL Doulas alleviate fear and deepen the meaning of the dying process. People are helped to face dying with truth and courage. This approach is deeply valuable at the bedside of the dying. Henry has trained Doulas at the Open Center for the last 4 years and has worked extensively with individuals and in hospices.
AN ONLINE WEBINAR
(1 session) Sunday, February 12, 1–3pm EST
12OLWSI102
$29 (No Member Discount)
$25 Early Bird rate by January 29
To register click here

Philosophy and the Future of Our World
Jacob Needleman, PhD
The crisis of our era, from top to bottom, is a philosophical crisis. The dramatic changes brought by advancing technology; the rapid erosion of moral values in politics and human relations; the shadow of hatred and fanaticism— at the root of all these forces lies deep confusion about the fundamental questions of the heart: How Can We Choose what is Good? Why Are We Here? What Are We Searching For-—and Why? Our theme is the path of philosophy as a the search for wisdom in the midst of life.
AN ONLINE WEBINAR
(1 session) Saturday, February 25, 1–3pm EST
12OLWSI103
$29 (No Member Discount)
$25 Early Bird rate by February 11
To register click here

Medicine Melodies: The Music that the Healers Hear
Silvia Nakkach
The shaman hears the hidden music of the universe and sings it back through “medicine melodies,” tonal configurations that reflect a sacred unity with nature and have the power to heal. Many people today are visited by such melodies—as if the spiritual world is “singing in” to the person rather than the person “singing out.” These archetypal melodies clear and open energetic channels. Silvia Nakkach, composer and pioneer in the field of sound and consciousness, is professor of music and healing at California Institute of Integral Studies.
AN ONLINE WEBINAR
(2 sessions) Sundays, March 25 & April 1, 1–3pm EST
12OLWHH102 • $59 (No Member Discount)
$50 Early Bird rate by March 11
To register click here

Cancer as a Turning Point
Lawrence Leshan, PhD, and Ruth Bolletino, PhD
This webinar offers a wealth of information and strategies for cancer patients and family caregivers to empower them to live fuller, more meaningful and more zestful lives. In the first session, LeShan will discuss his legendary psychotherapy approach designed to mobilize the self-healing abilities of cancer patients. In the second session, Bolletino will draw on her 20 years of experience with this approach to discuss its practical applications as well as common concerns of patients. Since from the moment of diagnosis, the life of everyone in the family is changed, the third session will focus on caregivers’ concerns. www.cancerasaturningpoint.org
AN ONLINE WEBINAR
(3 sessions) Saturdays, December 1, 8, & 15, 1–3pm EST
12OLWHH101
$75 (No Member Discount)/ Individual Sessions: $29
$60 Early Bird rate by February 18
To register click here

Balancing the Inner and the Outer: Feng Shui for Health
Judith Wendell and Rosalie Prinzivalli
More than object placement, Feng Shui is concerned with the optimal circulation and balancing of qi (chi)—the life energy in us and the universe. In this class we will explore how to use Feng Shui core principles to balance both our internal organs and our environments. We will also cover the use of objects and furnishings to maximize qi flow, color and design to relieve stress, Feng Shui techniques to lessen financial worries and stress, simple exercises to enhance personal qi, and much more.
AN ONLINE WEBINAR
(3 sessions) Saturdays, April 14, 21 & 28, 1–3pm EST
12OLWAF101
$75 (No Member Discount)
$60 Early Bird rate by March 31
To register click here