Integral Transformative Practice International

- Winter Newsletter 2014 -

Dear Friends,

I came across a quote of George Leonard's recently that made an immediate impression: "These times demand that we choose delight." George had it right. In the midst of life's most sobering moments, our practice invites us to tune into our body, to balance and center and become aware of our wholeness. From a grounded place, we are able to experience our capacity for boundless love, joy and, yes, delight.

Speaking of delight, we are thrilled to gather for our upcoming gala fundraising event, For the Love of ITP, on March 11th in San Rafael, CA. We will celebrate with ITP pioneer, Lydia Dugan, who describes, in this newsletter, the meaning and importance of practice in her daily life. She and her group co-leader, Joe Hirsch, are role models for long-term practice,

having co-led ITP Houston for nearly 20 years! We hope you can put your party shoes on for the festivities complete with live music, dancing, dinner, drinks and an inspiring

presentation by Michael Murphy.

ITPI takes to the road this spring! We land in Chicago in May for our Mastery Regional Training and our 2nd

Leadership Transformed retreat with Greenheart Transforms. (You can learn more about these events below.) Please join us to deepen your practice with a spirited, diverse collective of practitioners seeking to transform themselves and the world.

Gratitude is the word of the day! Hats off to all our donors who belive in George and Michael's vision and the work we're doing at ITPI to steward ITP and build our global community. You have given us tremendous support, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Blessings and hope to see you soon,

Pam Kramer

ITP President

Spotlight on Lydia Dugan

Honoree of the ITPI gala benefit For the Love of ITP and recipient

of the George and Annie Leonard Service Award

Houston's First Lady of Transformation

by Jerry Patchen, ITPI Board Member and

Member of ITP Houston

ITP Houston Founder & Group Co-Leader

ITPI Board of Directors

The Dugan Foundation Chairperson

Houston IONS Officer Emeritus

The Houston Jung Center Board of Trustees

Adventurer, Explorer, Benefactor & Seeker

Wife, Mother, Sister & Friend

The Early Days

In the summer of 1948, Lydia was 17, a demur college-bound Southern belle, confidently strolling on Carolina Beach in North Carolina. Al was 20, an enterprising college student operating his beach umbrella and accessory stand. He spotted Lydia and was transfixed by her golden hair, petite hour glass figure and delightful, if coquettish, smile. They danced that night to Al's jazz band at "Bop City." The following summer Al and Lydia eloped. One year later, they moved to Lydia's childhood city, Augusta, Georgia. Two sons, Patrick and Jimmy, soon followed.

The Importance of Practice

by Lydia Dugan, ITPI Board Treasurer and
Co-Leader of ITP Houston

My search for inner peace, happiness, enlightenment and
God did not bear fruit when I was looking "outside." The transformation from the being that I was 55 years ago to the being I am today, happened slowly.

In the beginning I had a regular practice of yoga and meditation that was unbalanced. Something was missing for me. My transformational journey took me to Esalen Institute in 1990 where I studied Leonard Energy Training with George Leonard. This was a pivotal time in my life. While at Esalen, I also connected with Michael Murphy and was inspired by his exploration of exceptional capacities later described in his pioneering book, The Future of the Body.

Mastery Intensive in Chicago

A Unique Opportunity

by Bob Doenges

ITP Tulsa Group Leader,
Senior Mastery Teacher and ITPI Board Member

It has been a dream of ITP International to bring our Mastery training program to other parts of the country. This coming May, our dream comes true in downtown Chicago! Please join us for this unique opportunity to deepen your practice, enhance your leadership skills and be part of an inspired and supportive learning community.

ITP practitioners from all parts of the US and the

globe----especially the "Heartland" and East Coast----have

a special occasion to experience one of ITPI's most successful on-going programs this May 29th-30th.

Leadership Transformed

by Pam Kramer, ITP International President

Excitement is mounting as we plan for Leadership Transformed 2014, our retreat with Greenheart International that takes place May 30 - June 2nd in downtown Chicago. The theme, Exploring the Practice of Social Action, is near and dear to my heart. At last year's retreat at Asilomar, we focused on leadership from the inside out by aligning our actions in the world with our soul's purpose. We had a fabulous time intermingling our diverse, intergenerational groups while upping our inner leadership game.

Our retreat in May, held at Loyola University's downtown campus, is focused on how to bring a spirit of peace and inclusion into our communications as leaders - with self, others, the world. This is where the exploration of peace-seeking communications and Integral Transformative Practice's (ITP) staying current practice come into play.

A recent affirmation that inspires me is based on the first and last sentence of poem by Hafiz. My affirmation is:

"I am a hole in a flute that the breath of All That Is moves through, listen to this music."

- Joe Hirsch, Co-Leader of Houston ITP

The Sedona Summit:

Exploring Synchronized Energies

by Shoshana Stadtler
ITPI Programs & Operations Manager

Emanuel Kuntzelman, president of our sister organization, Greenheart International, invited a group of people representing select organizations to a retreat last November to discuss how we could come together to transform the planet.

Click on image to watch on youtube.

The four organizations that were invited to participate were Greenheart, ITP International (ITPI), The Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) and the Theosophical Society in America. Pam Kramer, Barry Robbins, Christina and Jim Grote, Rich Sigberman and I represented ITPI. I felt a little bit in over my head, to be honest, but I was curious to see what this group of leaders could produce when given such a hefty task.

The schedule for the weekend included visits to energy vortexes around the Sedona area, hikes to see incredible views of the red rocks and many meeting sessions. What happened next, though, was very interesting...

ITP Commitment #2

I seek to join in community with other ITP practitioners. While maintaining my individual autonomy and authority, I commit myself to my ITP community in vision and practice.

My Sangha

by Debra K. McCall,

ITP Mastery Graduate and Co-Leader of ITP Tulsa

For nine years

I've come each week

to the same room-

driven up harrowing hills

through wind, snow

Oklahoma storms

to move beyond myself

into the union of shared practice.

Together we move to the same dance-

hands meet, reach down to earth

then glide towards heaven.

What falls away

when flesh is honored

vessels emptied, mind stilled-

words break like bread, lives open

diamonds among debris.

When asked why I come I answer

for the seeds of light

hidden in the wool of my life

reflected in the eyes of those who gather

their presence-prayer

threads stitch us heart to heart

the sound-one bell ringing

and then another until all tones One.

Building Restorative Communities

by Kim Lee, Programs Chair for ITP Houston

One simple yet powerful step you can take to strengthen your ITP community is to appreciate the gifts each member brings to the group. A single meaningful conversation focused on appreciation has the potential to transform your community and inspire a future that exceeds your greatest expectations.

I learned this and other vital principles of in community at a talk, presented by management consultant expert Peter Block in the fall of 2008. His talk, titled The Structure of Belonging, transformed me and permanently changed my leadership style. Here are three crucial points I'd like to share from his presentation about building community:

1. Making the Shift from Problems to Possibilities

Some groups and organizations create energy, while others consume energy.

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For more information about these and other ITP programs,

please visit

www.itp-international.org