Awaken to Meaning: Our Signature Program
Our transformational training program designed to help you enrich meaning in life through transcending your experience of self, others and the world. Or, as we like to frame it, a program that offers opportunities across “Wake Up, Clean Up, Grow Up, Show Up”.
This program integrates previous stand-alone offerings into a comprehensive framework, designed for individuals seeking to deepen their exploration of experiences and development of skills. Its purpose is twofold: to provide ongoing support for those continuing on the journey of self-discovery and personal growth (“unfolding”), and to offer guidance and mentorship to those ready to assist others on this path.
It all begins with Level 1.
Level 1 is a beginner practitioner course, which is modularized and can be taken online over 4 half day sessions or in-person via a weekend intensive format. The course aims to introduce people to many different practices that span the four domains theorized as necessary to develop wisdom. These are Dialogue, Imaginal, Mindfulness and Embodiment, or DIME.
The four internal modules of Level 1 are:
- Module 1 – Foundations
- We’ll introduce and reinforce some key concepts and basic practices that help ground your experiences throughout the program.
- Module 2 – Relational Attunement & The Imaginal
- We’ll start with the basics of relational practice and use a culminating authentic-relating practice called ‘T-Group’ (amplifying present moment awareness and bringing into relationship), as well as introduces the Imaginal domain through practice via the practices of ‘Philosophical Fellowship’ (an imaginal exercise exploring an excerpt of text from an author or sage) and the ‘Socratic Imaginal Self Reflection’ (a guided, creative and emergent experience)
- Module 3 – Embodiment & Philosophical Practice
- We’ll get more in touch with our bodies to help balance the mind/body connection, such that when we are practicing, we are involving more of the whole self. We’ll also get introduced and practice ‘Virtuosity’ (an accessible philosophical group practice of exploring virtue)
- Module 4 – More Relational Attunement & Philosophical Practice
- Here we’ll move further into the exploration of relational and philosophical practice with practices like “Semi-Circling” (a bridging practice for Relational Attunement) and the “Socratic Search Space” (a group process that addresses the tension between the sometimes ambiguous expression of philosophy to the big picture and losing the detail needed to ‘resolve’ personal problems).
While it is encouraged that the four modules are taken in numerical order, it is not a requirement. Registration for Level 1 can be completed in a mix of online or in-person modules, or when available online or in-person weekend intensives.
Participants who have completed the four modules gain access to weekly “Virtuosity / Dialectic-into-Dialogos’ practice on ATM.
Level 2 is our Intermediate Practitioner course, which advances and goes into deeper detail with the theory and practices from Level 1 and also provides opportunities for feedback on your practice to help us understand where we might get tripped up. Level 2 is designed for smaller and more intimate group sizes and can be experienced via six weekly or three half-day online sessions, or a couple full-day in-person sessions. Those who have completed Level 2 have access to advanced group practice and feedback offerings with certified facilitators and leaders of the program as well as the soon to be launched Socratic Search Space practice sessions.
Level 3 is the Advanced Practice / Leadership intensive which is a 6 day intensive and aims to get people in-person with each other and into a posture of self leadership. This intensive more acutely identifies growth edges we believe are necessary to work with and clear not just for one’s enrichment in life, but also ethically responsible prior to pursuing a position of responsibility (influence and power) with several of these practices, which is a requirement for Level 4. Access to Level 3 is by application, and those completing it may be invited or apply to enter an education subsidy program with certified trainers for Level 1 and Level 2.
Level 4 is the Lead Certification Facilitation course is by invitation only, reserved for individuals who have demonstrated a high capacity and understanding of this program and group facilitation best practices. Over the course of one year, participants will engage in a multi-step process that includes practice mastery, coaching and mentorship and proof-of-learning demonstrations.
Upon successful evaluative completion, graduates will gain certification as Lead Facilitators for our program and some practices*, enabling them to lead the entire process with confidence in alignment and expertise.
*some practices require add-on modules to comprehensively address the unique needs of certain methods and their facilitation.
An evolutionary note for those familiar with Dialog-OS, the 12-week DiD Intensive, or the Vervaeke Foundation Ecology of Practices.
As was mentioned at the top, this program represents the evolution and culmination of recent offerings into a culminating program.
The first two levels of this program utilize the foundations of the Dialog-OS courses from 2021-22 as designed by Taylor Barratt, covers the basics from the More Wise: How to Practice Wisdom course (Designed by Nathan Vanderpool and Taylor Barratt) in 2023, as well as covers the majority of material from the 12-Week DiD Intensive from the Vervaeke Foundation from 2023 is covered here. And lastly, Level 3 and 4 represent the proper placement and configuration, within a broader framework, of the “Self as Instrument” that Taylor Barratt and Ethan Hsieh designed and announced in late 2023.
If you were a participant of these courses and are interested in participating in this program, you would still need to participate in these levels to progress. And as many know there is much value in repeating material (we’re all a little different, each time we repeat something) and that there is new material here, we want to also acknowledge there would be some retreaded ground. Therefore if you have invested in the courses mentioned, please do reach out for consideration for your previous investment and experience into your entry fees.
As for the VF EoP, which was not a training but a practice program, it should be said that all of the practices offered via the VF EoP in 2024, and more, are covered here.
Please note that the videos below are not (yet) talking about this specific program, however combined they will provide a general picture of the scope the Awaken to Meaning training program is covering. The Dialog-OS one would be mostly applicable for Levels 1 & 2 and the SAI one speaks more closely to Levels 3 & 4.
Please see below for the currently scheduled Levels and Modules of the program: