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SUMMARY:Online CE Event (LIVE + RECORDED) –"FROM STRIVING TO STILLNESS:Awakening into Effortless Being"with Martha Stark MD
DESCRIPTION:Saturday\, October 17\, 202610:00 am – 1:30 pm (PT) | 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm (ET) \n3 CEs ZOOM EventLIVE + RECORDED for Later Viewing \nEarly-Bird Registration through October 3\, 2026(includes live attendance and access to the recording)$25 (+ $25 for 3 CEs) \nStandard Registration after October 3\, 2026(includes live attendance and access to the recording)$35 (+ $25 for 3 CEs)  \nPresented by Martha Stark MD | Harvard Medical SchoolSponsored by Wright Institute Los Angeles (WILA) | Los Angeles \n“Just going along … listening to what you cannot hear … and not bothering.”A. A. Milne \n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				PROGRAM DESCRIPTION\nRestriction is our default mode – a relentless striving “to become\,” without ever finding satisfaction in simply “being.” \nThe Pause-in-Striving Perspective of the Spiritual-Transcendent Approach featured in Model 6 of THE ST★RK METHOD of PSYCHODYNAMIC SYNERGY invites us into moments of liberating transition from “restricted\, effortful striving” to “awakened\, effortless being” – the emergence of a quiet “okayness of being” when striving relents and consciousness awakens. \nHere\, the optimal stressor is “spiritual detachment”: the gentle challenge of loosening our grip\, coming face-to-face with long-hidden truths (often sobering\, sometimes painful) that had been there all along\, quietly waiting to be found\, and settling into holding them without turning away. \nWe will explore the work of exemplars of awakened consciousness: Jon Kabat-Zinn\, Thich Nhat Hanh\, Eckhart Tolle\, Tara Brach\, Jack Kornfield\, Pema Chödrön\, Carl Jung\, Ken Wilber\, and Rumi – each illuminating the transformative power of pausing\, even briefly\, in the midst of daily striving. In these sacred micro-moments – when we stop defending\, stop reaching ahead to the next moment\, and stop striving for ever more – something quietly shifts: awareness expands\, rigidity softens\, tension releases\, and a soft okayness from within begins to make itself known. \nMy Pause-in-Striving Perspective is complemented by the groundbreaking work of Ari Whitten\, who reframes optimal breathing as a physiological gateway into unrestricted presence. His approach – neither mere abdominal breathing nor simple deep breathing – embodies the transition from “effortful doing” to “effortless being\,” with stillness and quiet emerging of their own accord. Participants will be taught the “physiological sigh\,” an elegant neurophysiological technique that supports the body’s shift toward expansive presence. \nInspired by Whitten’s work\, I developed the concept of “Finding the Pause-in-Breathing StillPoint” – a gentle\, intentional practice of briefly holding the breath for progressively longer intervals\, thereby increasing tolerance for carbon dioxide\, gently calming the autonomic nervous system\, and supporting the suspension of effort\, tension\, narrative\, and noise. \nBreath-based approaches – allowing an easing from defensive contraction into still presence – resonate as well with the work of Stephen Porges\, whose Polyvagal Theory describes a parallel movement from autonomic dysregulation to optimal regulation: from either too much activation (sympathetic hyperarousal and vigilance) or too little activation (dorsal vagal hypoarousal\, withdrawal\, and shutdown) to just-right regulation (ventral vagal safety\, openness\, and receptivity). \nBuilding on this awakening of body and mind\, Model 6 celebrates consciousness itself. What emerges is the quiet miracle of resting fully in the present: a spacious clarity able to hold the full spectrum of human experience – joy\, sorrow\, longing\, fear\, anger\, heartbreak – without triggering defensive contraction. In this awakened field\, guarding softens\, striving relents\, and simply being is enough. \nAs Rumi writes\, “When the soul lies down in that grass\, the world is too full to talk about.” Step onto the grass. Step into the freedom of detached presence and vibrant aliveness – fully inhabiting each unfolding moment without clinging\, without striving\, and with the gentle ease of simply being. \n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				LEARNING OBJECTIVES\nUpon completion of the program\, participants will be able to:1. articulate JON KABAT-ZINN’s concept that mindfulness practice enhances moment-to-moment awareness while fostering of resilience and clarity2. examine THICH NHAT HANH’s teaching that awakened presence emerges from the gentle art of mindful living3. explore ECKHART TOLLE’s emphasis on the power of now and the freedom that arises when we disengage from the compulsive activity of simply thinking4. illuminate TARA BRACH’s integration of acceptance and radical self-compassion as guiding the heart toward freedom from self-judgment5. discuss JACK KORNFIELD’s advocacy of meditation practice as a means of cultivating compassion and mindful openness in everyday life6. explore PEMA CHÖDRÖN’s teaching that awakening unfolds as we gently release our grasping\, remain present to life’s uncertainties\, and develop the compassionate capacity to sit with even the most uncomfortable truths7. describe CARL JUNG’s concept of integrating shadow and self in order to expand consciousness beyond defensive patterns8. explain KEN WILBER’s concept of the integral (mind\, body\, and spirit) nature of human experience9. elaborate upon the relationship between RUMI’s perspective on existence and the Model 6 spiritual-transcendent perspective of THE ST★RK METHOD \n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				PRESENTER\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n					MARTHA STARK MD\, a graduate of Harvard Medical School and the Boston Psychoanalytic Institute\, is a clinical consultant specializing in therapeutic strategies for challenging treatments. She is an innovative psychoanalyst\, internationally recognized author\, dynamic speaker\, and visionary thinker who has devoted her career to translating complex psychodynamic concepts into real-world clinical practice. \nDr. Stark is Creator & Developer of THE ST★RK METHOD of PSYCHODYNAMIC SYNERGY\, an integrative model highlighting six dimensions of resilience in the therapeutic process – a multifaceted approach to deep\, embodied transformation and healing. \nShe has served as long-time Clinical Faculty (part-time) at Harvard Medical School and is Co-Founder & Co-Director of the Center for Psychoanalytic Studies at William James College. Additionally\, she holds appointments as Voluntary Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and as Adjunct Faculty in the doctoral counseling program at the Asia Graduate School of Theology in the Philippines. \nAs the Founder & CEO of SynergyMed for MindBodyHealth®\, Dr. Stark is dedicated to the integration of traditional (downstream) medical approaches with nontraditional (upstream) healing practices to incentivize proactive mind-body well-being. \nAn award-winning author of nine influential books – including Relentless Hope: The Refusal to Grieve and Modes of Therapeutic Action: Knowledge\, Experience\, and Relationship – her works have received widespread acclaim and are considered essential reading in psychoanalytic training institutes and psychodynamic psychotherapy training programs across the United States and internationally. \nDr. Stark has been steadily gaining recognition for her ability to provide a comprehensive and compelling conceptual framework that illuminates the psychotherapeutic process as a powerful catalyst for personal renewal and resilience. \nShe brings her synergistic paradigm to life – and extends its global reach – through weekly 90-minute F.R.E.E. Spot Supervision Zoom Sessions (both “live” and “recorded” for later viewing on her Private YouTube Channel)\, a vibrant international forum offering clinicians from diverse cultures and disciplines the opportunity to witness and reflect upon the application of THE ST★RK METHOD to the art and science of complex\, nuanced therapeutic work. \n					\n					 \n				\n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				CE INFORMATION\n\n3 CEs (+ $25)\nThis CE Event is at the beginner\, intermediate\, and advanced levels.\n\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				The Wright Institute Los Angeles (WILA) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. WILA maintains responsibility for this program and its content. \n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n					\n		\n			\n				\n				\n					\n					\n				\n\n					\n	\n	\n	\n	\n			Donation Amount:\n		\n		\n			$			25.00\n					\n		Early-Bird Registration – $25Early-Bird Registration (with 3 CEs) – Additional $25Purchase\n	\n				Select Payment Method			\n			\n		\n\n		\n						\n										\n							\n							 Stripe - Credit Card\n						\n									\n					\n			\n\n	\n	\n\n			\n		\n			Personal Info		\n\n		\n        \n            \n                First Name                                    *\n                                            \n            \n         \n\n        \n            \n                Last Name                                    *\n                                            \n\n            \n         \n\n        \n                \n            \n                Email Address                                    *\n                                                \n            \n\n         \n\n        \n					\n	\n        \n            \n                Credit Card Info            \n\n                            \n                    \n                    \n					This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.				\n                \n                            \n                \n                    \n                        Card Number                        *\n                        \n                        \n                    \n                    \n                \n            \n\n            \n                \n                    \n                        CVC                        *\n                        \n                    \n                    \n                \n            \n\n            \n                \n                    Cardholder Name                    *\n                    \n                \n                \n            \n\n            \n            \n                \n                    \n                        Expiration                        *\n                        \n                    \n\n                    \n                \n            \n                    \n                    \n            \n                \n                    Would you like to help cover the processing fees?\n\n                    \n                        \n                        I'll cover the 0 transaction fee to support WILA's non-profit mission!\n                    \n                \n                	\n				\n			\n				\n					\n					Subscribe to our Email List\n				\n			 \n		\n			\n				\n			Total		\n		\n			$25.00		\n			 \n	{amount} payment + {fee_amount} transaction fee 	\n	\n		\n		\n		\n	\n		\n	\n	\n\n				\n\n			\n	\n	\n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				  \n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Beginning Saturday\, October 3\, 2026Standard Registration – $35Additional $25 for 3 CEs \n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Refunds and CancellationsCancellations with more than24 hours’ notice are eligibleto receive a 50% refund byemailing WILA’s Business Director  businessdirector@wila.org \n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Questions?Email info@wilaalumni.org
URL:https://wilaalumni.org/event/2026-ce-stark/
LOCATION:Zoom (link will be emailed upon registration)
CATEGORIES:CE
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ORGANIZER;CN="WILA Alumni Association":MAILTO:info@wilaalumni.org
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