Imagination is the cornerstone of Swellness. Without it, we can easily become mired in the old and stuck in the status quo. But what if we began to see the world through new eyes? What would happen if we began to imagine new realities, new possibilities, new truths? What would happen if we imagined not only beyond health, but beyond wellness? What would a “swell” future look like?
By reaching back into history and scanning the future horizon for proven but not mainstream research, knowledge and applications, we can begin to imagine some of the possibilities. The goal is to freely share these imaginings so as to eventually see many of these ideas become commercially successful and flourish in the “swell-being” marketplace of the near-future.
These imaginings would not, however, take place without our face-to-face two-day retreats. These are an immensely valuable and stimulating way to share what is known, and then imagine what could be. It’s not about thought-leadership. Or innovation. Or “thinking outside of the box.” It’s about taking participants on a journey of pure imagination.
The following are brief captures, along with more detailed and in-depth summaries, of the amazing experiences and rich conversations we had at our Swellness retreats. We will not review all the science, or even all of the discussions. But the real core of these summaries are the imagining sessions. We also encourage you to think about how you would answer these questions. What would your “swell” future look like? How would you imagine and create it?
Retreat #1: Santa Fe, NM
Focus: Frequencies and Vibrations (including sound and light/color)For this first immersion, we chose to focus on both the ages-old and newly-emerging work in the fields of frequencies and vibrations. Sound and light/color were the subjects of the first morning. We chose Santa Fe in part because we had an opportunity to experience a “sound studio,” several beautiful sets of acoustic pipes that encompass the body in waves of vibrations and frequencies that have to be experienced to be understood. But they are also crafted from extensive research into the effects of sound frequencies and vibrations on living structures/cells. The group also heard about what is currently going on in the science of light and color as these developments intersect with the understanding of psychology, physiology, mortality and morbidity.
Members only
Retreat #2: Rochester, NY
Focus: Neuroscience/Brain Imaging & ArtFor this second immersion, we focused on the advancements being made in brain imaging and went to Rochester, NY, as it is one of the premier brain imaging centers of the world. Not only did we learn about some of the cutting-edge research being done in this field, but our journey also took us to other exciting locations: (1) The George Eastman House: Museum of Film and Photography (It was here that George Eastman did most of his imagining around imaging, so we stopped in to experience some of that energy); and (2) The National Museum of Play (A hands-on place to play, learn, and dream; a place to pretend, wonder, and explore; a place to discover the past and imagine the future; and a place to rekindle memories and make new ones. This stop was purely to inspire us to imagine what could be). The other portion of the retreat focused on art, its tremendous effect on the human body and how it can be used to inspire feelings of swellness.