“Anybody, no matter their background or circumstances, can learn to be happy, if you are willing to get to know yourself,” says Danish integrative medical doctor Søren Ventegodt, heading our way to run workshops in quality of life and happiness in Cape Town and Johannesburg early May.
“Many people believe that our quality of life and happiness is determined by our circumstances – the wealth of our parents, our DNA, our good or bad luck in school, etc. But when I work with people from poor families, with little or no education, and many life traumas, I notice something else. It is amazing to see that if people are really motivated and want to learn and understand, then their lives - even the most difficult and challenged ones - can change and be good after a little work!”
Ventegodt spent the past 30 years as therapist actively researching how it is that life can be wonderful, boring, or horrible, using his own system of non-invasive, drug-free, scientific holistic medicine and healing.
He was trained as a medical doctor, and later took a master’s degree in alternative medicine - an EU degree (MSc-CAM) in complementary, psychosocial and integrative medicine from Interuniversity College, Graz, in Austria. In 1990 he started a small research unit in Quality of Life at University Hospital in Copenhagen, and soon became known in Denmark.
His focus both in research and clinical work is on improving health and happiness and on how to heal one’s whole existence, when everything in one’s life is somewhat bad.
We live our understanding
“My understanding is that we materialise our own life from our consciousness. We live our understanding. When we understand something, our life changes. When we understand our self deeply, we find a deep love and compassion that totally changes our perception of reality.”
So our true spiritual practice if we want to be happy is understanding. We must understand our Self first, and after that other people and the world.
“Human beings are moved and motivated by 3 things: love, sex and then also our mind. Our mind is basically all our beliefs - all the lies and false ideas we hold onto in our lives.” This is indeed where the problem lies.
“Our sexuality is our primary moving force. Love might be the most important thing in life, but it only motivates us little. Our lies, on the other hand, can be great motivations, especially the lies we tell ourselves. When we analyse our fundamental lies, we find that they come from childhood. And when we look into them, they are often fuelled by our sexuality. So in the end of the day our life force, our sexuality, might be the most important single thing for us to understand in this life.”
“Sex is a wonderful and difficult thing,” he says, “it only works well together with love. Sex without love is traumatic; rape and sexual abuse can ruin a life in a day.“
Healing rape and incest workshop
Healing Women’s Traumas of Rape and Incest is one of the workshops he and his partner Pavlína Kordová, Reiki master, psychotherapist and body therapist, will facilitate in Cape Town. It has become apparent that rape and incest figures in SA are much higher than previously thought, as most people simply never speak up about it and never access the help they need. Some reckon it’s as high as one in every 2 women in this country, across the board!
“During our one-day seminar on healing of sexual traumas we will show how you can heal even severe traumas in only one day – if you are willing to be open and share all,” he says.
In Copenhagen Ventegodt built a research clinic in Holistic Medicine and Sexology, where they have done research in non-drug touch- and- talk-therapy for many years. There have been many great discoveries, and more than 20 books and 250 scientific articles published. This is where they have proven that even the most horrible of traumas can heal.
Awakening to Conscious Living Series
Other workshops the Awakening to Conscious Living series entail:
- BE YOURSELF
Blossom with all your energy, power and talents. You are a human being, an animal, and a God; you are nothing and everything at the same time. To truly understand our human nature is to dive into the endless mystery of consciousness. This magical journey will show you that you are life itself, and you are everything that comes with life: Love, joy, freedom, happiness, wisdom, unlimited power and the deepest peace.
- SACRED ONE-TO-ONE RELATIONSHIP
The secret of love and sexuality: Harmony, happiness and love go together. Without love you cannot have the other. Use this workshop to recognize yourself as a loving being whose nature it is to be at peace with yourself and the universe - and be one with all.
- THE SHAMANIC JOURNEY
Six hours of exploration into your inner life. Experience a marvelous “one session healing” a 6 hour shamanic journey deeply into your existence, to the roots of your body and mind. Understand the cause of your physical illness, mental problems, sexual issues, and/or other problems in private or professional life as you explore the core of consciousness and root of the life force.
- KNOW YOUR LIFE PURPOSE, MASTER YOUR DESTINY
Just after conception, the Native Americans say, you choose your purpose of life, or your life mission. Soon after that you forget all about who you truly are. Our life mission is our greatest talent – what we can do better than anything else, and what we can do better than anybody else. Using this talent is our greatest joy. Through this talent all other talents are mastered. When you live your purpose of life, you will always be successful, because you will enjoy using yourself, and you will give without expecting to get paid or getting anything back.
Focused entirely on helping our nation heal, workshop fees are very reasonable and accessible to all. Those with difficulty can apply for a bursary, should a sponsor be found in time.
Opening up and sharing is the oldest healing technique
To open up and share is the oldest and most important of the techniques of healing. It allows us to re-experience all our difficult, oppressed feelings from our past, and allows us to go beyond what we have learned, good as well as bad.
Soren and Pavlina will also offer private sessions, by appointment.
Cape Town workshops will be held at the MediSpa in Kloof street:
- Holistic medicine and sexology: One session healing of rape and incest traumas: Tuesday, 5 May from 16-23:00 @ R650
- Be Yourself: Wednesday, 6 MAY from 16 – 21:30 @ R500
- The Sacred one-to-one relationship Thursday, 7 May 16-22:00 @ R650
- The Shamanic Journey Friday, 8 MAY 16 – 22:00 @ R650
- Know your life purpose, master your destiny 2 day workshop Saturday, 9 May 10- 19:00 and Sunday, 10 May 10 – 17:00 @ R1400
Johannesburg workshops are held at the Conscious Living Centre in Fourways:
- Be Yourself: Wednesday, 13 May 16-21.30 @ R650
- The Sacred one-to-one relationship Thursday, 14 May 16-22:00 @ R650
To book contact Elma on 0218550518 or elma@integrativemedicine.co.za. Check out the event page here, and download more details about workshops here.
Please pass this on to anyone in need. Hope to see you there.
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