Seeds of stability are spreading and
we are so grateful for all the encouragement!
Seeds of stability are spreading and
we are so grateful for all the encouragement!
"In a time of destruction, create something: a poem, a parade, a community, a school, a vow, a moral principle; one peaceful moment."
Maxine Hong Kingston
"In a time of destruction, create something: a poem, a parade, a community, a school, a vow, a moral principle; one peaceful moment."
Maxine Hong Kingston
Greetings Everyone.
Captain Gord Stevens - A Skipper
Professional Overview
Gord started flying commercial aircraft when he was twenty years old and he now has two decades of experience. His career flying in various parts of the world and working with diverse groups of colleagues and passengers has brought him a wealth of wisdom to share. He knows firsthand how the stressors within the aviation industry can lead to disconnection from family, friends, and even disconnection from oneself.
Gord is a trained peer to peer support for his colleagues and continues to thrive in his role as an airline captain and instructor. He is expanding his studies to include his passion for exploring the nature of awareness and supporting the human-ness of us all. He has studied with Mindfulness Without Borders and Robyn Priest and is also proud to partner with several industry leaders including the European Aviation Wellbeing Committee. Gord is the acting Director of Communications and Online Coaching working alongside Carl Eisen, founder of Mindful Aviator, on some exciting developments supporting the growth of mindfulness for pilots around the globe.
This skipper loves living and working alongside Amber, recognizing and supporting consciousness and emotional growth every day in both his personal and professional life.
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You can learn more about Gord by clicking here.
Coach Amber McAuley (Sitara)- A Sannyasin
Professional Overview
Amber, or Sitara, took sannyas on August 27th 2004 at Osho International Puna, India and was given the same Bodhi Sitara, meaning "Star of Awakening".
She is an internationally qualified Child and Youth Counsellor with extensive training in mindfulness and social emotional intelligence. In 2016, she published A Map To Limitless Parenting a workbook for parents, teachers and counsellors to learn mindful communication tools. She specializes in supporting a variety of clientele — from inmates and lawyers to students and teachers — and is known for her infectious zest for life.
Amber’s venture of supporting families in her community began in 2002 when she used her business management education to open a specialized yoga studio. In 2007, Amber sold her studio and expanded her scope of practice to include facilitating seminars on healthy relationships and emotional well-being. She has been honoured to collaborate with many leading mindfulness and mental health organizations including LifeWorks, Mindfulness Without Borders and Prison Mindfulness Institute.
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This sannyasin is wholeheartedly dedicated to her work with supporting people to thrive. She was awarded the 2018 Ontario Ministry of Children Community and Social Services Leading Women Award, and most recently, the recipient of Georgian College’s Distinguished Alumni Award, 2019.
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More recently Amber graduated from the restorative justice program at Simon Fraser University and is currently focusing on community-based projects that examine how restorative programs can support diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives.
You can learn more about Amber by clicking here.
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Gord and Amber - #askipperandsannyasin
Personal Overview
We met when we were tweens goofing around the sands of Wasaga Beach Ontario. Even though we immediately crushed on each other, neither of us had the nerve to ask the other out.
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We both became teen parents with other partners and pursued career paths in very different industries (Aviation and Wellbeing). We spent many years in and out of touch, always grappling with defining our relationship, then a fairytale reunion brought us together romantically and we've held each other tight ever since.
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Our journey as a couple has provided us with deep insights about who we are as individuals and as a partnership. We're okay to admit we squabble and each of us brings a unique perspective about what's causing the challenge. We've learned to practice deep listening and, as a result, we continue to become all the more connected.
Our colleagues, friends and family have encouraged us to combine our personal and professional insights to run seminars for pilots and anxious flyers, therefore in 2019, we began to build our first course series together “A Path Toward Stability”.
We live in a small town north of Toronto with our sweet dog Josephine and enjoy travelling all around Canada to catch up with our daughters.
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Defining a "Skipper" and "Sannyasin"
Both terms hold meaning in our hearts and reflect our spiritual and professional journeys, as well as, our personal playfulness.
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Skipper
“Synonyms include; chief petty officer, mate, the old man, and mastermind. An officer who is licensed to command a merchant ship. The master of a small trading or merchant vessel. A young, thoughtless person. The captain of a sports team such as football, cricket, rugby or curling. A coach, director, or other leader.”
wordnik.com
Sannyasin
“Sannyas means courage more than anything else, because it is a declaration of your individuality, a declaration of freedom, a declaration that you will not be any more part of the mob madness, the mob psychology. It is a declaration that you are becoming universal; you will not belong to any country, to any church, to any race, to any religion.”
Osho, Finger Pointing to the Moon, Talk #7
#askipperandsannyasin
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