Speaker Spotlight: Phil McLemore

Meditation nearly saved my life a few years ago. I had been toying aournd with it for quite a while, remembering that the General Authorities has encouraged us to practice it, but there is no LDS manual on meditation, so I just waded my way through it until I was hit with a crisis in my life and needed it in order to keep my head above water. There were days I'd meditate for 45 minutes or more just in order to face my day.

Meditation was a big topic for me to include with the conference, and the conference board agreed. But where, o where, does one find an LDS meditation guru? A person like that isn't exactly in every ward, or even stake. Well, we were lucky to stumble upon Phil McLemore.

Philip McLemore received his Master’s Degree from the University of Florida and is the former LDS Institute of Religion Director at Auburn University and the University of Georgia.

He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2004, after 20 years of service as a military chaplain. As a chaplain, Philip specialized in marriage & grief counseling, values education, and stress management. After an injury to his back, neck, and shoulder, Philip began a meditation practice to manage chronic pain and stress. He soon discovered that meditation was designed for the primary purpose of spiritual awakening and embarked on a decade of in-depth study and practice with world-renowned meditation masters. Philip is an expert in ancient and modern forms of meditation and contemplative prayer and currently works as a hospice chaplain and meditation instructor.

Phil is teaching 3 classes:

• Awakening into the Spirit: The Art and Practice of Meditation / Part One: The Philosophical and Spiritual Foundation.
• Awakening into the Spirit: The Art and Practice of Meditation / Part Two: Principles and Techniques for a Lifelong Meditation Practice
• Becoming The Beloved of The Lord: Maturing through the Stages of Spiritual Growth

Speaker Spotlight: David Christopher

David Christopher began apprenticing with his father, Dr. John R. Christopher, in 1972 and became manager of the Dr. Christopher Herb Company in 1974. One of the first things he did was to professionally publish Dr. Christopher books which lead to incorporating Christopher Publications in 1977.

Dr. Christopher asked David to help with the School of Natural Healing, and in 1979 he took over the reigns of the school. During the 80’s David was instrumental in establishing the school in England. This has resulted in the majority of present day English herbalists being trained in the Dr. Christopher theories.

In 1982 David Christopher began to lecture on his own for different health organizations. His lecturing prompted him to resign as president of the herb company and to fully pursue teaching in 1993. He left the herb company in the care of his siblings. In the following year the School of Natural Healing became the 30th fastest growing company in Utah and was honored personally by Utah Governor, Michael Leavitt. David also helped to establish the Irish School of Natural Healing and still teaches there each year.

We are so pleased to have David involved with the conference and know that you will benefit greatly from his classes:

Cancer Prevention and Holistic Treatment

Just What is the Word of Wisdom

Speaker Spotlight: Nicole Hamory

I first met Nicole as my daughter's yoga instructor. For a while I had been trying to get my 13 year old to do yoga with me, but to no avail...it (or I) just wasn't "cool" enough for her or something. And then she decided to do a class. Every week she'd come home from class with a new found respect of her body, how it operates and insight into deeper spiritual topics. Nicole was an answer to my prayers! I thought, "Now if she can make a 13 year old get really into yoga, she must posses some sort of magic!

Before becoming the co-founder and Program Director of GreenTREE Yoga of Utah, and co-author of Yoga for Kids to Teens (Sunstone Press), Nicole was an elite rowing athlete. The sport was very hard on her body, and she found healing through yoga. Nicole shares her passions nationally as a retreat facilitator/educator with Women Beyond Cancer. She is also a rowing coach for Utah Crew and Huntsman Cancer Institute Wellness Programs.

After you refresh your body and mind, you can indulge your sweet tooth with Nicole's two classes:

Yoga
Healthy Chocolate (which you can eat at! YUM!)

See you there!

The Final Countdown!

Oh man! It's May 1st already! The conference is coming up quick. Yes, the Holistic LDS Living board is busily tying up loose ends.

I want to make sure you are aware of a few things:

1. For the rest of May, the ticket price is only $47. That's your early bird pricing. Come June 1, one month from today, the price jumps to $60, and if you want at the door, it's $17 per class. So register early people!

2. Classes are starting to fill up. If you want to be sure you get into the class you want, register ASAP. If you choose to register at the door, there is no guarantee that you will get in.

So take a few minutes and register. I'd hate to see you miss out on that class you really wanted!