Summer Theme
Living Simple Rhythms
We find ourselves living in a wounded and wounding world where it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, confused, or just plain stuck. At the same time, we inhabit this stunningly beautiful world that inspires our gratitude, wonder and love. In the midst of all that life is, summer comes as a gift releasing us from some of our routines and inviting us into gentler rhythms.
In the complexity of this time, we hope you’ll join us to discover or recover some simple practices that will help us navigate the currents of life. We offer many different programs this summer to help develop practices of joy, resilience, courage and compassion. From physical wellbeing to spiritual exploration – from deep conversations to joyful creativity, there’s a nourishing place for you at Naramata Centre this summer. Take a look!
Week 1
Breathe in Breathe Out Find Home
July 13 to July 17
It's the first thing we do in this world. And it’s also the last. From our first breath to our final one, we’ll breathe billions of times and almost never give it a thought. But when we see our breath, lose our breath, or something takes our breath away, there’s an opportunity to more fully inhabit our humanity. Come breathe together in song, reflect on the fragility in every breath, share the rhythms our breathing bodies can shape with conscious movement, or enjoy the deep breath we share when we play and create together. Come and be at home in your own skin.
Spiritual Lead and Music Resource
Spiritual Lead
Tim Scorer
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Tim likes nothing better than to be facilitating this kind of summer community: live musicians, seats out on the grass, Spirit-attentive, storytellers, all ages welcome, space for Silence, honouring of traditions, candle time too - and Centred. Inspired by the Naramata Centre since 1979, Tim served on its program staff for 24 years and has continued offering program leadership since leaving staff in 2003. Tim is a gifted educator, facilitator, mentor, spiritual director and animator of poetry. He continues to pursue the mystery of life with his family, in his garden on Bowen Island, through contemplative practice, active participation at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church, and in cultural adventures shared with his wife, Donna.
Music Resource
rEvolve
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rEvolve (Chris Giffen, Josh McHan, and Gord Oaks) is a group of conscientious musicians offering an innovative experience integrating music, guided movement, inspiring poetry, inclusive context and lots of Groove. rEvolve invites people into a rhythm-filled experience of connection to the heart and to the body: awakening joy and renewing passion for the work of social and ecological justice, and healing.
Registered Morning Programs
Songs of the Moment: Circle Singing, Vocal Improv, and Mindful Music-Making
Age: 16+
Start your day by awakening your senses, body, and voice through circle singing and vocal improvisation. Each session offers participants a spacious, creative container for exploring rhythm, harmony, vocal textures, and playful improvisation. Together, we'll create songs of the moment that emerge from attentive listening, shared breath, and the shifting energy of the group. Open to all voices, these flexible practices invite curiosity, experimentation, and personal expression. Discover the joy and restorative power of collective singing, and experience the unique connection of creating something entirely new together.
Program Leader
Samantha Fletcher
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Samantha is a dynamic vocalist, performer, and facilitator with over twenty years of experience cultivating expressive, embodied music-making in communities. Her interdisciplinary approach—rooted in vocal improvisation, world vocal traditions, theatre, and somatic and mindfulness practices—creates inviting, inclusive spaces where participants can explore, experiment, and co-create. A widely experienced vocalist, she has performed extensively, led choirs, and designed innovative workshops and arts programs for all ages. As a registered clinical counsellor, Samantha integrates expressive arts with mental health support, including work with neurodivergent individuals and families, fostering creativity, authentic expression, and well-being for people and communities alike.
Tai Chi
Age: 18+
"That was Zen, this is Dao." or simply "Taiji-Qigong." Join Hajime Naka ("Dancing Dragon") for a week of intentional, healing movement practice. Through the ancient tradition of T'ai Chi, you will deeply return to your centre, finding a true sense of home within your own breath and body. Known as the "Urban Daoist Rebel with a cause & effect," Kelowna-based Hajime (Harold) Naka has been empowering and liberating society one cell at a time since 1983. Blending ancient wisdom with modern accessibility, Hajime leads a dynamic fusion of Taiji and Qigong designed to heal the body, mind, and spirit.
Program Leader
Hajime Naka
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Known as the "Urban Daoist Rebel with a cause & effect," Kelowna-based Hajime (Harold) Naka has been empowering and liberating society one cell at a time since 1983. Blending ancient wisdom with modern accessibility, Hajime leads a dynamic fusion of Taiji and Qigong designed to heal the body, mind, and spirit.
What is my Purpose? Creative Art Journalling
Age: 16+
Fee: $40
"What is my purpose?" An ageless question that has inspired thinkers from Aristotle's theory of teleology to today's search for meaning. In our fast-paced, technology-filled world, discovering an answer to this question may be more important than ever. Let's see where our shared wisdom and creativity can take us as we discern meaning and a sense of direction for both our art and our days with humour and (here comes a great word) perspicacity. In Creative Journaling, you don't need to be an artist, just curious and ready to uncover your inherent creativity. Using words, images, and mixed media, we'll explore themes together, unearth insights, emotions, and inspiration. Come join a supportive, welcoming space where imagination sparks, negativity fades, and connection, self-expression, and discovery thrive. Supply fee: $40/person includes a specially made journal, and art supplies. You will be asked to bring a few basic supplies. A supply list will be sent after confirmation of registration.
Program Leader
Kathie MacDuff
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Kathie is an artist, graphic designer, and journalist, best known for her signature program, Creative Journaling, which she has been teaching for 27 years. She has facilitated expressive arts programs at Wellspring Alberta for sixteen years, contributed to the Tom Baker Cancer Center’s Medicine in Art initiative, and participated in research on creativity’s effects on pain and depression. Kathie has also taught at the Good Shepherd Art Studio and is a frequent guest instructor at retreats and conferences across Alberta and British Columbia. Now Associate Director at Sorrento Retreat and Conference Centre, she creates experiences that encourage connections, validate emotions, and nourish the soul—finding joy in the people along the way.
Children and Youth Morning Programs - Led by Naramata Centre Program Staff
Children at Play (5-9 Years)
Youth Club (10-13 Years)
Teen Connection (14-17 Years)
Childminding (optional add-on) (2-4 years)
Week 2
Everyday Sacred
July 20 to July 24
It’s easy to feel disenchanted by so much that is happening in our world. It requires intention and attention to keep our eyes and hearts open. Sometimes we need gentle nudges that help us awaken to the sacredness that surrounds us in the most common everyday moments. Come and be re-enchanted by the profoundly simple sacredness that isn’t reserved for pilgrimages and holy sites, but is found in the delight of nourishing food, nurture in creative expression, the beauty of breath in the body’s stretch or by learning some of the sacred teachings of the land.
Spiritual Lead and Music Resource
Spiritual Lead
Nancy Steeves
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Before finding home alongside the ocean, mountains, and forests of Vancouver Island, Nancy practiced law and provided spiritual leadership in ministry with United Church congregations in Edmonton. Nancy explores an expansive spirituality that honours her roots in the Judeo-Christian community and reaches beyond to the wisdom of other traditions, the scripture of the natural world, science, poetry, music and theatre. Nancy takes delight in engaging the life of the mind, heart and body through hiking, reading, yoga, film, and good conversation. Nancy is the author of Habits of the Heart: Practices for Spiritual Seekers.
Music Resource
rEvolve
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rEvolve (Chris Giffen, Josh McHan, and Gord Oaks) is a group of conscientious musicians offering an innovative experience integrating music, guided movement, inspiring poetry, inclusive context and lots of Groove. rEvolve invites people into a rhythm-filled experience of connection to the heart and to the body: awakening joy and renewing passion for the work of social and ecological justice, and healing.
Registered Morning Programs
Nourishing Self Nourishing Community
Age: 18+
Join Naramata food writer and author Jennifer Cockrall to observe, uncover, and explore how food connects you to place, community, and each other. On the menu is a program that invites you to slow down and rediscover the wisdom woven through our gardens, kitchens, and tables. You'll sample ideas that spark a greater shift from scarcity to abundance-recognizing how gardens overflow beyond the individual, how communities hold deep wells of culinary knowledge, and local food systems thrive through participation. Spend time in a permaculture garden, learn principles you can apply in your own home garden (or patio!) and communities,and in your life. Visits to local farms and wineries reveal how food choices deeply shape community resilience and economic outcomes. Forage and prepare simple seasonal foods to build culinary literacy to better nourish our minds and bodies. All of this unfolds in a designated CittaSlow community, where principles in action resist the tensions and disconnection of contemporary life. Balance practical skills with space to rekindle connections that feed body, community, and soul.
Program Leader
Jenn Cockrall
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Jennifer is a Naramata-based food culture writer and author of the books Food and the City: Urban Agriculture and The New Food Revolution, Food Artisans of the Okanagan: Your Guide to Locally Crafted Fare, and has been included in a number of international anthologies. Jennifer is also co-author of tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine with her friend Chef Shane Chartrand (maskêkosik / Enoch Cree Nation, Treaty 6). She is currently finishing a book about seed banks, seed security, and seed savers around the world. She also helps people and organizations write and publish their own books through her collaborative business Savvy Beautiful Books. Drawn to Naramata for its focus on sustainability, community, and inclusivity, Jennifer is active with the Okanagan Seed Savers Society and Naramata Permaculture Farm Garden Society. She enjoys skiing, hiking, paddleboarding, gardening, cooking, and most of all, sharing meals in good company. https://jennifercockrall.com
Tapping Into Your Inner Wisdom Using SoulCollage
Age: 16+
Fee: $50
Come and experience how SoulCollage(R) is unique from other collaging processes. You are invited to: freely express yourself without any pressure to make "art" access your intuition and inner wisdom have fun and be surprised be part of a supportive community where individual expression is encouraged and affirmed Images are everywhere: books, magazines, calendars, cards, etc. Have you noticed how certain images grab your attention? This is the heart of SoulCollage(R). You will respond to those compelling images by cutting them out, arranging them onto a card, and gluing them down. Then, you'll let your card speak to you and reveal what it has to teach you. So simple and yet so profound!
Program Leader
Julie Elliot
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Julie has been practising and teaching various art forms for over 35 years. SoulCollage® has her attention these days. She says, “Collaging images is a powerful way to find my truth. I’m able to welcome the many parts of who I am. My cards help me to celebrate, grieve, challenge myself, integrate, and heal. Each time I begin a card it’s like setting out on a new adventure. I don’t know where I’m going but I know when I’ve arrived.” Julie is also a spiritual director/companion and a program mentor in the Pacific Jubilee SoulGuiding program. She’s grateful for all these endeavors that flow into the same river called the work of soul.
Yoga Everyday
Age: 16+
Join with Joi to deepen your connection to body and spirit through movement, breath and stillness. Joi teaches many styles of yoga. Her classes are a somatic, rooted & grounding experience, and highlight heart connection. Joi helps students build a solid foundation ~ finding their stability first and then incorporating fluidity. She welcomes all abilities and every-body to join her on the mat. Pain Care Aware Certified
Program Leader
Joi Kittredge
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Joi’s heart’s deepest calling has always drawn her to be in service. She is led to fulfill this pull by sharing the gift of yoga with others. Joi is a yoga alliance certified RYT-500 instructor, with a solid 25+ year Sadhana dedicated to asana, pranayama, mantra and meditation. Her journey of self discovery and wholeness has deeply transformed and shaped her life.
Stories of the Land: syilx Teachings through Nature and Art
Age: 16+
You are warmly invited to join us for an immersive syilx Okanagan cultural experience that brings land, story, and creativity together in a meaningful way. Explore ancient Coyote markers though traditional storytelling, and learn the teachings held within the various landforms dotted through syilx Okanagan territory. Anona will share her treasured syilx artifacts and guide a sensory-rich walk to the Naramata waterfalls, where language, plants, and place come alive. You’ll create your own beaded spider with intention and good thoughts. Come learn, create, and connect with the land in a welcoming, engaging, and deeply rooted experience.
Program Leader
Anona Kampe
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Anona Kampe is from the Penticton Indian Band in the Okanagan Nation. Anona’s traditional name is sknir_mn, which translates to Buttercup. She is a singer, drum carrier, beadworker, storyteller, dancer, teacher, harvester, disciplinarian, knowledge keeper, nsyilxcn language speaker, land and water protector and a woman who follows Okanagan protocols. For more information please visit her website, www.anonafawn.ca
Children and Youth Morning Programs - Led by Naramata Centre Program Leaders
Children at Play (5-9 Years)
Youth Club (10-13 Years)
Teen Connection (14-17 Years)
Childminding (optional add-on) (2-4 years)
Week 3
Blessing the Now
July 27 to July 31
We can bless a sneeze with ease while we sometimes forget to bless the graces that touch our lives each day: the tree that gives us shade, the soil that opens to feed us, the child that makes us laugh, or the stranger who offers a simple kindness. It’s just a matter of attention. No fancy words or mysterious gestures are needed to offer our blessing … just the gift of our undivided attention. Attending to what gives our lives beauty and meaning and then blessing it for being just what it is, we’ll find the wonder of being truly alive. We invite you to hone the habit of blessing the now with practices that will build resilience, bring joy in physical activity, explore your creativity or expand the power of story.
Spiritual Lead and Music Resource
Spiritual Lead
Christopher Giffen
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Christopher is a singer, facilitator, therapist, and poet. Christopher has been leading programs at Naramata since 2004. He writes and performs music with rEvolve and loves weaving music with spiritual practice in ritual and therapeutic spaces. Christopher was profoundly transformed through friendship, mentorship and collaboration with Joanna Macy and is passionate about carrying her work forward.
Music Resource
Cheryl Dennett and Jeff Poynter
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Cheryl is a Victoria based musician and music teacher with a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from UBC. She has been working with children and youth in both private and community music settings for over 30 years. Jeff is a multi instrumentalist and music director who teaches and performs widely. Jeff currently works with Broadview United Church in Vancouver and teaches in the music program at the Victoria Conservatory of Music.
Registered Morning Programs
Spiritual Practices for Living Well in a Fractured World
Age: 18+
Nancy invites you to explore a variety of spiritual practices using words, images, silence and movement. These practices will help connect to the wisdom and power within each of us to live well even when the world around us is fracturing. Do you desire to be more grounded in the present moment? This program can help support that desire both during your time in Naramata and on your return home.
Program Leader
Nancy Talbot
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For over 30 years, Nancy has been helping individuals and communities of faith cultivate spiritual practices for paying attention to the presence of the Divine within and around us. She knows first hand the ways these practices can help discern our truest callings and enable us to live with grace and resilience through life's greatest challenges. She is a recently retired ordained minister in the United Church of Canada, an accredited Spiritual Director and Retreat Leader and is currently studying to be a Dream Work Facilitator. Nancy lives in North Vancouver.
What Now? Or Now What!?
Age: 18+
As the speed and scale of changes, challenges, and opportunities increase, you might hear yourself saying, WHAT NOW?! Or variations on that sentiment! Join with past United Church Moderator Carmen Lansdowne to explore how our story and the stories of the Christian tradition help us stay attentive and responsive to the dramatic changes in our personal and collective lives. Carmen's own life is a testament to the pivots, surprises, gifts, and demands - or often deep questions - that become a pathway to learning and faithful discovery. Join with others to listen, share, engage the NOW WHAT!? of our lives. This program is being co-sponsored by LeaderSHIFT and the Pacific Mountain Regional Council.
Program Leader
Carmen Lansdowne
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Carmen Lansdowne, Kwisa’lakw, is a member of the Haí_zaqv (Heiltsuk) First Nation and is adopted into the _wikwa_sut_inux_ Haxwa’mis First Nation. An ordained minister in the United Church of Canada and theologian by training, she maintains academic interests, church ministry, alongside indigenous way of being, parenting, and partnering. She was the 44th Moderator of The United Church of Canada (UCC) and the elected national spiritual leader and public representative of the United Church until the recent 45th General Council (2025). Prior to serving the national church, Carmen was a compassionate, thoughtful, and creative Executive Director of First United Church Community Ministry Society in Vancouver. Carmen is on the faculty at Emmanuel College in Toronto. She has been praised by youth and young adults in the United Church as both “an incredibly talented churchy person” and the “nerdiest church nerd. She is passionate about creating a life with great stories and amazing adventures with her family.
Pay Attention Be Astonished
Age: 16+
Poetry is an art form of the present, in all its nuances and details. This is a workshop about the practice of poetry, that prayerful space in which our lives - and the words we use to understand our world - become especially precious. We'll read and savour the particularities of select poems; pay attention to our surroundings, feelings, and hunches; then write our own poems in response to open-ended prompts. In gathering to explore this art form that begins in, and maximizes, wonder, we'll enter the zone where language and experience meet: the bewilderingly vast time of now.
Program Leader
Neil Surkan
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Neil is the current Poet Laureate of Nanaimo, BC. He is the author of three books of poetry — Empties, Unbecoming, and On High — and the chapbooks Die Workbook, Ruin, Their Queer Tenderness, and Super, Natural. His award-winning poems have appeared in numerous Canadian magazines. A Professor in the Department of English at Vancouver Island University, he lives in Nanaimo, on the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, with Luca, Edi, and Lloyd.
Program Leader
Allison Rennie
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Allison is an animateur, spiritual director, and poet living in Naramata. Attention to the daily and the ordinary as a path to contemplation is central to their creative process. Allison is a gifted teacher and deeply passionate about nurturing the spirituality of people of all ages. A good mystery, a great movie, a fresh loaf of bread, a moment of learning, a good question, big work and a deep conversation – all of this is fuel for Allison’s creativity! The gifts of group facilitation, hosting important conversation, engaging in spiritual practice and serious playing are all brought to the table in their approach as an animateur. Allison is currently working with Naramata Centre.
Yin and Hatha Yoga
Age: 16+
The Space Between Broken and Beautiful Yoga is not just a series of postures done on a mat. In our beautifully broken world, we can transcend the dualities we experience through everyday life through this wholistic science. A harmonious balance between body, mind, emotions, and spirit occurs within. We cultivate a dynamic sense of stability that helps us to go deeper into ourselves, into that place where we can flourish with ease. This week, Gentle Hatha and Yin Yoga asana sadhana will spark the inner interplay between effort and relaxation, enabling you to travel on that inner journey towards equanimity.
Program Leader
Jennifer Kanazawa
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Jennifer is a proud member of Muskoday First Nation, and draws upon her ancestral Cree wisdom, remaining steadfast in her commitment to the teachings of our natural world. A certified Indigenous Traditional Healer and E-RYT 200 Yoga Alliance Facilitator, Jennifer serves others through natural and traditional healing, plant and animal based Indigenous and Traditional Healing Ceremony, and knowledge that has been handed down for thousands of years. A Wellness Facilitator with 23 years of experience Jennifer fosters an interest in what keeps us healthy vs what makes us sick (salutogenics). Her healing practice interweaves somatic experience utilizing active relaxation, breath, movement and sound for the purpose of releasing stored trauma from the body. With gentle guidance toward a state of harmony, pathways that shift from dis-ease to ease, struggle to flow, from doing to being are manifested with care.
Children and Youth Morning Programs - Led by Naramata Centre Program Staff
Children at Play (5-9 Years)
Youth Club (10-13 Years)
Teen Connection (14-17 Years)
Childminding (optional add-on) (2-4 years)
Week 4
Heartbeat of the Earth
August 3 to August 7
Rhythm is as primal for us as it is for life itself. It was rhythm that prepared us for life as we developed in sync with the rhythm of another’s heartbeat. We emerged from the womb well acquainted with rhythm into a world reliant on its predictable revolutions around our sun, its dependable orbit in space and the pattern of turning on its own axis.
Not only are we creatures of rhythm at our most cellular level but also in the most spiritual dimension of our essence. Perhaps that’s why we know with every fiber of our being when rhythm is disrupted, patterns are endangered, and balance is disturbed. Join us to reconnect with the heartbeat of Earth, the mother we all share. You might find the beat in the legacy of inspired teaching, in the witness of the natural world, in seeing with new eyes, or in the pulse of daily fit-ness.
Spiritual Lead and Music Resource
Spiritual Lead
Nan Maxson
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Natalie, Nan, she/her is a parent, a creative, a contemplative, a therapist and spiritual director. Born on the unceded territory of the Okanagan syilx people, she currently lives at a farm where she is learning to take care of horses and continues to learn from this beautiful land.
Music Resource
Sylvia Humble
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Sylvia is a community songleader devoted to reviving our roots of singing together for joy, connection and healing. Sylvia founded Humble Harmony in 2021, a welcoming, non performing community group where people can sing and harmonize together in a safe and inclusive space. In Humble Harmony songs and harmonies are taught by ear in the oral tradition.
Registered Morning Programs
The Work That Reconnects
Age: 18+
Christopher and Clara will lead Joanna Macy's, The Work That Reconnects (WTR). Developed over decades, this is an invitation to you to reconnect with earth, with self, and with others through interactive group processes. During the program you might go on a blind trust walk to find a willow mirror; speak as a mountain, a quail, or a river; listen to the fears and pains of future beings; dance the elm dance; feel the joy or the sorrow of a heron or a raccoon. We will be on the land, singing, listening, feeling and thinking with each other and the more than human world. You will experience the breadth of moral imagination, and find that through facing this difficult time for Earth that we can kindle our spirits, and emerge with new connections, softer hearts, and bolstered courage.
Program Leader
Christopher Giffen and Clara Lindstrom
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Clara Lindstrom is an archetypal astrologer, community-weaver, and spiritual guide. Her background includes an MA and doctoral work in Transpersonal Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Drawn to liminal spaces since childhood, Clara’s work with Zen Hospice led to her becoming trained in psychedelic guiding and Hakomi therapy. Clara discovered Joanna’s work in 2004 and experienced, like so many others, an immediate paradigm shift and sense of coming home; a life divided into “before” and “after” the Work that Reconnects. She feels blessed to have studied and worked with Joanna at CIIS, to have laughed and sung with her, and to witness the ripple effects of Joanna’s teachings in her own work as a healer, and in the life of her child. Christopher is a singer, facilitator, therapist, and poet. Christopher has been leading programs at Naramata since 2004. He writes and performs music with rEvolve and loves weaving music with spiritual practice in ritual and therapeutic spaces. Christopher was profoundly transformed through friendship, mentorship and collaboration with Joanna Macy and is passionate about carrying her work forward.
Tai Chi
Age: 18+
"That was Zen, this is Dao." or simply "Taiji-Qigong." Join Hajime Naka ("Dancing Dragon") for a week of intentional, healing movement practice. Through the ancient tradition of T'ai Chi, you will deeply return to your centre, finding a true sense of home within your own breath and body. Known as the "Urban Daoist Rebel with a cause & effect," Kelowna-based Hajime (Harold) Naka has been empowering and liberating society one cell at a time since 1983. Blending ancient wisdom with modern accessibility, Hajime leads a dynamic fusion of Taiji and Qigong designed to heal the body, mind, and spirit.
Program Leader
Hajime Naka
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Known as the "Urban Daoist Rebel with a cause & effect," Kelowna-based Hajime (Harold) Naka has been empowering and liberating society one cell at a time since 1983. Blending ancient wisdom with modern accessibility, Hajime leads a dynamic fusion of Taiji and Qigong designed to heal the body, mind, and spirit.
Seeing with the Heart
Age: 16+
This beginner friendly photography course invites you to slow down, look closely and discover beauty in both the Naramata landscape and the candid moments happening around you. Together we will explore simple fundamentals such as exposure, composition and basic editing, whether you use a camera (simple point and shoot or DSLR or the camera on your phone). Each morning includes guided instruction followed by hands-on practice outdoors. Throughout the week you will learn how to capture meaningful moments and tell a story through images, from wide open scenery to spontaneous everyday details. Curiosity is the only requirement. For more than four decades, Naramata Centre has been an important part of my life, beginning with childhood summers and continuing through many years of visits with my own family. My background includes professional work in wedding and portrait photography, along with a long career in leadership, training and personal development. In recent years, my photographic focus has shifted toward a more mindful approach that highlights the small and often overlooked moments of daily life. I am passionate about helping others grow their skills and confidence, and I look forward to sharing this exploration of photography with the Naramata community.
Program Leader
Owen Law
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For more than four decades, Naramata Centre has been an important part of my life, beginning with childhood summers and continuing through many years of visits with my own family. My background includes professional work in wedding and portrait photography, along with a long career in leadership, training and personal development. In recent years, my photographic focus has shifted toward a more mindful approach that highlights the small and often overlooked moments of daily life. I am passionate about helping others grow their skills and confidence, and I look forward to sharing this exploration of photography with the Naramata community.
A Habit that Fits
Age: 16+
Whoever you are, whatever age, physical abilities or limitations you have - there is a path for you to a fitness habit that fits. This program will give you a daily dose of fitness activity wrapped in a plan that works for you, your goals, your body, your wellness. Join with Paul and Denise to get your body moving, your heart beating, and your path to a daily fitness plan activated! Some elements of activity may include body weight exercise, no special equipment needed, stretches and strengthening, fun. Put me in coach. Put me in!
Program Leader
Denise Mend and Paul Mend
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Denise is the President of Growth-U, a Master Trainer and a practicing Physiotherapist. She holds a Bachelor’s degrees in Kinesiology from Simon Fraser University and Rehabilitation in Physiotherapy from the University of British Columbia. As a gifted educator, Denise brings 30 years of health care experience as the foundation to her role as President, Master Trainer and Advisor and a nurturing energy felt by everyone she meets. She also loves to dance, sing, run, disc golf, ski, yoga and spend time outdoors with her husband, grown children and grandson. aul has been a Mastery Advisor at Growth-U for 4 years. mBIT Certified.He had a very successful 30-year Teaching Career at the High School Level. His last 14 years he taught Psychology 12 (most popular elective at the high school) First 16 years was in the gym as Athletic Director, PE Dept Head, and Leadership Teacher. Along with his teaching career, he has been a High-Level Sports Coach for over 48 years. (College/Provincial Team/High School/Jr High/Middle School/Elementary/Club) He still competes as a Master's Athlete in the 60 and over category. Denise has been with the love of his life for 37 years, and has two wonderful kids aged 31 and 28. (And a Grandson)
Children and Youth Morning Programs - Led by Naramata Centre Program Staff
Children at Play (5-9 Years)
Youth Club (10-13 Years)
Teen Connection (14-17 Years)
Childminding (optional add-on) (2-4 years)
Week 5
Attune to the Spirit
August 10 to August 14
While we hear through little openings on the sides of our head, listening requires our whole being. Most of us are born with the capacity to hear and all of us arrive with the ability to listen. It may take a lifetime of practice to truly learn to listen: to give our attention in the midst of so much that will take our attention, to settle and focus our presence with one another, with the bird at our feeder or the song in the wind. What if we refuse to hear too quickly and choose to listen in, under, and around the words that are spoken?
We live in a time that needs listeners … those leaning in to hear the spirit in all things: in the voices of our rivers and oceans, air and atmosphere, soil and seeds … to those who have lost their voice and become invisible. Come and practice listening with us. Attune to the presence of spirit in the songs that have carried the hopes and dreams of generations struggling for freedom, in the long and deep wisdom of land that ever seeks to speak to us, or in finding your balance.
Spiritual Lead and Music Resource
Spiritual Lead
Rhian Walker
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Rhian Walker is the co-lead minister at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church in Vancouver, BC. She brings a love for nurturing the spiritual development of those around her. She is passionate about new expressions of church and believes in the power of spiritual practice and community to transform the suffering in our communities and our world. She has a Masters of Public and Pastoral Leadership from the Vancouver School of Theology, an MA in Philosophy, Religion and Literature from Sussex University and a BA in Philosophy and Creative Writing from UVic. She previously served at the lead minister at the Heartwood Community Café, an LGBTQ social enterprise run by Trinity United, Minister of Outreach and Formation at Lynn Valley United in North Vancouver, and as the Conference Minister for LeaderShift, a professional development program that focuses on the inner and outer skills for leading in the United Church. She is an singer and amateur poet, an average gardener, and is truly, shockingly bad at camping despite growing up on the West Coast.
Music Resource
James Sylvester
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James has been involved in the Naramata Centre community since 2018. He lives in Calgary where he works as an elementary music teacher. Outside the classroom he can be found at jazz jams, at talent shows with friends, or playing at his church on the first Sunday of each month.
Registered Morning Programs
Gospel Choir
Age: 16+
Join Lonnie for a week of singing that weaves together gospel singing techniques, powerful messages of justice and inclusion, meaningful lyrics, and beautiful music, leaving you feeling hopeful and inspired. Celebrate our diversity and be part of a community and musical experience that is accessible to all people from all walks of life. Lonnie grew up singing! Many choirs as a child and throughout college and university, were foundational in his development as a choral conductor. "There's no instrument that compares to the human voice," he says, "especially when many voices join together with powerful synergy. It's magic!"
Director
Lonnie Delisle
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Lonnie grew up singing! Many choirs as a child and throughout college and university, were foundational in his development as a choral conductor. “There’s no instrument that compares to the human voice,” he says, “especially when many voices join together with powerful synergy. It’s magic!” Lonnie is the Artistic Director of the Universal Gospel Choir, the Musician in Residence at the Vancouver School of Theology, the Music Director at Peninsula United Church, and is a Composer/Curator for Cypress Choral Music. Lonnie’s formal training includes a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Western Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Trinity Western University. Johnny serves as the Resident Accompanist of Universal Gospel Choir and is a GRAMMY and JUNO-nominated, multi award-winning keyboardist, producer, and beatmaker. His original tunes have been transmitted through the underground radio waves all over the world, and his keys and production work have graced tracks from independent artists like NYC-based Sarah Kang to acclaimed electronic producer Trian Kayhatu to breakout hip-hop artist D. Smoke.
Accompanist
Jonny Tobin
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Johnny serves as the Resident Accompanist of Universal Gospel Choir and is a GRAMMY and JUNO-nominated, multi award-winning keyboardist, producer, and beatmaker. His original tunes have been transmitted through the underground radio waves all over the world, and his keys and production work have graced tracks from independent artists like NYC-based Sarah Kang to acclaimed electronic producer Trian Kayhatu to breakout hip-hop artist D. Smoke.
Stand Up Paddleboard
Age: 16+
Bought a board, but still feel wobbly? Never tried this but think it looks fun? Have some skills but avoid the waves and wind? Want to try out before investing? Join Paul to build your skills and confidence on the Stand Up Paddleboard. Whether you are just beginning or have some experience this will be a great opportunity to take your level up a notch or two. Successful mastery of the SUP requires good quality equipment. Important note: Equipment including safety gear Our workshop is being led by one of the staff of Naramata Sun N'Sup here in the village. Following registration you will receive a comprehensive gear list which includes required items. You may own some or none or all the items. It is more than just a board and paddle. IF YOU OWN YOUR OWN GEAR: In order for you to participate in this program the staff of Naramata Sun N'Sup need to assess your equipment whether that is yours, borrowed from a friend, or rented from a company where you live. Please do not contact Naramata Sun N'Sup to evaluate your equipment until we share the name and details of the staff member who will assist you. OR You can rent everything you need from Naramata Sun N'Sup and collect it all once you arrive. Equipment rental is not included in the program registration fee. Visit https://www.sunnsup.com/ to see rental prices. There is a wide range from hourly, daily and weekly rental - don't arrange rental through the website - wait until you receive an email from us with the contact information for you to use.
Program Leader
Paul Mend
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Paul has been a Mastery Advisor at Growth-U for 4 years. mBIT Certified. He had a very successful 30-year Teaching Career at the High School Level. His last 14 years he taught Psychology 12 (most popular elective at the high school) First 16 years was in the gym as Athletic Director, PE Dept Head, and Leadership Teacher. Along with his teaching career, he has been a High-Level Sports Coach for over 48 years. (College/Provincial Team/High School/Jr High/Middle School/Elementary/Club) He still competes as a Master's Athlete in the 60 and over category. Denise has been with the love of his life for 37 years, and has two wonderful kids aged 31 and 28. (And a Grandson)
Stories of the Land: syilx Teachings through Nature and Art
Age: 16+
You are warmly invited to join us for an immersive syilx Okanagan cultural experience that brings land, story, and creativity together in a meaningful way. Explore ancient Coyote markers though traditional storytelling, and learn the teachings held within the various landforms dotted through syilx Okanagan territory. Anona will share her treasured syilx artifacts and guide a sensory-rich walk to the Naramata waterfalls, where language, plants, and place come alive. You'll create your own beaded spider with intention and good thoughts. Come learn, create, and connect with the land in a welcoming, engaging, and deeply rooted experience.
Program Leader
Anona Kampe
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Anona Kampe is from the Penticton Indian Band in the Okanagan Nation. Anona’s traditional name is sknir_mn, which translates to Buttercup. She is a singer, drum carrier, beadworker, storyteller, dancer, teacher, harvester, disciplinarian, knowledge keeper, nsyilxcn language speaker, land and water protector and a woman who follows Okanagan protocols. For more information please visit her website, www.anonafawn.ca
Children and Youth Morning Programs - Led by Naramata Centre Program Staff
Children at Play (5-9 Years)
Youth Club (10-13 Years)
Teen Connection (14-17 Years)
Childminding (optional add-on) (2-4 years)
Week 6
Practice Makes...Purpose!
August 17 to August 21
When we see great athletic talent, hear an amazing orchestra, experience a thought-provoking play, stand in the presence of an inspiring artistic creation, we know we are reaping the reward of someone’s extraordinary investment in the habit of practicing. To be deeply and fully human also takes practice. It asks us to be committed to the practices that keep our hearts pliable with wonder, tender with compassion and responsive to pain and joys of the world. We invite you to come and discover purpose in the practice of placing your voice with others in song, making music in community on your favorite instrument or cultivating balance in an ancient practice of gentle and intentional movement.
Spiritual Lead and Music Resource
Spiritual Lead
Maya Landell
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Maya Landell is thrilled to be creating sacred moments with all the Summer Session attendees during Music Week at Naramata Centre. She is passionate about sharing story, music and space that builds all ages community. She lives in Etobicoke and serves in ministry at Islington United Church.
Music Resource
Benjamin MacRae
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Benjamin MacRae (he/him) is a Vancouver based musician and pastor who specializes in integrating modern music and spoken word with Christian spirituality, and in offering a progressive, inclusive, and feminist experience of faith and spiritual practice. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Vancouver School of Theology, a Bachelor of Jazz Studies degree, and a diploma in Clarinet Performance.
Registered Morning Programs
Adult Choir
Fee: $40
Choir Program Description
Director
Graeme Langager
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Graeme Langager is Director of Choral Activities at the University of British Columbia School of Music. A passionate and dynamic conductor, Dr. Langager is sought-after as a clinician, adjudicator, educator and guest conductor. He has performed throughout Europe and across North America, appearing in such venues as St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Stefansdom in Vienna, Carnegie Hall in New York, St. Nicholas in Prague, St. Stephen’s in Budapest, as well as in cathedrals and concert halls in Italy, Spain, and France. His choirs have also performed at numerous choral conferences, including: NCCO (National Collegiate Choral Organization), ACDA-AR (American Choral Directors Association Conference, Arkansas), IAJE (International Association of Jazz Educators), MENC/NAfME (National Association for Music Education), and the Montreux and North Sea Jazz Festivals. Dr. Langager was born in Lethbridge, Alberta into a musical family, and has sung and played musical instruments since childhood. He has taught for more than 20 years in universities and colleges across the United States and Canada and is active as a composer and arranger. Langager received the doctoral degree in choral conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and the master of music degree from California State University, Long Beach.
Accompanist
Liz Paynter
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Elizabeth Paynter has been an elementary school music specialist and choir director in Calgary for over 30 years. Currently, she is the music director at Scarboro United Church, and artistic director of both the children’s choirs at Mount Royal University and EnChor Chamber Choir. Liz is passionate about making music accessible to all, so come prepared to laugh and have fun - we’re in this together!
Children's Choir
Director
Caroni Young
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Youth Choir
Director
Kim Denis
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Qigong: Dynamic Meditation - Vitality Cultivation
Qi Gong ("Vital Energy Practice", an ancestor of Tai Chi) is an ancient practice of aligning breath, meditative movement, and awareness, designed to cultivate health, harmony, and vitality. In this relaxed, practical program, you'll learn foundational theory, postures, traditional movement sequences, Qi self-massage, and Medical QiGong breathing-all aimed at increasing energy, flexibility, mental clarity, and overall balance. This moving meditation invites calm, focus, and a deeper connection to your body, mind, and spirit. Through gentle sitting, standing, and lying practices, you'll experience renewal, relaxation, and invigoration, while tuning into the subtle rhythms of life. Each session encourages mindfulness, self-healing, and inner playfulness, creating space to slow down, recharge, and cultivate a sense of well-being from within.
Program Leader
Gord Oaks
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Gord is a Musician and Certified Shiatsu Acupressure Therapist, in practice since 1999. He has been exploring, studying, and applying Qi Gong, Yoga and Meditation in his life and work since 1991, and is a firm advocate for the empowering and Universal nature of the internal healing arts. Gord offers a gentle, but focused physical & spiritual approach to Qi Gong as a dynamic meditation, as mindfulness training, and as a holistic wellness practice. Gord has studied directly with four main teachers of Qi Gong: Hajime Naka (Taiji/Qi Gong), Dr. Stephen Aung (Medical Qi Gong & Traditional Chinese Medicine), Corrine Mol (Taoist Yoga/Qi Self-Massage), and Tetsuro Saito (Healing Hands Qi Gong & Deeper Meridian Shiatsu). Since 1997, Gord has been practicing Buddhist meditation and Monastic Wisdom. This led him to 6 years of studying, serving, living in, and formally training in Buddhist monastic communities around North America, Europe and Sri Lanka.
Children and Youth Morning Programs - Led by Naramata Centre Program Staff
Children at Play (5-9 Years)
Youth Club (10-13 Years)
Teen Connection (14-17 Years)