Toronto Oasis, Secular Community

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

Gender and sex are two concepts that are muddled together – both at the conceptual level, and in real life when it comes to diagnosing Gender Dysphoria. Such a diagnosis is the precondition for medical treatments for trans people. It is a social and cultural minefield, through which we need to chart a careful path. It is difficult to engage in an open discussion, because emotions run so high. Nevertheless, our featured speaker, Margrit Eichler, believes it is important to do so. Margrit will look at the current definition of Gender Dysphoria in the DMS (that’s the bible of psychiatrists) and what she considers its progressive and conservative elements, with a short side trip to the sex ed curricula of the previous liberal and current conservative governments.

Margrit Eichler taught her first course in feminist sociology in 1971, then entitled “Sex Roles”, because the term gender had not yet been invented for use for social relations (it was a grammatical term only). She has been dealing with issues of sex and gender since that time. She is Professor Emerita of the Department of Social Justice Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.

Our featured musician will be Cassie Norton, the music director of Toronto Oasis.  At times fragile and sweet, at other times strong, bold and even harsh, this Toronto-based violinist/singer-songwriter tells the stories behind her lyrics with sound. Cassie’s music is, at times friendly, familiar, and simple, examining ordinary characters with an extraordinary level of depth. Other times it is more adventurous, rumbling with dissonant and irreverent sounds and epic themes.

Cassie and her band have been performing at Toronto venues such as Burdock Hall, Arrayspace, and The Supermarket since January 2018, and released their first EP: Lullaby for the End of Time in February 2019. In addition, Cassie has recorded two full length albums as a solo artist, Little Strength (2009) and Quiet Wilderness (2010).

When she isn’t busy making her own music, Cassie shares her love of music with others through teaching. She teaches a variety of private and ensemble classes at Regent Park School of Music, and through her private studio. Check out her website: https://www.cassienorton.com/

Gerald Robinson will do the Community Moment.  The Community Moment is a chance for one of our own to share their journey, thoughts about life, or something personal about themselves.  It could be light and silly or it could be emotionally heavy.  Either way, you’ll learn more about a valued person in our community.  Interested in presenting your own Community Moment?  Contact Tania at 416oasis@gmail.com.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/pzdxgryzqbtb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

Our brains are formed by DNA driven growth and nurture from the environment.  Survival of the fittest has and still influences genetic determination of the body and brain’s capabilities. To survive and reproduce has yielded good altruism and violent aggressive behavior.  These behaviors described as good and evil will be discussed in psychological and neuroscience viewpoints.

Our featured speaker will be James L. Winslow, MSc math, PhD Neuroscience.  James describes himself as an evolutionist who is descended from New England Pilgrims and Leif Ericson Vikings with an advantaged scientific curiosity that is now focused on thinking and violence in the human brain. He is a retired University of Toronto research professor in neuroscience.  His papers are on numerical models of neurons and synapses.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/pzdxgryzqblb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 1st floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WEEK WE WILL BE MEETING IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT LOCATION – THE SAME BUILDING, KOFFLER HOUSE 569 SPADINA AVE., BUT ON THE 1ST FLOOR ROOM KP113.

Emotions are a powerful determining factor in our lives. In the 2015 Pixar movie Inside Out, for example, five personifications of our basic emotions (Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger) were depicted as influencing us via a control console in our mind’s Headquarters. We depend on our emotions to fuel and spur us into action. Our emotions are the source of our energy – the psychological energy and state of mind we need to live our lives. Sometimes the right/logical course of action may be clear, but unless we feel the passion to jump into action to follow that course, nothing happens. We may say our heart is not in it.

But where do our emotions come from? How much control do we have in shaping and channelling them? Can we trust our emotions? Do our emotions reflect a deep wisdom of our subconscious mind – the end product of millions of years of evolution? Or are our emotions largely/partly obsolete remnants of our evolutionary history? How can we distinguish between when to harness and take direction from our emotions and when to manage, quiet and dissipate them away?

For example, is it anger or hanger – easily remedied by some food in our system? Are people really being hurtful/annoying or is it a hormonal imbalance/surge we are feeling? How seriously should we take our emotions? Can we trust our emotions as a reliable alert system, appropriately responsive to our environment?

Emotions can be empowering but sometimes also debilitating. Emotions like joy and passion can put you in the proper mind space to get a lot of productive work done. On the other hand, emotions like sadness and depression can be devastating and make it impossible to get out of bed. One of the morals of the movie Inside Out was that all our emotions should be respected and have some useful purpose. To what extent is this true? Should we ever allow ourselves to indulge in some of our unpleasant emotions such as sadness, anger, jealousy, or disgust/hate?

What are some of the models/theories of emotion that could help us frame and understand our emotions?

Our featured speaker, Laval Martin, will share some of his insights and lead us in a discussion on this topic. Laval Martin is a corporate trainer on topics such as resilience, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness (lavalmartinconsulting.com). Holding a Master of Social Work degree, he also provides psychotherapy and relationship therapy (wisemindtoronto.com). Additionally, Laval has practiced various martial arts and self-defence systems since 2001, with a focus on avoiding and de-escalating conflict. He is a full-instructor of Senshido and also holds an instructor certification with Safe International. Laval has been hosting a monthly Beer and Philosophy Night for over five years.

Our guest musicians will be Lunar Bloom (https://www.lunarbloomband.com/). Lunar Bloom is an all-female indie-folk trio with voices that weave seamlessly in and out of harmony. The three ‘blooms’ are long time friends, and have been collaborating together as music makers for 2 years. Pulling inspiration from other artists, they create a sound that has the quirkiness of Regina Spektor, the sweet innocence of Dala, and the witchy appeal of Florence and the Machine. Their music features dynamic range and honest story telling.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/pzdxgryzqbcb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

In his previous presentation at Toronto Oasis, on June 9^th, entitled “The Twilight of a Law-Based International Order”, our featured speaker, Arnd Jurgensen, examined the deterioration of international law as a constraint on states since the end of the Cold War.   In response to the discussion that followed, Arnd will focus this talk on strategies for the restoration of respect for international law.

Arnd grew up in Germany, received his BA at NYU and MA and PhD from the University of Toronto in Political Science.    His research has focused on issues related to development, environment and democratic governance.  He has taught in the faculties of Applied Sciences and Engineering, interdisciplinary studies and currently teaches courses on international relations and U.S. Foreign Policy at the University of Toronto. He is also active as an environmental activist and musician.

Our guest musician will be Nico Paulo, a Portuguese/Canadian singer song-writer. Her debut EP ‘Wave Call’ will be out January 2020, a compilation of songs that fit in a landscape of sounds that convey lo-fi Art Folk with a fusion of European and North American folk – it is dreamy, nostalgic and full of harmonies.  Check out her music: https://nicopaulo.bandcamp.com/releases

Miguel Mendez will do the Community Moment.  The Community Moment is a chance for one of our own to share their journey, thoughts about life, or something personal about themselves.  It could be light and silly or it could be emotionally heavy.  Either way, you’ll learn more about a valued person in our community.  Interested in presenting your own Community Moment?  Contact Tania at 416oasis@gmail.com.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/pzdxgryzpbgc/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

Dr. Sohail has created a Green Zone Philosophy that he uses in his clinic to help his patients create a healthy, happy and peaceful lifestyle that he calls Green Zone Living.  This Sunday at Toronto Oasis, Dr. Sohail will talk about creating peaceful Green Zone Relationships with friends, lovers, spouses, bosses and colleagues.

Dr. Sohail was born and raised in Pakistan. After receiving his medical degree from Peshawar University, Pakistan he came to Newfoundland to study psychiatry. After getting his FRCP in psychiatry he moved to Ontario and now practices in his Creative Psychotherapy Clinic in Whitby Ontario. He has published more than 20 books in Urdu and English.  His books are available on Amazon Kindle. Check out his website:  www.greenzoneliving.ca

Our guest musician will be Samson Wrote (https://www.samsonwrote.com). Samson Wrote is Sam Boer, an unorthodox multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter from Guelph, Ontario.  He performs acoustic-based experimental folk-rock that swings from quiet confidences to full-bodied roars.  He shares stories of intimate moments, always rooted in the human voice, which incorporating such diverse instruments as the synthesizer, snare drum, glockenspiel, recorders, and the acoustic guitar.  The Samson Wrote debut LP, “Pigeon”, was released on February 22^nd, 2019.  

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/pzdxgryzpbwb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

The Cretaceous period ended with a mass extinction event brought about by the impact of an asteroid.  What would mammals and dinosaurs be like if there was no asteroid impact?  Our featured speaker, Lorne Corley, will give a talk about the effect of the rise and fall of dinosaurs on mammalian evolution.  

Lorne Corley is an artist who has always been interested in the evolution of plants and animals.  He finds fossils and donates them to the ROM and recently organized a fossil collection walk for the Atheist Community of Toronto.  

Our musical guest will be Philosofree.  Phil ‘Philosofree’ Cheney is a Corporate, Executive and Life coach, author, consultant, poet and writer, composer, musician and builder.  He has published 8 books and 5 CDs of original music.  You can check out his music at https://philosofree.bandcamp.com and https://www.philcheney.com/music/.

Clive Hannah will do the Community Moment.  The Community Moment is a chance for one of our own to share their journey, thoughts about life, or something personal about themselves.  It could be light and silly or it could be emotionally heavy.  Either way, you’ll learn more about a valued person in our community.  Interested in presenting your own Community Moment?  Contact Tania at 416oasis@gmail.com.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/pzdxgryzpbnb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

Founded in 2006, Rainbow Railroad (www.rainbowrailroad.com) provides emergency travel support to persecuted LGBQTI people. Join our featured speaker, Development Officer Kyle Miller, to learn more about the work and history of this unique organization and delve into the current state of LGBTQI rights around the world and how these individuals are adversely affected during the current global migrant crisis. 

A graduate of The Randolph Academy for The Performing Arts, Kyle worked as an actor but soon his passion drove him into philanthropy in support of the arts he so loved. Kyle began supporting some of Canada’s most celebrated arts organizations including Canadian Stage, the Shaw Festival, The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Soulpepper and Tafelmusik. Kyle is thrilled to have joined Rainbow Railroad as part of the Development Team, as it aligns with years of LGBTQI activism through his work as drag artist, Vanity à la Mode. He has performed with Pride Niagara, hosted Sex-Ed Bingo at Brock University and Niagara College, and can be found as a regular guest at Drag Brunch at Glad Day Bookshop. One of Kyle’s roles supports community events benefiting Rainbow Railroad. He is always so inspired by those who resonate with the work and want to help bring more individuals to safety.

Our guest musician will be Julia Fedec. At 21 years old, Julia Fedec has kicked off her music career with works that have been carried with her for years. For Julia, music has been the outlet through which she explores herself and the world around her – the only outlet that seemed apt to express the beauties and pains of vulnerability, finding inner strength and the complexities of life.  Julia only started performing publicly in 2018, and is in the process of writing and recording new music to release.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/pzdxgryzpbfb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

Society has long celebrated the Hero’s Journey and the external accomplishments that result from worldly pursuits. But when triumphs leave us feeling empty, or when disappointments lead us to suffering, we may choose to answer the call of a different nature: to venture inward. 

The inward journey, or the archetypal heroine’s journey, begins with awakening to how disconnected we feel from our own needs, emotions, intuition, and purpose. Finding our way through the pain and confusion is less about DOING and more about BEING with what is, surrendering to transformation, and reclaiming a sense of connectedness.

But what does this path actually entail? What can it look like? Where can it lead? 

Our featured presentation, by Lindsay Kochen, will illustrate this inward process through the use of story-telling, drawing from her award-winning book Moving Through: A Heartistic Journey Towards Healing and Light. An invitation for reflection and discussion will follow.

Lindsay Kochen is the author and illustrator of Moving Through. She works as a psychotherapist and retreat leader, and she specializes in gently helping clients to move through the hard stuff in order to discover their own truths, heart-felt compassion, and sense of freedom. 

Our guest musician will be Amateur. Amateur is the solo project of self-teaching composer and accordionist Tristan Murphy. The title “Amateur” is both a disclaimer and a mission statement: a confession that he does not have formal training or a depth of cultural lore, nor any professional comprehension of genre or trend; but also a reminder that it does not matter, and that music can be made in a way that is explorative, for its own enjoyment, without striving toward or against existing musical standards. A link to Amateur: https://www.facebook.com/anamateur/

Clive Hannah will do the Community Moment. The Community Moment is a chance for one of our own to share their journey, thoughts about life, or something personal about themselves. It could be light and silly or it could be emotionally heavy. Either way, you’ll learn more about a valued person in our community. Interested in presenting your own Community Moment? Contact Tania at 416oasis@gmail.com.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/pzdxgryznbkc/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

With increasing freedom from tradition and religion and the ability of women to attain financial independence, many of us can now make up our own unique relationship models for ourselves. We may choose to stay single for longer (or forever), create a family or not, be in a monogamous relationship or a polyamorous one. With all the possibilities out there, how can we know what is the right model for ourselves?

With the traditional ways, there were seeming deadlines and a sense of certainty and urgency – marriage by a certain age so that there is time to plan for having children and raising a family. Moreover, families used to stay together no matter what – even if relationships were abusive. Leaving a relationship was not always an option. Living in more progressive times and places, with less stigma associated with being single, separated or divorced, leaving a relationship is an option. Any relationship with a human is bound to hit rough patches. If leaving is an option, how do we know when to work things out and when to call it quits?

With greater freedom to choose our relationships comes the need to know more about relationships so we can make the right, informed decisions for ourselves. How does a healthy relationship look like? What are some of the common pitfalls we should watch out for in our relationships?

Our featured speaker, Laval Martin, will share some of his insights and lead us in a discussion on this topic. Laval Martin is a corporate trainer on topics such as resilience, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness (lavalmartinconsulting.com). Holding a Master of Social Work degree, he also provides psychotherapy and relationship therapy (wisemindtoronto.com). Additionally, Laval has practiced various martial arts and self-defence systems since 2001, with a focus on avoiding and de-escalating conflict. He is a full-instructor of Senshido and also holds an instructor certification with Safe International. Laval has been hosting a monthly Beer and Philosophy Night for over four years.

Our guest musician will be Elizabeth Block. Her business card describes her songs as political, satirical, sentimental, and environmental. Elizabeth was a choral singer, and a church soloist, for decades, a folksinger since she joined Toronto Folk Song Circle in the 1980s. She learned to play the guitar, not well, but well enough to accompany herself and other people. She knows a lot of songs, has sometimes written new words to old songs, or new versions of them. She hasn’t written an entire song, but there’s still time. She is also a potter, check out:  www.elizabethblockpottery. com.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/pzdxgryznbjb/