Kate Muker was searching for her tribe.
Id been on my own journey of personal growth and development, she says of the period between age 23 and 33. I went to different mediation retreats and programs, and I loved the tools they gave me, but I didnt feel like I had met my tribe of people. I wanted to expand my circle of people who wanted to have meaningful conversations.
Later, the forward-thinking Conscious Divas and Diva Date Nights founder saw what the TED tribe was accomplishing, and wanted to create something similar in Vancouver. So, last year, she started Living Extraordinary Live.
That first time around, she hand picked the speakers who would captivate and motivate for seven minutes each on stage. This year, the community answered back with nominations of their own.
Highlights include:
Omid Manouchehri He was 390 pounds and nearly dying. Manouchehri is now a two-time Ironman.
Barb McMahon, founder of Sprouting Chefs, a kitchen garden program based out of Forest Grove Elementary that teaches children about food security, sustainability and environmental awareness.
Other speakers include Nicole Bridger, Belynda Lee, Devi Ward and Dr. Nima Rahmany.
My intention is always that people leave with some kind of aha or shift in perspective. If theres 12 people speaking, theres got to be something thats going to speak to someone in a different way.
I really believe its all about the tiny little shifts that we make that lead to long-term greater change. If you just shift one degree, youre going in a different direction.
Speaking by phone from a local community centre, where she had brought her young daughter for post-nap play, Muker recalls her own aha moment:
I was working with a coach, and so much of my understanding of spirituality was very intellectual. I understood the concepts on that level, but they werent necessarily landing in my heart. Did I really believe them to that core? Once I had that awareness, so many things in my life shifted.
And she hopes first-timers and long-time Divas alike continue to have those shifts.
When that person has that change, that changes how their interactions are with their friends, their family, their community. Sometimes there will be an even greater impact: At our last event we had a speaker from Beauty Night Society, and someone wrote her a cheque for $1,000 right after the event. Its that ripple affect that impacts the community in a big way.
Living Extraordinary Live is Nov. 21 at the Jewel Ballroom (1495 W. 8th) from 7-9:30pm. $40; ConsciousDivas.com
What are Diva Date Nights?
A spiritual circle for the modern woman, each Diva Date Night is different, but provides the opportunity to grow in a new way.
Its super welcoming, super heart-opening, says founder Kate Muker. Its more the vibe like a yoga class. You come in, you sit down, you take off your shoes. Its being in a room with a whole bunch of women who are loving and heart-centred.
The guiding principle is that, through self awareness, participants are able to shift their consciousness and remove blocks that are holding them back in life and in business.
Each evening follows a simple structure: meditation, sharing, featured topic, and mingling.
The next Diva Date Night is Dec. 3 with intuitive healer Rachel Harris.
