The Art of Midwifing 

The art of midwifing ”whether in birth, creativity, or transformation”is a sacred act of guiding something from the unseen into the seen. In the realm of art, midwifing refers to the intuitive and intentional process of bringing an idea, vision, or feeling into physical form. It is a collaboration between inspiration and craft, where the artist becomes a vessel, holding space for what wants to emerge. This process requires deep listening, patience, and trust in the unknown. Midwifing digital art into a physical medium like vinyl is not merely technical”it is an act of translation, where ephemeral pixels are made tangible, touchable, and alive in the world. This creative birth mirrors the theme "Awakening and Illuminating Our World with Imagery," as it reveals hidden narratives, evokes emotion, and invites connection. In midwifing art, we illuminate not just the world around us, but the deeper truths within us. directly relates to the theme "Awakening and Illuminating Our World with Imagery" as it portrays the creative process of transforming digital designs into vinyl art is a vivid expression of how imagery can awaken and illuminate our world. By transferring pixels into tactile, vibrant vinyl forms”whether as wall installations, decals, or sculptural elements”artists give physical presence to digital visions, allowing them to interact with real spaces and viewers in dynamic ways. This act of midwifing digital art into vinyl reflects the theme of the Imagery International Conference: "Awakening and Illuminating Our World with Imagery," as it brings imagination to life, grounding abstract concepts in materials that invite touch, reflection, and dialogue.

Raphaella creates digital & mural art pieces that celebrate the strength and beauty of women from different cultures. Raphaella’s work blends her Haitian-Catholic heritage, identity, and spiritual symbolism into bold, contemporary pieces that speak to our shared human experience.

Mudra practice as a support for Guided Imagery Work

Through Guided Imagery, we visualize and integrate our limitlessness possibilities. The integration and manifestation of these possibilities is greatly enhanced through the use of Mudras, hand gestures that are part of the Yogic and Tantric traditions. Mudras awaken positive qualities and when combined with imagery, personal and spiritual transformation are enhanced. In this workshop we will experience guided imagery exercises from Joseph's book Mudras for Healing and Transformation to explore how mudras and imagery can be combined for healing specific health conditions, balancing the five elements and awakening the chakras. 

Joseph Le Page founded Integrative Yoga and Integrative Yoga Therapy in 1993, and is a pioneer in the field of Yoga therapy training programs. He began teaching yoga therapy in hospital settings in 1995 and continues up to the present as Director of The Healthy Heart Program, which conducts Yoga Therapy group programs in public health settings in Brazil. Joseph has been a speaker at major conferences including Yoga Journal, the International Association of Yoga Therapists, the Kripalu Yoga Teacher’s Association, the International Association of Yoga and Ayurveda, and others. He is co-founder and director of the Enchanted Mountain Yoga Center in Garopaba, Brazil, one of the largest Yoga retreat centers in South America. He is the co-author of the book Yoga Toolbox for Teacher and Students, one of the most widely used materials in teacher training programs in the US and in Brazil, published by Integrative Yoga. He is also co-author of the book Mudras for Healing and Transformation, also published by Integrative Yoga.

Body as Altar: Creativity as Ritual Inquiry Body as Altar:

Creativity as Ritual Inquiry is an immersive workshop that explores poetry and sound as sacred tools for self-exploration. Rooted in Tantric visualisation and Shakta philosophy, this experience invites participants to engage the body as a site of creative awakening and inner ritual. Through guided visualisation, spoken word, and vocal expression, we will activate the imagination as a gateway to memory, emotion, and embodied insight. This workshop offers a space to uncover and work through personal hindrance, transforming them into creative energy and self-awareness. By weaving together sound, silence, and poetic language, we explore how artistic expression becomes a living ritual—an offering to the deeper self. Participants will leave with practices to continue their own ritual of self-inquiry, and a renewed relationship with creativity as both healing and sacred.

Tori Paul is an interdisciplinary artist, yoga teacher, spiritual counsellor, and doctoral student in East–West Psychology. Rooted in Shakta Advaita praxis, with a background in music and psychology, her work weaves poetry, sound, ritual, and visual art to explore consciousness, ancestral memory, and the body as a sacred site of transformation.

Imagery as a Pathway to Meditation and Healing Imagery serves as a bridge to meditation by anchoring attention in the physical and emotional realms. By focusing on bodily sensations and emotions, and using the breath as a steady anchor, we deepen our contemplative practice. This approach invites us to welcome all experiences without judgment, fostering curiosity even when confronted with challenging emotions like anger or self-criticism. Through imagery, we cultivate openness—a doorway to personal growth. It allows us to hold opposites, such as grief and joy, fear and trust, within a safe and timeless container. This practice is not merely a modality but a way of being that encourages letting go of the need for control. By embracing what arises, we move toward unity consciousness, where love supersedes fear and worry. Our minds often strive to solve problems and protect us, but true healing emerges when we trust the inner knower and allow ourselves to fully experience the present moment. Unintegrated history can unconsciously influence our lives; by acknowledging and integrating these aspects, we live more fully. Imagery equips us with the eyes to see and the words to guide ourselves and others on this journey.

Susanne Hodgins brings a depth of presence and compassion shaped by decades of experience in both healthcare and contemplative practice. Having spent most of her adult life working in a hospital setting, she has supported individuals and families through some of life’s most profound transitions, particularly in the realm of palliative care. For over thirty years, Susanne has been dedicated to faithful Zen meditation, cultivating clarity and calm that she now brings to her work as a Deep Imagery Practitioner. Her current focus integrates her rich background in spiritual practice and end-of-life care to guide others through transformative inner journeys and meaningful life experiences.

Imagine... in the deep imagery journey, there is not only one who guides and others who are guided. Imagine instead that one person’s journey directly crosses into the imagery world of others—revealing a synchronistic field where inner landscapes intertwine. In this experiential workshop, Juergen Bolz shares insights from years of exploring this phenomenon, where journeys converge and connect beyond the individual psyche. This session invites journey guides and practitioners to expand their awareness of what's possible in the realm of deep imagery, offering tools, reflections, and lived insight to enrich their practice.

Imagery is a central tool in the process of manifesting—in clarifying intention, activating the mind-body system, and aligning with our deepest personal and spiritual values. This session will explore how imagery can also support us in co-creating a more awakened and harmonious world. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, and ancient wisdom, we’ll review specific ways we use imagination, emotion, and belief to shape our experience and manifest positive change. Following a guided imagery, we’ll reflect on our visions for a more enlightened future, and explore using imagery and conscious manifestation to build a foundation for that future. Manifesting is a grounded, creative framework with the potential to awaken insight, inspire purposeful action, and illuminate a path forward—for individuals and for the collective. As imagery professionals, we have a powerful role to play in helping others imagine and build lives—and a world—rooted in love, truth, and possibility.

Laura Caplan, MPH, is a transformational coach and seasoned practitioner in the field of guided imagery, with over 40 years of experience. Passionate about harnessing the power of visualization, Laura has facilitated numerous classes and client sessions aimed at personal growth and collective healing.

Theodore Roszak, a founder of ecotherapy, wrote, “Just as it has been the goal of previous therapies to recover the repressed contents of the unconscious, so the goal of ecopsychology is to awaken … the ecological unconscious.” Imaginal Ecotherapy is a profoundly healing modality that reawakens the ecological unconscious through dreams and imagery. Imaginal ecotherapy practices challenge the dominant materialist worldview, inviting participants to engage with the soul of nature as a living, embodied presence. Tools such as Tarotpy (tarot-based therapy) illuminate a pathway through personal and collective loss and upheaval, helping individuals attune to natural cycles of birth, death, and renewal, and fostering a renewed sense of belonging within the web of life. Amid escalating ecological crises and growing disconnection in a digital age, imaginal ecotherapy practices like Tarotpy can become a sanctuary for individuals seeking to find their way home to self, community, and the Earth.

Lauren Z. Schneider is a psychotherapist, author, speaker, and training facilitator based in Santa Barbara, California. In 1983, she developed a groundbreaking approach to spiritual psychotherapy that blends family systems, ecotherapy, archetypal psychology, dreamwork, and Tarotpy® (tarot therapy), showcased in her award-winning book, Tarotpy: It’s All in the Cards.