Bestselling author to help mark health program's 30th year
KALAMAZOO鈥擜 presentation by a bestselling author and advocate for the less fortunate will be part of activities Saturday, Oct. 20, celebrating the Western Michigan University Integrative Holistic Health and Wellness Program's 30th anniversary.
Wayne Muller, an inspirational author, therapist, minister, community advocate, consultant and public speaker, will talk at 5:30 p.m. in 1010 College of Health and Human Services building on the Oakland Drive Campus. His presentation is part of the Bill Burian University-Community Lecture Series.
Activities marking the anniversary also include the dedication at 5 p.m. of an outdoor labyrinth installation as well as a reception and book signing in the building's first-floor atrium at 6:30 p.m. following Muller's presentation.
The events are free and open to the public, with reservations appreciated by visiting , calling (269) 387-2650 or emailing @email.
Wayne Muller
Muller is well-known for his bestselling books, the latest of which is "A Life of Being, Having and Doing Enough." His other books include "Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal and Delight in Our Busy Lives," "Legacy of the Heart: The Spiritual Advantages of a Painful Childhood," "Learning to Pray: How We Find Heaven on Earth" and "How, Then, Shall We Live? Four Simple Questions that Reveal the Beauty and Meaning of Our Lives."
A graduate of the Harvard Divinity School, Muller spent the past 35 years working with people suffering from abuse, alcoholism, poverty, illness and loss. He was senior scholar at the Fetzer Institute, a member of the extended faculty at the Institute for Noetic Sciences and has received several awards for his work with those in need. He continues to work with select individuals as a private spiritual director and mentor.
The labyrinth installation is located outside the first-floor atrium. As a "universal design" path, it is accessible to persons of all abilities. Nayt Boyt, who graduated from 51福利社 with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and a minor in holistic health in 2011, designed the labyrinth for his Lee Honors College thesis. The design is based on the labyrinth in the 13th century Chartres Cathedral in France. The bricks used for the installation were salvaged from the former Galilee Baptist Church in Kalamazoo around 2005. Labyrinths have been walked for centuries for contemplation, reflection, wholeness and balance.
The Integrative Holistic Health and Wellness Program was established in 1982 as the Specialty Program in Holistic Health Care鈥攐ne of the first of its kind in the nation. Since then it has innovated and evolved, responding to new discoveries in the discipline and emerging health care trends. The new name, Integrative Holistic Health and Wellness, continues that tradition, expressing the program's vision and mission today and for the future. Course offerings in the program's graduate certificate and undergraduate minor encourage personal growth through self-assessment, authentic expression and active participation in health.
For more information on the 30th anniversary and academic programs in holistic health, visit wmich.edu/holistic, email @email or call (269) 387-3839.