SLIDESHOW: Speakers at the Awakenings Conference gather for a group shot; a group hug with Iyanla, and some 200 conference attendees from all over the world attend Awakenings Conference held at Our Lucaya Resort. Photo: Robbin Whachell
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Grand Bahama Island – Renown author, TV personality, teacher and positive powerhouse, Dr. Rev. Iyanla Vanzant graced the Islands of The Bahamas with her presence over the weekend of March 28th bringing a couple hundred persons with her for the Awakenings Conference at the Our Lucaya resort.
Ms. Vanzant was in Freeport with her son Damon and their support team from Inner Visions Institute, of which she is the founder, with participants attending from around the world.
Keynote speakers at the 3-day event were as famous as she, and they had as much positive energy combined to light up the planet.
Her guest speakers were none other than Susan Taylor, author of In the Spirit: The Inspirational Writings of Susan and editor emeritus of Essence Magazine; and Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith who is featured in the movie, The Secret,
and who was accompanied by his wife,
Rickie Byers-Beckwith, a gifted songwriter and recording artist.
Inner Visions, which was founded in 1998 by Vanzant who has been seen on Oprah many times, is
a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic network of individuals who embrace various spiritual philosophies, and persons of all religious faiths and philosophies are welcome to participate in our activities and to utilize their services.
Iyanla speaks to the audience during Awakenings Conference in Grand Bahama. Photo: Damon Vanzant
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A profound speaker who has a knack of also appearing like a stand-up comedian quite naturally, Vanzant had her audience in stitches, in awe, in praise, or even in tears via her passion for life and living. Iyanla told her audience at the intimate conference, “I may not remember your name, but I will remember your issue”. Vanzant herself came from a broken situation as a young woman, but through her faith has climbed the mountain to self realization and acceptance, and through that success she now provides strength to so many others through her writing and work at Inner Visions. In one of her sessions she spoke on ‘making peace with our broken pieces’, telling her audience that we all have broken pieces, but we can all make peace with issues and brokenness and move on.
Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith who is featured in the movie, The Secret, and who is the founder of Agave International Spiritual Center speaks at the Awakenings Conference on March 27th, 2009. He has also been featured on Larry King Live. Photo: Damon Vanzant
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Dr. Michael Beckwith, founder of the Agave International Spiritual Center gave session called, “What’s Really Goin’ On” and spoke on the global consciousness that affects us all, but that we also have the power to change. He provided the audience with tangible spiritual tools for healing and empowerment.
He suggested to wake each day and ask, “What can I give?”, “How can I grow?” and at the end of each day to ask, “What can I celebrate?”
He suggested to the audience, ‘Don’t waste a good crisis!” explaining that there is usually something to learn in any adversity.
Throughout his session, Rickie Byers-Beckwith provided her inspirational music for all to enjoy.
Susan Taylor, a woman who embodies poise, beauty, elegance and grace. Photo: Robbin Whachell
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Throughout the weekend the speakers embraced audience members, gave autographs and stood for photos. The leaders were quoted in saying, ‘Stop looking UP to us, and start looking ACROSS to us’.
The feeling of mutual ground and oneness was very much apparent in the ‘Love and Healing’ session given by Susan Taylor, a woman who embodies poise, beauty, elegance and grace. Taylor gave the audience an overview of her humble and challenging beginnings as a young single mother in her first of 37 years working at Essence Magazine.
Taylor shared her easy to do self-love tips or as she called it, her ‘spiritual armor’.
She said she got through many tough situations saying, “No matter what was in my way, I’d ask God how I could use it”.
After an extremely successful career as editor, Taylor left Essence Magazine just over a year ago to take on an even broader passion, that of mentoring youth.
She founded Cares Mentoring which has a mission to end the state of emergency in Black America by connecting caring adults to youth mentoring opportunities. They have launched the largest mentor-recruitment effort in the nation and assist in the liaising of thousands of organizations throughout the states.
The Awakenings Conference set out ‘Renew, Refresh and Revitalize’, and that is just what it did. The group had such a wonderful time that they decided to make the Awakenings Conference an annual event in Grand Bahama. The next conference is slated for March 2010, and they openly welcome Bahamians to attend.
Persons interested should contact them at InnerVisionsWorldWide.com
A conference participant stands to have her photo taken with Damon and Iyanla Vanzant. Photo: Robbin Whachell
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Iyanla Vanzant with Susan Taylor. Photo: Robbin Whachell
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Local Grand Bahamian pianist, Kevin Tomlinson came in on a moment's notice for a Sunday morning worship service during the conference. Photo: Robbin Whachell
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Rickie Byers-Beckwith, a gifted songwriter and recording artist, accompanied her husband Michael Beckwith for the Awakenings Conference on March 27th, 2009 at Our Lucaya, Grand Bahama. Photo courtesy of Inner Visions Institute.
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Grand Bahama couple, Vincent Strachan and Jennifer Major (event coordinator for Our Lucaya) present wood carvings to Iyanla Vanzant and Susan Taylor. Photo: Robbin Whachell
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Iyanla Vanzant with author of this article and Editor of The Bahamas Weekly, Robbin Whachell. Photo: Lyndah Wells
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