Introduction to Wayapa Workshop
Join the Co-Creator of Wayapa Wuurrk, Jamie Marloo Thomas, in this live online session to learn how you can reconnect into your own ancestral wisdom to find a deeper connection to the Earth and to reset your understanding of wellbeing. Wayapa Wuurrk® is an internationally-accredited earth connection embodiment practice that has been shared with thousands of people in Australia and across the world to create a healthier, more connected planet and people.
Wayapa Wuurrk means to Connect to the Earth in the languages of the Maara and GunaiKurnai Peoples of Aboriginal Victoria.
Reconciliation Week Session - Thursday 2nd June 7:30pm AEST
Location
The comfort of your own home.
What to expect
Wayapa shares the ancient Indigenous wisdom of taking care of the Earth as the starting point for creating Earth Mind Body Spirit well-being.
Living in harmony with the environment is what sustained Australian Aboriginal people to Live Life Well to be one of the world’s oldest, continuous living cultures – for over 100,000 years!
Today, for most of us, we have become disconnected from our environment, from our tribe, from our food and from our Spirit.
This session will start with an Acknowledgment to Country with the burning of leaves to honour the Traditional Custodians, the Spiritual Ancestors and the Elders of all the lands where everyone is joining in from.
Through the practice of storytelling, Jamie will take participants on a journey through time to understand the ancient ways of knowing, doing and being of Wayapa.
Learn why it is important to activate your reciprocal relationship with the environment.
Be immersed in the practice of ancient earth mindfulness with the 14 Wayapa Elements to find a deep sense of belonging by living a purposeful life for individual and collective wellbeing.
To conclude this experience, Jamie will invite participants to join with him as he demonstrates the embodiment practice of Wayapa Wuurrk, Connecting to the Earth.
Jamie Marloo Thomas
Co-Creator & Director of Wayapa Wuurrk, Storyteller, Speaker, Author
Jamie Marloo Thomas is a proud Gunaikurnai man and Maara descendant of Aboriginal Australia.
In 2014, Jamie and his partner Sara Jones co-created the internationally-accredited and trademarked Earth Connection Embodiment Practice Wayapa Wuurrk® which is based on Indigenous wisdom of living in harmony with the environment.
Jamie has shared Wayapa with thousands of people in Australia and across the world.
Along with Sara, he has trained over 130 accredited Wayapa Practitioners to deliver Wayapa Workshops to a wide variety of audiences including child care centres and schools, government departments, the prison system, corporate organisations, the health care sector and communities.
Jamie is passionate about revitalising cultural knowledge, practices and ceremonies with his Elders and has dedicated over 30 years of his life to culturally mentoring and healing his Aboriginal Community through various health roles and by running his own Foundation for a period of five years. Jamie is also a qualified Indigenous Family Therapist, a published author, a regular speaker at conferences and events and was an elite athlete holding two Australian youth amateur boxing titles.
What is included
How to Participate:
Join via a video call. Download Zoom for free on a desktop or mobile device. After you book, you will receive an email with a link and details on how to join the virtual experience.
Meeting point
Online in the Zoom meeting room. Please note the event time scheduled is in AEST - Australian Eastern Standard Time (GMT+11.00). We will send you a calendar invite for this event. Please ensure you are available in your local time.
What to bring
- Audio
- Internet
- Phone or laptop
- Questions
YOUR EXPERIENCE PROVIDER
Wayapa Wuurrk
In 2014, Jamie Thomas and Sara Jones co-founded Wayapa Wuurrk®, which means “Connect to the Earth” in the language of the Maara & GunaiKurnai Peoples respectively. Wayapa was created to change thinking around how we view the idea of what it means to be well with a focus on Indigenous thinking that includes learning how to develop a relationship with our environment through the concept of ancient earth mindfulness. No matter how many gym sessions we do, steps we count or stretch our bodies into various postures, we can’t be well if Mother Earth is sick.
So in 2013, Jamie and Sara spent a year developing Wayapa Wuurrk to create an internationally-accredited modality that would add the most important word “Earth” to the well-known concept of Mind Body Spirit Wellbeing.
Today, Wayapa Wuurrk isn’t just about Sara and Jamie’s story it belongs to the growing number of certified Wayapa Practitioners who come from all walks of life, heritage, backgrounds and religions but who all have one thing in common, the desire to share the wisdom of their own ancestors who use to live like the First Peoples of Australia, connected to the Earth so they lived life well.
Wayapa Wuurrk® is proudly supported and endorsed by Jamie’s Cultural Elders who are pictured above.
In the first image pictured with Jamie are Peek Whuurrung Kirrae Whuurrung Maara Senior Elders Aunty Daphne Lowe, Aunty Adeline Thomas & Uncle Rob Lowe. In the second image with Jamie and Sara are Ngarrindjeri Senior Elders Uncle Major “Moogy” Sumner AO and Aunty Loretta “Bubbles” Sumner.
Jamie's Story
Jamie Marloo Thomas
Co-Creator & Director of Wayapa Wuurrk, Storyteller, Speaker, Author
Jamie Marloo Thomas is the Co-Founder & Director of Wayapa Wuurrk® and is a Senior Cultural Knowledge Holder for his Peek Whuurrung People of the Maara Nation and GunaiKurnai Communities.
He understands the pain of disconnection from culture as he grew up with his non Aboriginal family cut off from Aboriginal community, which is why he devoted 26 years to culturally mentoring young men.
Combining 27 years of vast professional experience in Men’s Health, Well-being, Drug and Alcohol Support, Family Violence Prevention, Youth Mentoring, Cultural Heritage and Ancestral Remains Repatriation, with his personal connection practice rooted in Aboriginal Dance and Ceremony, Jamie co-created Wayapa Wuurrk, the first known certified Indigenous wellness practice, in consultation with his Elders and Community.
Jamie is a regular speaker at conferences and events and is a published author contributing chapters to “Silver Linings” and “Being Fine, the other F Word”.
Ultimately Jamie’s work is about helping people reconnect to Earth, Spirit and their true Self, so they can experience the wellness secrets that the First Australians enjoyed for 100,000 years.
Sara's Story
Sara Jones wants to live in a world where Indigenous Knowledge is rightfully respected. She is the co-founder of Wayapa Wuurrk®.
Having worked within the Indigenous Community for over 15 years, Sara believes life could be so much better, if only we listened to the wisdom of the world’s oldest living culture. Bringing a deep respect for Aboriginal culture, Sara combines her business experience within Community, with her passion for Energy Healing, Metaphysics and any natural wellness practices. She has experienced the deep healing and wellbeing affects of Wayapa® personally so is dedicated to sharing it with others for a better world.
Together with Jamie, Sara is passionate about challenging thinking and restoring connection within and between people, the Earth and Spirit.