Coaching Sandbox Sessions
In order to stay fresh and grow professionally, coaches need to break through personal borders by stepping outside of their profession and "popping the lid" on their own creativity. Coaching Sandbox Sessions offer a unique experiential session to evoke new levels of creativity and undiscovered layers of possibilities!
All sessions will be held Friday, November 14, 2-5 p.m. | 14:00 - 17:00.
Awakening the Dreamer - Changing the Dream

Jon Symes (UK/USA) - View Bio Janet Laughton Mackay (Canada) - View Bio
Can your coaching help build a sustainable, peaceful and just future? Are you ready to be inspired, challenged and moved to action?
As a coach you have already taken a stand for change, now you can play an even larger role in the awakening of the human spirit and the work of building a New Dream here on Earth. Find out how we can help replace the old dream―which is devastating our peoples and our planet―at the Awakening the Dreamer Sandbox Session.
Through dynamic group interactions, leading-edge information, and moving multimedia, people are inspired to reconnect with their deep concern for our world, and are empowered to act to make a real difference. Designed with the collaboration of some of the finest scientific, indigenous and activist minds in the world, this workshop explores the current state of our planet from a new perspective, and connects participants with a powerful global movement to reclaim our future.
It is an exploration of four questions:
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Where Are We? An examination of environmental, social and personal well-being
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How Did We Get Here? Embracing the root causes that lead to our current imbalance
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What’s Possible for the Future? Discovering new ways of relating with each other, the Earth and the emerging Movement for change
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Where Do We Go from Here? Considering our personal and collective impact and the stand we want to be in the world
Join us in exploring the most critical concerns of our times, and discover new opportunities to make a real difference in accelerating the emergence of an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just human presence on this planet! Help us change the dream. We look forward to seeing you at our Sandbox Session!
The Dog Park for Your Voice: Finding Freedom and Joy in Sound and Song
Barbara McAfee (USA) - View Bio
So many people in human and organization development work are talking about "finding your voice." It's a metaphor that's alive and well in many conversations about purpose, especially considering the words "voice" and "vocation" are derived from the same Latin root.
At the same time, most of us spend hours every day in conversation without paying very much attention to the messages our voices – and our clients' voices – are conveying.
Voice yoga™ is McAfee's unique approach to opening up the full range of your voice using play, movement, and awareness. She has created memorable language that can help you see yourself and your clients through the new and revealing lens of voice.
As a passionate song leader, McAfee makes irresistible invitations for groups to sing their hearts out. Singing is freed from the constraints of written music, classical training, and perfectionism. Simple songs and rounds from around the world remind us that singing is an essential – and utterly joyful – way for humans to deeply connect beyond words.
In this rowdy, playful, and unforgettable session, you will:
- Stretch your voice into its full expression;
- See yourself through the mirror of your voice;
- Discover new ways of listening to what others are expressing;
- Rediscover the deep joy of communal singing; and
- Learn new language to apply to your practice back home.
The Humans Race Challenge
Jeff MacInnis (Canada) - View Bio
For three very interactive hours, be adventurous and explore the world of "humans racing" with a definitive purpose. Jeff MacInnis and his team will fascinate, inspire, challenge and inform you about the world of performance on the other side of impossible.
The truth is that we all are "racing" through our lives with the intention of achieving an existence which is purposeful, rewarding and results oriented. A majority of the biggest events in human history involved a compelling race element in them. Consider the competition to discover the “new” world, space exploration and the ongoing evolution of the technological era, not to mention racing as a spectator sport.
This session, debuting at the 2008 ICF Annual International Conference, will uncover the benefits of racing in all aspects of your life, including business endeavors.
MacInnis will begin the session with incredible images, stories and examples. He will lead attendees to the Six Humans Race Principles that are instantly applicable to daily life. Next is the opportunity to participate in a navigational race that encompasses the world of Eco-Challenge. This completely safe, walking only, team event vividly reinforces the Humans Race Principles.
Finally, the facilitators engage the audience in a Race to WIN session. ICF delegates will take away specific race inspired actions to immediately implement into their personal lives. Dare to embrace the world of Humans Racing. It is envigorating and provides a sharp focus to your individual race through life which will prove to be especially beneficial.
All attendees are requested to wear comfortable, appropriate shoes. The actual “race” will involve moving from the workshop room to a “race course” located in the Montreal Underground. This unique experience will be engaging, motivational and life altering. We will all meet at the “finish line.” Everyone wins!
World Beat CircleTM - Purpose, Passion and Play
Kulu Sadira (USA) - View Bio
In the beginning there was the drum….the time-honored ritual of the community rhythm circle carries the power and beauty that can help unlock the potential of the body’s wisdom. We drum together both to celebrate our uniqueness as individuals and to savor our shared dreams and goals. Since our earliest tribal beginnings we have come together rhythmically to ignite the fires of initiation and to help integrate body, mind and soul.
The ancient, elemental power of drumming, stories, chant and movement opens a pathway into the wisdom of the body. As a trainer at Co-Active Leadership Program/CTI, Kulu Sadira is stirring a rhythmic revival by integrating the heartbeat of the ancestors with the evolving insights of today’s coaching and leadership visionaries.
The ritual setting that Sadira will create with us offers a fully experiential setting for the creative expression of fiery emotion and integral wisdom. All this, plus the jammin’ fun of “drumusic” from Africa, the Caribbean and beyond!