Throughout the end of September and beginning of October 2024, three big events took place in New York State.
After switching to virtual conferences in both 2020 and 2022, the Association of Vision Educators (AVE) was eager to host their first in-person professional conference in six years, since our last one in Portland, Oregon in 2018.
This time, in 2024, the AVE would be meeting in New York, where William Bates was originally based.
Natural Vision Teachers flew into NYC from all over the world, and some even retraced Dr. Bates’ footsteps by locating the address of his clinics in downtown Manhattan.
On top of helping to organize the 2024 AVE Conference at Stony Point Conference & Retreat Center, I also hosted a Teacher Training Gathering immediately after, followed by co-facilitating a 3 Day Vision Retreat with Anat Axelrode.
Back-To-Back-To-Back!!!
See below for some photos from all three of these events.
You can listen to my full recap of all these events in Episode 80 of The Naked Eye Podcast:
Here are some photos:
AVE Group Photo
Stony Point Conference & Retreat Center in New York, USA
Ainhoa de Federico presenting the world’s first University Diplomas for Natural Vision Coaching!
The first three recipients, with many more to come!
It wouldn’t be a vision conference without Palming breaks!
Kate Keilman presenting Dr. Ray Gottlieb’s Presbyopia Reduction Chart, since Ray could not attend due to Hurricane Helene.
All the meals during the five-day conference were provided for us by Stony Point.
Anat Axelrode giving her presentation on her Listening To The Eyes method.
Our exhibition room had lots of free vision training tools that were being given away by a vision educator who retired this year.
Carla Sciaky giving her presentation on the role of Resistance in Healing.
A casual chat in between talks – vision conferences are great networking opportunities!
Carl Vigilante gave an excellent morning Yoga class to start the day.
Gloria Ginn spoke on the Core of the Bates Method, with a special emphasis on Central Fixation and Peripheral Awareness.
Dr. Marc Grossman gave a talk on the connection of Chinese Medicine and Natural Vision Improvement.
Me and Marc!
Me and Ainhoa!
Me and Orit! People couldn’t believe how tall I was, after only having met me online via Zoom!
Mila Casey gives a presentation called Eat Right For Your Sight about diet and nutrition.
Orit Kruglanski connecting with the crowd during her talk.
This was the first opportunity to meet some of the participants in my Natural Vision Teacher Training Program in person for the first time!
At the end of a successful 5 Day Conference!
After the conference, I hosted a Teacher Training Gathering nearby in the Hudson River Valley.
Chef Cynthia prepared some amazing home-cooked meals throughout our stay.
We got to experience certain practices that can only be done in-person.
It was so special to spend time face-to-face after primarily seeing each other on screens.
Dinner is served!
It was a little gray and rainy during the conference (which was conducive for indoor talks and workshops) but the sun came out during the teacher training gathering!
Nalini from California and Genoveva from Austria.
We had a big Vision Tool Demo day to get more hands-on experience.
A lovely recharge before going straight into a 3 Day Vision Retreat back at Stony Point!
Our Airbnb was fairly eclectic 🙂