The Sting of Healing: An Exploration of the Role of Pain in Healing

In this workshop we will engage with powerful bioactive therapies such as bee venom therapy, fresh nettle flagellation, and nail board meditation. The Sting of Healing is a provocative and embodied inquiry into how discomfort, when consciously engaged, can serve as a catalyst for change and growth.

Through lecture, discussion, and optional experiential participation, we will uncover how these ancient modalities influence our biology, nervous system, and emotional body. Pain is typically seen as something to avoid, yet in many nature-based medicine traditions and physiological processes, it is recognized as a crucial part of the healing journey. We will delve into the paradoxical relationship between pain and healing and how the ways we learn to relate to both physical and emotional pain can shape our ability to break through stagnation, to build resilience and awareness, and to heal. 

This workshop will be led by Kate Hinkens, the founder of Stinglab, which is an organization dedicated to the research and therapeutic application of honeybee intelligence to improve human and planetary health. Kate healed herself from debilitating chronic Lyme disease using bee venom therapy and has since made it her mission to share the medicine of the bees. She teaches bee venom therapy and guides others through their healing journeys, is a speaker and educator, and is pioneering cutting edge research on the medical applications of bee venom.