Next program starts May 6, 2017.
Class dates:
September 16.
Program price $480, 20% discount if prepaid till July 30
Location: Montclair, NJ
It is hard to overestimate the importance of relationships with other people in our lives. We rely on our relationships to help us find what we wish for and deserve – love, understanding, basic human connection, opportunities, money, peace. We study great many things during our school and college years, but nobody teaches us about relationships. Then we grow up and realize that the art and science of relating to others is much more critical to our well-being than math or chemistry.
-How should we approach relationships consciously?
-Are conflicts an inseparable part of relationships?
-How can we make a conflict become a path to deeper intimacy instead of separation?
We all have our own ways of dealing with relationships. We learn them from our parents, teachers, partners, friends. Some of the methods and styles work for us throughout our life journey. Some become obsolete as we mature. While going through this course, we will expand our understanding of personal relationship patterns and limitations. We will learn how to use difficult moments in any relationship to promote personal growth, and how some of those challenges can help us develop a new level of maturity, wisdom, intuition, personal power, and creative approach to life.
Throughout this program we will be using Process Work methods, movement exercises, and art.
Class 1. How to deal with people who irritate, provoke or challenge you? It could be your boss, your mother, your life partner or your child. At some point in your relationship with them you find yourself totally annoyed by certain behavior and then you are likely to fight with that person, get frustrated, give up, possibly run away. If you are tied to them, for example if they are your relative, then you might end up in a constantly unsafe uncomfortable unhappy place – they could start pushing your buttons again at any point. How do you transform this kind of a challenging situation into a learning experience filled with personal growth? How can you take this energy, style of behavior and learn from it? We will see how these challenges can bring positive and valuable insights that can help you fix the atmosphere and dynamics of a not so easy relationship. We will use our insights to create healthy boundaries, and understand more of what causes this or that person’s behavior. We will develop new skills which will help us stay calm, positive and successful in many situations.
Example: One of my clients came to me complaining about a very toxic relationship with her boss. When I asked her to identify the most irritating quality of his, she answered that he behaved like a “bulldog” in certain work scenarios and didn’t give her any space to breathe. We decided that we would explore what role the “bulldog” energy had in my client’s life. We practiced the ways she could mirror her boss’s “bulldog” energy and bring it back into the relationship without causing a conflict. We used Process Work methods and worked on all levels - mind, movement, emotions, style of relating. After a week of training my client changed her style of responding to her boss's behavior. Surprisingly, he loved it and called her the best team player at the next company meeting. Their relationship improved significantly and my client’s work life became much more pleasant. In the first class we will learn methods for fixing a relationship with someone who we have issues with by working on ourselves. The techniques playfully use art, movement and humor. They are easy to remember and can be brought into our everyday lives.
Class 2 and 3. High and low dreams in relationships. When we dream about a romantic relationship, we imagine the best qualities it can bring into our life. Ideas of the perfect relationship may vary quite a bit from person to person. Some dream about comfort and safety and trust, some about a sparkly joyful adventure, many would love to combine all of that together. If we are lucky we get to reach our high dream, for a while. Then, as life is not a straight path, but a journey between the high and low points, we find ourselves at the lowest point of our relationship. Exploring and unfolding the farthest edges of your relationship can help you discover your own polarized energies.
Class 4. Relationship spirit – the organizational principle behind your relationship journey. This is a perfect pathway to learn about deep energies and stories which brought you together. We will learn to remember and hold onto the outstanding and intriguing moments which happened at the beginning of your relationship and weave this knowledge and experience into a complex and fascinating story about your relationship myth. Having this story-myth will help you bring out the joyful and creative sides of your relationship and get through the challenging times with ease. Class 5. Dealing with a conflict. During this class we will create a map which will help you navigate through a conflict situation. We will learn some techniques to help you transform a hostile environment of a heated argument into a calmer and more amicable atmosphere allowing for discussions and negotiations.
Class 6. Create your relationship toolkit. During this class we will review the ideas we have covered and methods we have learned. To summarize, we will create an artistic map of our new set of tools. In the future you will be able to apply this knowledge to various relationships in your own lives as well as the lives of others.