Last week I held another workshop in Cambridge, this time at my home. First of all I want to thank all the participants once more for contributing their lovely energy and enthusiasm into it.
It is interesting how every workshop has its own character and special theme. This time, with the small group of six people and perhaps also due to the informal character of the venue, a very special atmosphere of warm intimacy and confidentiality was established very quickly.
For me, as a person who grew up in Russia and used to travelling long distances on a train, it reminded of the particular atmosphere that develops in a small compartment between the passengers who are bound to spend several days together. Conversations spark off, hearts open, people relay their deep concerns that they wouldn’t share with their best friend. I could never quite figure out what exactly contributes to this feeling of bonding. Probably, the very paradox of being in a company of people who are complete strangers to each other and yet they are united by the same journey and intimately bound in the small space within a rushing train that carries them to an unknown. For the moment their wills and everyday roles are left aside as they submit themselves to the power of here and now.
So, our gathering last Tuesday possessed something of that quality. I served tea to welcome people stepping in from the dark and windy street, and one of the participants who arrived earlier helped me to prepare the badges with the names. In this way by the time we settled down to start our meeting people already had a chance to interact and ‘rub’ against each other’s personality.
The main theme of this workshop turned out to be… procrastination – the topic relevant to most of us! With two volunteers we have explored the underlying causes for our postponing doing something we want to do – be it getting to bed earlier or learning to ride a bike. We have worked on uncovering and eliminating uncomfortable feelings that imperceptibly interfere with our desire as well as on strengthening our motivation to achieve our set goals.
We also had a profound and interesting discussion about the setting up phrase for the tapping sequences (“Even though I have this feeling/issue/challenge… I deeply and completely love and accept myself”). A few participants said that they felt awkward saying these words aloud, and we explored at some length what the concept of ‘self-acceptance’ and love for oneself may mean. This discussion gave me an inspiration for the next post – to come soon!
