The Resonance Summit Schedule

Empathy and the Prosocial Brain

While most neuroscience-oriented discussions of empathy are typically hyper-focused on functional imaging, but often, this is missing the forest for the trees. Although neural network correlates are important in understanding anything, that’s all they really are – neural network correlates and not a full understanding of a process or its evolutionary/adaptive context.

What’s missing from most conventional treatments and what Douglas Watt will focus on heavily during this special 2-hour event are the modulators of empathy, its cohorts in terms of other selected pro-social processes, and also its ‘opponent processes’ – discussions of the latter being pretty much absent from the empathy literature. This includes a focus on tribalism and psychopathy, which are conjoined in underappreciated ways. The common disconnect in empathy research between some kind of scientific or theoretical awareness of empathy disorders and the lack of attention they get relative to how much harm they may cause. And we may not have seen the worst on this point by any stretch, particularly as societies, including our own, become increasingly tribal and polarized.

Resonance: How to Find it in the Brain and in Real life

We each see the world in different ways from one another because of how our brains use our past experiences to shape our understanding of current ones. With all the hidden complexity of our conscious minds, how can we ever know when we are resonating with another person such that they are experiencing things in similar ways? Dr. Lieberman’s talk will examine how both neuroscience and the Resonance model of our distinctive psychological lenses can answer this question and help people find more meaningful connections.

Why We Hold Hands: The Fundamentals of Social Baseline Theory

For this presentation, James A. Coan will teach you how social relationships regulate the brain’s response to perceived threats, why the brain regards social relationships as bioenergetic resources, and how close proximity to those resources economizes both cognitive and bodily effort diminishing subjective stress, improving health, and prolonging life. In short, he’ll teach you about Social Baseline Theory. Along the way, he will show you how the simple question “why do we hold hands?” leads us almost inevitably to deep insights into what kind of animal the human being is.

Fierce Self-compassion, Trauma and Resilience

Self-compassion allows us to tenderly comfort ourselves when in pain, just as we might a friend who is struggling. But self-compassion can be fierce as well as tender. To alleviate our suffering sometimes we need to take action, say “no” to others who are hurting us or draw our boundaries firmly. During this talk, Dr. Kristin Neff will present theory and research on self-compassion, which a burgeoning empirical literature has shown to be powerfully associated with coping and resilience, especially for those with trauma histories. The concept of backdraft will also be discussed, which refers to the discomfort that can arise when giving ourselves compassion.

In this talk, she will teach a short practice that will allow participants to offer themselves compassion when needed in daily life.

The Surprise of Self-Resonance: When Empathy and Understanding Turn Toward Inward

“I’m too selfish,” “Who do I think I am?”, “Walk a mile in the other’s shoes”

Many of us receive the repeated message that unless we put others first, we aren’t in integrity with being a good person. We are told that being compassionate is what’s most important, so when we are hurt or lose resources, we are always supposed to think about what the other person needs. This is what makes the airline message of putting on our own oxygen masks first so essentially confusing. But what if, just like oxygen, self-resonance is most important for us, first? How would this practice, this commitment, change the world we live in? Join Sarah Peyton for an exploration of the neuroscience and practice of self-resonance.

Opening and Plenary Session

We kick off the third annual Resonance Summit! Get settled in before a fun first day and a special keynote presentation from Dr. Douglas Watt, plus two special introductory sessions. Plus, time to gather in community and connect about what we will be learning together over the course of this incredible summit

Your Life Makes Sense: An Introduction to Constellations and their Healing Power

Family constellations allow us to look at what blocks us – to name and make sense of unwanted patterns of behavior. This gives us choice and agency so we can be called by our love instead of pushed by our trauma. Like tree rings on a tree, constellations show us the epigenetic tracks of our ancestral lines, and how we carry this social neuroscience in our bodies.

In this informal 85-minute workshop, you will:

• learn the basics of constellations
• be guided through a personal constellation where you get a direct sense of being “in the field”
• ask questions
• witness or participate in a constellation as a “representative” or a client There is no special knowledge or pre-requisite for being part of a constellation.

Simply bring yourself and your willingness to be moved by the life force energy of the field, and learn how your life makes sense. See more information about constellations on Katherine’s website.

Download Katherine’s handout

Learning the Basics: An Introduction to Resonant Language

Have you ever wondered why some people’s presence, support and listening feels so good, while other people’s support doesn’t help very much, even when they love us? Have you wondered how to respond to the people you care about in ways that give them a sense of warm accompaniment, and yet do your words fall short? Would you love to have the skills to create a practice of warm understanding for yourself and everyone around you? Join Sarah Peyton to learn the beginning steps of resonance.

In this introduction, participants will begin to:

• Learn the skills and importance of attunement
• Experience the essential contribution of the body in communication that is connecting
• Discover and feel the difference between advice and resonance
• Experiment with impossible dream guesses

As we begin to learn resonance, we make our brains good places to be.

Opening and Plenary Session

We kick off the third annual Resonance Summit! Get settled in before a fun first day and a special keynote presentation from Dr. Douglas Watt, plus two special introductory sessions. Plus, time to gather in community and connect about what we will be learning together over the course of this incredible summit

Your Life Makes Sense: An Introduction to Constellations and their Healing Power

Family constellations allow us to look at what blocks us – to name and make sense of unwanted patterns of behavior. This gives us choice and agency so we can be called by our love instead of pushed by our trauma. Like tree rings on a tree, constellations show us the epigenetic tracks of our ancestral lines, and how we carry this social neuroscience in our bodies.

In this informal 85-minute workshop, you will:

• learn the basics of constellations
• be guided through a personal constellation where you get a direct sense of being “in the field”
• ask questions
• witness or participate in a constellation as a “representative” or a client There is no special knowledge or pre-requisite for being part of a constellation.

Simply bring yourself and your willingness to be moved by the life force energy of the field, and learn how your life makes sense. See more information about constellations on Katherine’s website.

Download Katherine’s handout

Learning the Basics: An Introduction to Resonant Language

Have you ever wondered why some people’s presence, support and listening feels so good, while other people’s support doesn’t help very much, even when they love us? Have you wondered how to respond to the people you care about in ways that give them a sense of warm accompaniment, and yet do your words fall short? Would you love to have the skills to create a practice of warm understanding for yourself and everyone around you? Join Sarah Peyton to learn the beginning steps of resonance.

In this introduction, participants will begin to:

• Learn the skills and importance of attunement
• Experience the essential contribution of the body in communication that is connecting
• Discover and feel the difference between advice and resonance
• Experiment with impossible dream guesses

As we begin to learn resonance, we make our brains good places to be.

Q&A and Plenary Session

We’ll open the day with an opportunity to ask Sarah any questions you may have about relational neuroscience, resonant language or constellations, then transition to an overview of the upcoming day. Plus time to gather in community and connect about what we are learning.

Transforming the Burden of Self-Blame

Are you exhausted from constant, harsh self-judgment, and blame? Do you hear yourself saying: “I am not worthy”, “I am not smart enough”, or “I am not lovable”?

It may be surprising to learn, for very good reasons, our brains are wired to blame others and ourselves! Together, we will examine the neuroscience behind this inescapable, shaming voice and use the power of resonant language to release self-blame’s grip on our brains and bodies. With gentle curiosity and warmth, we will look beneath the heavy weight of self-blame to see what really needs our attention, support, and healing.

This workshop will consist of lectures, interspersed with journalling, and group breakouts.

What Don’t You Want to be True? Transforming Blame into Mourning with Embodied Expression

Are you sometimes so angry at someone or something that your blame seems to have a life of its own? For many of us in the process of growing relational (right) hemisphere neurons, blame – directed toward others or ourselves – may be the only accessible direction.

As we get more resonant support, another option emerges: mourning.  A communal space of embodied expression (movement and/or meditation) allows us to acknowledge grief together, with gentleness and care. No movement experience is necessary! All movement invitations are optional; whatever range of motion and mode of expression feels authentic and comfortable for you – including stillness/meditation – is welcome.

Tree of Life with Tamara Laporte: Expressive Watercolour Painting Expressing Feelings and Needs

**This session will be extended by 15 minutes to allow for Q&A following the art exercise. This session will go from 10:30am-12:10pm PDT

Learn to create an expressive watercolour painting of a tree with Tamara Laporte. In this session, we will honour our feelings and needs through colour and mark making and we get to spend some time getting more deeply & empathically connected to what is alive in us. Creativity can provide a great way to help us witness and process the precious and important experiences that get stimulated within.

Suggested supplies (though any art supplies will work):

• 1 Sheet of hot or cold pressed watercolour paper (140lbs) – You can use any size but I use 16 x 12″.
• Any brand of watercolour paints.
• Posca pens black and white (or other waterproof black/ white paint markers).
• Watercolour brushes (round, 1 large, 1 medium).
• A tool for etching/ scribbling like a bamboo skewer or an old knitting needle.
• A heat tool or hair dryer
• Optionally; acrylic inks

Download the handout

When our expressions are received or land differently than what we wanted, the impact can be distressing to a relationship. Consequences can range from a mild glitch in the nervous system to a severe rupture, sometimes lasting for years. Left unaddressed, the human connection can diminish or vanish over time.

Workshop intentions:

• Practice strategies to self-regulate with resonance when we realize what we said or did impacted others in a negative way.
• Script out and practice a repair message based on resonant language

Releasing Unconscious Contracts of Verbal Abuse

The words we hear about us shape how we see ourselves. Were the words you heard in childhood words of kindness or words of harshness? What words did you hear in your journey towards adulthood and how have they shaped the relationships you choose and the way you do or do not choose yourself? This experiential session will explore the impacts of inherited trauma and verbal abuse on our state of being along with mini-constellations to release these words from our nervous system and to expand into a freer state of loving exactly who we are.

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Nonverbal Resonance: Relief and Understanding Without Words

Even when we can’t find words or don’t want to use language, we can receive and give accompaniment that helps us and others feel understood. It just takes a little prompting and a little practice to offer ourselves and others resonance with our bodies. Join Amanda for a fun and playful exercise of giving and receiving nonverbal resonance. Whether you think of yourself as “in your head” or you have a lot of experience with embodiment, this workshop is for you!

Q&A and Plenary Session

We’ll open the day with an opportunity to ask Sarah any questions you may have about relational neuroscience, resonant language or constellations, then transition to an overview of the upcoming day. Plus time to gather in community and connect about what we are learning.

Why & How: Reaching for Impossible Dreams

Impossible Dreams are inventive and satisfying as resonant language. Whether this is a new or practiced form, Kristin invites you to come expand your repertoire, and explore the Why (benefits) and the How (attuning). In introducing impossible dream guessing, I notice a wide range of willingness and facility in trying it out. In this session, Kristin will introduce a “fill in the blank” worksheet as a way to practice, a kind of mad lib to tickle your creativity. We’ll work on common situations together as a large group, but there will also be times to journal or work in triads to apply principles, make guesses and discover questions about this process.

See Kristin’s artwork for this session

The Resonance of Reciprocity & Relationship with Nature

Drawing from indigenous wisdom traditions and multiple pathways of current research regarding the intelligence of Nature we will consider our relationship with the natural world. This gathering will introduce the possibility of Systemic Reconciliation with the land through Systems Constellation. Through the representational perception in systems constellation we are able clearly hear the voice of Nature and encounter a systemic, panoramic view of dynamics regarding conflicts, wounds and healing between human beings and the natural world. Gathering as a virtual Circle, we will acknowledge the land, the history of the place in our own families and our life. Based upon input from participants, a constellation will be provided.

Download Francesca’s resource handout

Resonance and Empathy and Ongoing Trauma (during the war in Ukraine)

About this session

If you wondered whether the empathy or resonance may still be supportive or healing during ongoing trauma, e.g. a traumatic separation, ongoing situations of intimate partner violence, trauma of climate change and traumatic situations of impactful health conditions or even war, we (the panel of presenters) are intending to share our experiences of supporting people affected by war in Ukraine with resonance and empathy.

This session will be a panel discussion

The panelists: Pavlo Kozeletskiy, Tanya Dikhtyaruk, Elena Melnik, Iryna Baranova, Viktoriia Preobrazhenska, Larisa Nguyen, Tatiana Klescheva, Svetlana Khodukina, Olga Nguyen.

Read more about the panelists here

*Please bring a pen and paper and anything to color with for a brief exercise during this session

Empathy for the Cells

How can we direct warm curiosity towards our bodies while we need empathy for coping with the effects of pain and dis-ease? What if we view our cells as community members, parts of living systems that have their own preoccupations and agendas, their own feelings and needs?

Our cells may want acknowledgement and gratitude for how hard they work, how long they’ve been committed to our health, how exhausted they are and how much they would love collaboration and choice.

Let’s see how our bodies respond to warmth and imagination.

Grieving Systems of Supremacy & Releasing Our Resistance to Liberation

Where do you find yourself getting stuck when faced with the increasing realities of global climate chaos, inequity and violence? Especially for those of us more insulated from the deepest layers of violence, the overwhelm, discomfort and numbness can get in the way of acknowledging what is and acting in line with our longings for a more peaceful and just world. In this interactive session, we’ll look at how the unconscious contract process (as written about and taught by Sarah Peyton) can help us understand what’s happening beneath the surface and open the gates of grief, rage, and right-sized action.

Everyone is welcome regardless of identity or politics.

Children & Babies Welcome: Unburdening the Lonely Load of Motherhood Through Building Resonant Support Circles

This workshop empowers the voice and experience of motherhood (including all genders who hold the role of mother). It is for anyone who cares about this vital social role that comprises vulnerable transformation physically, emotionally, mentally, and psychologically while it sets in motion the well being of the future.

Zoom creates a platform where mothers can connect and find each other. Together, we will share and acknowledge the reality surrounding motherhood today. We will learn how to use resonance practices and circle process to create and hold groups where a mother’s experience can be accompanied, centered, welcomed, and respected for supported parenting, and voice from the collective experience toward community action when needed.

From gathering to supporting to celebrating to advocating, this workshop is about the value of mothers.

Download Ann’s handout

Embracing Your Oddness and What Makes You You: Loving and Celebrating Yourself as You Are

Have you often felt as if you are different from everyone else in the world? Like no one else quite understands you and like, if you really expressed who you truly were, there would be no place for you here? Or, perhaps you express, but underneath you question yourself constantly? This workshop will be an exploration of the relational neuroscience of belonging and an opportunity to explore how, when we are met with resonance and understanding, we move toward more ease in being our full “odd”, “different” and “strange” selves. Please join to take a step toward more delight in your own quirkiness, whatever that may be.

In this experiential workshop, we will begin to explore:
• The relational neuroscience of belonging and shame
• The often unnamed experience of alarmed aloneness and how left unacknowledged, it leaves us less ourselves
• The power of metaphor to bring a sense of connection and understanding
• How warm accompaniment and reflection has the power to change the very way you feel in your being

Navigating Consent in Resonant Communication

One of the biggest pitfalls of trying to integrate resonant communication into our lives is not realizing the importance of checking in with someone. Incorporating consent into our tool belt of communication and emotional support is something that can offer many benefits. Getting a sense of where the person is at and available / open to is crucial to building trust and ensuring that we are indeed supporting them. In this workshop we will explore consent techniques and practice how to check in when offering resonant empathy, particularly when it comes to feelings and needs. We will look at how to use consent in a way that can feel more natural and authentic.

Transmuting Shame Into Self-Welcome Through Resonant Witness

Experience your own mattering by noticing and naming your feelings and sensations as you allow yourself to be witnessed – by yourself and other selves – in brief, 30-40 second improvisations with your hands and/or your whole body.

Allow the just-enough-structure-to-feel-held to increasingly transmute the shame of existing and having a body and needs into self-welcome.

Experience the sweetness of seeing how you allowing yourself to be seen and witnessed offers others the same balm for their own sense of self as it does for you.

Practice noticing and naming your felt sense of self, and thereby expand and deepen it.

Q&A and Plenary Session

We’ll open the day with an opportunity to ask Sarah any questions you may have about relational neuroscience, resonant language or constellations, then transition to an overview of the upcoming day. Plus time to gather in community and connect about what we are learning.

Political Resonance: Speaking Up to Decisionmakers in Our Lives while Staying True to Connection

Let’s grow our political influence and confidence while we stay grounded in our relational connection, for the benefit of all life!

This session is designed for mutual creativity and support: We will review principles of courageous and resonant dialogue across power differences, and share a story or two of successes we have had. Then, we will use a worksheet to help each other begin to craft an authentic, relational, and political request around a particular issue important to us that we can deliver with confidence to decisionmakers in our world.

Download Timothy’s handout

Let This Body Be A Bridge: Acknowledging and Addressing/Shifting Impacts of Oppressive Systems

Oppressive systems take a toll on all of us, regardless of our position in them. Join me in lightening the implicit load for our selves and seeing the impact on others. Using Systemic Constellations, Resonant language combined with song and movement, we will make our way together toward beloved community.

Being Enough: An Exploration with Image/Metaphor and Constellation

An opportunity to think together about resonant and warm support for the parts of ourselves that still struggle with being enough or not being enough. Using a whiteboard drawing constellation process with a volunteer and/or a simple imaginative process involving metaphor and imagery to create a kind of talisman or amulet.

Building Resonance in Times of Crisis

During times of crisis, it might be hard to know what to do, where to turn and who to ask for support. Building Resonance in Times of Crisis is a 6-week training that offers a neurochemical framework on what to do and how to be in times of turbulence. You’ll learn tools for how to work with others that you’re supporting and more importantly, tools to support yourself.

Resonant Encounters of the Third Kind

This workshop will introduce co-creative resonant exploration. When we interact with resonance in forms that are outside of the traditional helper-client and empathy-buddy structures, there is a third kind of resonant encounter which can open up previously unrealized possibilities for human interactions.

Following a brief introduction to some principles of resonance and research findings, participants will be invited to experience several co-presencing sessions with partners in which we explore a few aspects of these kinds of encounters.

Restorative Yoga to Reclaim Your Body

Join Pavla for a Restorative Yoga session to reclaim your body

We will open our class with a short introduction about trauma, body and yoga correlation.

After that, we will transition to experiencing what Restorative yoga has to offer. Restorative yoga is meant to be relaxing and meditative.

For each pose we explore, Pavla will demonstrate first so that it will be easier for you to follow on your own.

We will use yoga props, ideally (2 blankets, firm yoga bolster, 2 blocks and a strep) if you don’t have these, no worries, you can use (pillows, cushions, beach towels, books, scarfs, chairs instead) …the more we have ready on hand, the easier it will be for you to find comfort, ease and support.

At the end, we will gather back in our circle to share our experience with potential questions.

Listening to the Marginalized Inner Silence and Exploring it Through Voice

Our body may not necessarily communicate to us using words. Silence, or an absence of words, may actually contain important messages for us. In this session, we will explore the importance of lending an ear to the silence within. We will make sound as we connect body sensation, and explore what it has to say.

Q&A and Plenary Session

We’ll open the day with an opportunity to ask Sarah any questions you may have about relational neuroscience, resonant language or constellations, then transition to an overview of the upcoming day. Plus time to gather in community and connect about what we are learning.

Reclaiming “Oops, Failures, Mistakes, Oh My! Accompanying Ourselves and Others After A Fail

• Who can tell the tale of having gone through life without having made phenomenal mistakes?
• And what happened to us then and next?
• What helped us survive these moments if we were left ashamed, exiled or coerced into a repair that didn’t feel included us, or even true or complete?

Through a series of practices, we will explore our unconscious contracts that helped us survive till now, walk a healing path with the parts of us who failed greatly and explore what it means to create a “failure-tolerant & accountability culture” in our families, schools, workplaces and communities.

Mothers: Growing up and Loving Them

**this session will be taught in Russian with English translation by Sarah Peyton

In this presentation, Elena Veselago will briefly talk about how the energy relationship between mother and child works, and how the relationship can be distorted because we want so much love. Constellation exercises will be offered to restore the connection between mother and child, regardless of age. Separately, a practice will be shown to differentiate adult children from their mothers.

Climate Grief and Caring for Mother Earth Without Falling Apart

Are you heartbroken when you think of the climate crisis? Some of us sink into deep hopelessness, others push reality aside, hoping someone else will take care of it. In this session, Pernille will speak to the personal relationship we all have with the living biosphere and Mother Earth. We will explore how we can mend this relationship if needed, and how the power of a resonant community can support us, and support developing reciprocity with the more-than-human world. Expect a demo and breakouts for sharing and getting a taste of accompanying each other in climate grief.

Learn about the Practitioner of Resonant Healing Certification Program

Join Sarah Peyton to discuss her certification program. This session is perfect for anyone interested in bringing the science of resonance into your professional healing work.  The new cohort begins in January 2024. Read more about the program here.

Preventing and Healing Childhood Trauma; Building Resilience with PACEs Connection!

Carey shares the organization’s latest presentation about PACEs science and invites you to then share it with your family, friends, co-workers and community as you partner with PACEs Connection to prevent and heal childhood trauma; build resilience in yourself, your family, your community!

What does it cover? The five parts of PACEs science—epidemiology (the ACE Study and other surveys), the neurobiology of toxic stress (brain science), the short- and long-term health consequences of toxic stress, historical trauma and the effects of toxic stress on epigenetics, and resilience research. It also addresses several misconceptions about PACEs science, how people and organizations are using it to address their most intractable problems, and what the relatively recent research on positive and adverse childhood experiences means for our life course. It ends with an overview of the rapidly growing PACEs movement. It contains two short videos.

At the end of this presentation you will be offered the entire presentation to share with your family, co-workers, community. Your sharing will help prevent and heal childhood trauma; build resilience in yourself, your family, your community.

Download Carey’s handout
Download Carey’s slides

Resources for sharing:
download the PowerPoint to use here
Helpful handouts. Please download, add your respective logos and use!
Link to PACES new resources center

The Empowering Magic of NEEDS

In daily life, we often perceive needs as a sign of weakness. In Resonance, we flip our perspective and see how NEEDS are a magic empowerment that reaches across differences to bring belonging and community alive for everyone.

During this interactive experiential session, we will explore what Universal Human NEEDS are.

How thinking in this way:

• brings vast opportunity to connect with others who believe differently than us.
• empowers warm accompaniment for others and all parts of ourselves (even parts that stir embarrassment and shame).
• provides a path to turn conflict from a moment of disconnection to a vast opportunity to expand our sense of inter-being.

We will demonstrate and practice how to use feelings and NEEDS guesses to grow a garden of connection and understanding. No prior knowledge is necessary. Bring your full self and be ready to learn some magic.

Download Peggy’s handout
Additional resource Feelings Cards & Needs Cards

Finger-Hugging Your Thumb: Self-Empathy, Feelings & Needs

Are you like me, where your mind & body totally gets what a need is (in the context of empathic communication), but explaining it to others can be challenging? How about feelings & self-empathy? Do you resonate with both, but know folks who don’t (& would love to offer clarity)? Then this refresher/introduction is right up your alley. We’ll talk about how you define feelings, needs & self-empathy. And we’ll venture outside the box with flipping/un-flipping our ‘lids’ (Dan Siegel’s hand-model of the brain) Ready to think, play, interact & create? Then ‘Finger-Hugging Your Thumb: Feelings, Needs & Self-Empathy’ is your jam. I’ll see you there.

A Resonant Sound Healing

How is your relationship with your anger, your excitement, your fear, your grief, and your joy? Is it easy for you to connect with your emotions, or is it a struggle? Are you a secure parent for your emotions, a tyrant, or a pushover?

Join Eric Bowers for a sound healing constellation journey into a deeper connection with your emotions. Find out how resonance, empathy, breath, and sound bring more emotional ease, clarity, and aliveness. Come and discover the magic that happens when emotions are met with music and resonance.

*to have the most enjoyable experience during this session, Eric recommends having headphones or good speakers and space to move and lie down.

Download Eric’s handout

Closing Session

Join Sarah for a community session of harvesting and celebration. We’ll begin at 4:00 pm Pacific (convert to your time) and do some integrating of our time together and invite as many voices from the community as we can to speak about gifts received, learnings, discoveries, and needs met. Come to celebrate and enjoy!