To see these offerings in a printable format, click here.
Please familiarize yourself with the intention of the group in the classroom on sarahpeyton.com or here.
Session 1: Exploring Chapter 2, It’s Truth Not Trauma: Resolving the Past
Focus: The ebb and flow of self-love
An option for group resonance and discussion, created and offered by Jaya Manske
SUGGESTED FORMAT
1. Take a moment to settle in and say hello (Timing: 1-2 minutes)
2. Choose someone to lead this session. We recommend a different person volunteer to lead each time. This person will track time and read aloud the instructions that follow (you may also pick 2 people, one to track time and another to read instructions). (Timing: 1 minute)
3. Check-in. Please go around the circle, giving each person an opportunity to share:
– One feeling and/or body sensation you’re experiencing
– (optional) one sentence about how you are as you gather with your group today
(Timing: 2-7 minutes)
4. Discussion (round 1) We ask you to try to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard; one way to do this is to make sure that no one speaks a second time before everyone has spoken or said that they are passing. If someone passes, check in with them after everyone else has shared to see if they would like to share before moving on.
For ideas about how to create a group where deep sharing is possible, please remind yourself of these guidelines.
Please share.
When filling out the Ebb and Flow of Self-love worksheet, what patterns or things did you notice? If you have one, what is a resonant guess you might make for your past self at one juncture in your life where there was an ebb or flow that you shared about or noticed?
Examples of resonant guesses:
Do you need acknowledgment for how hard/wonderful this was?
Would it be sweet if someone else understood how this was for you?
Are you frozen? Have you stopped breathing?
Are you worried nothing will ever be okay again?
Do you need to know you matter?
Are you needing understanding, protection, and advocacy? (fill in the needs you long for)
After you share, you may ask for one or two other resonant feelings/needs guess from the group, or simply pass to the next person.*
*if you are the receiver and you notice someone has moved toward advice, dismissal or reassurance, if you are willing, please, with gentleness, ask if they would be willing to move back towards resonance
(example: “I noticed you’re letting me know it’s going to be okay, would you be willing to move back towards resonance?” or “would you be willing make an acknowledgment guess? /to guess a need?/to wonder and guess about a feeling I may have had in this moment?”)
(Timing: 25 minutes)
5. Please share (round 2):
How was it to be resonant with yourself and others? Did you notice when you wanted to slip towards advice, dismissal or reassurance?
If you asked someone else to move back towards resonance, how was that for you to ask?
If you were asked to move back towards resonance, how was that for you to be asked?
(Timing: 20 minutes)
6. Closure: please close by having each person name a need met or a gift received after this discussion. You can read more about this practice here.
(Timing: 5 minutes)
OTHER FORMATS FOR YOU TO CHOOSE FROM:
The suggested format above is meant to create ease, however, your group might instead choose to structure your time around any of these activities or create your own:
1. Offer resonant empathy to each other, either in the whole group or in smaller sub-groups (you can use this resonant empathy circle format if you’d like)
2. Listen to the meditation from chapter 2 together and talk about what came up for you
3. Do one of the homework exercises suggested and discuss
