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 7, Coming Back from Dissociation
Focus: Time Travel for Verbal Abuse
An option for group resonance and discussion, created and offered by Jaya Manske (exercise in this week’s offering from Sarah Peyton)
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
(Timing: 1 minute each, total 3-5 minutes)
4. Group or small group exercise: Guided Self-Time Travel for Verbal AbuseWe recommend this exercise be done in smaller breakout groups, however, you are welcome to use it as a large group exercise.
Pace as slowly as is needed, allowing for your partner to explore and really be with the memory, while also making sure both people get an opportunity to explore. Approximately 20 mins each.
For ideas about creating a group that is safe to explore this material, please remind yourself of these guidelines.
B, Read the directions for A (or to the whole group):
• Choose a moment and where painful words that were said. Identify the painful words
• Ask your past self if it’s okay to travel to them.
• Gather your resonating self-witness and step through time and space into this memory, You can bring B (and/or someone else) if you would like.
• Stop the harm. Put the person speaking into a sky hook that takes them away. Make any witnesses disappear or put them into a floating bubble. If you can still see or hear the words, blow a wind through them that dissolves them.
• Ask your memory self the following questions:
o Did you stop breathing?
o Do you need acknowledgment of shock?
o Do you feel helpless?
o Did these words hurt and shame you? Would you love to live in a world filled with respect and care for dignity?
o Are you afraid these words are true?
o Did these words go into your brain and split you away from yourself?
o Is there any part of you that tries to understand how these words are true so that you can stay in relationship with the person saying them?
o How is your memory-self’s body doing?
o Is the memory-self willing to receive touch, hand holding, an embrace?
o Are the parts that were split away willing to come back?
o Is the memory-self willing to release any sense that these words are true?
o Is the memory-self willing to send these words back to the person who said them?
• How is the memory-self’s body now?
• Has the memory-self’s body completely relaxed? There may be ore to do here. Follow any of the memory-self’s body sensations with more resonance, or simply make note of where you are.
• If the memory-self’s body has relaxed, invite them home with you.
• Take a moment to celebrate their presence
• Reverse
(Timing 40-45 minutes)
5. 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 one of the meditations from chapter 7 together and talk about what comes up for you – Invite the Return from Left-Shifted Dissociation | Invite the Return from Traumatic Dissociation
3. Do one of the homework exercises suggested and discuss