[by Bill Leicht] AVP folks work with emotions to facilitate paths to effective nonviolence, but "2. Emotions and perception are physical actions done in the body,." Paul Linden, PhD [page 2 of link]. If this is true, then the more we perceive and understand the body, the more we can perceive and understand emotions. That's why I attended "Working with the Body for Coaches and Trainers" in New York City last weekend, 26-28 September. The two trainers, the participants, the experience were all wonderful; equally important, they transformed a way I handle conflict in my own body.
Here we all are at the end: A group of former strangers, now friends and coworkers, relaxed and happy. |
Curtis Watkins and Mark Walsh (center) were the trainers; Curtis is from Dutchess County, NY and Mark from Brighton, England. Both have been students of Paul Linden and of Richard Strozzi Heckler, well-known author and CEO of the Strozzi Institute, Petaluma, CA (which certified Curtis as Master Somatic Coach). This seminar was "their first collaboration in the US. A practical, experiential training for professionals who want to develop skills working with the body in training, coaching and facilitating.... Using posture, breathing and movement helps clients go to the heart of their issues quickly and creates lasting results."
I was already familiar with a lot of the content and some of the exercises. For me personally the transformative experience was identifying in my body one very old constriction that has made me a bit of a "tight ass." In the course of four related exercises with other participants as my coaches I felt affirmed, increased my level of attention to my body, became well connected to my new colleagues and finally identified tension in my sphincter muscle that many decades ago served a function, but later stood in the way of being fully relaxed, engaged and effective in my work with others in their bodies. That was very quick, now I'll see how well it lasts.
My thanks, to new and old friends from "Working with the Body...".
I was already familiar with a lot of the content and some of the exercises. For me personally the transformative experience was identifying in my body one very old constriction that has made me a bit of a "tight ass." In the course of four related exercises with other participants as my coaches I felt affirmed, increased my level of attention to my body, became well connected to my new colleagues and finally identified tension in my sphincter muscle that many decades ago served a function, but later stood in the way of being fully relaxed, engaged and effective in my work with others in their bodies. That was very quick, now I'll see how well it lasts.
My thanks, to new and old friends from "Working with the Body...".