WHAT HAPPENS IN SESSIONS?

Duration
Breathwork, sandplay and counseling sessions are usually 2-3 hours long. Longer journey sessions may be up to 7 or 8 hours with a couple of hours for integration the following day. Phone sessions are available by appointment to those I have already worked with in person and are an hour long.

In the Beginning . . .
there will usually be some discussion as we explore whatever issues you are bringing to the session. During longer sessions, in groups and retreats, we will develop the ways of the work and explore specific themes. We may watch films or discuss books as an entry point to your exploration.

Then we share intentions. It is not necessary to know your intention before you arrive for the session; Often it becomes clear as you experience the initial discussion or respond to the theme of the group.

Usually the session starts with a quiet period, maybe some form of meditation or body movement. You may close your eyes or not, lie down, sit up, dance or move around inside or go out into nature if you wish. You may enjoy talking and sharing a lot or you may find you are called to go deeply within yourself for a time and share later.

Music
I use a diverse range of music throughout the session - to calm the mind, to awaken energy through movement and play, to evoke emotional releases and support your feelings, whatever they may be. I may play music and sounds that awaken the heart through beauty, longing and feelings of wonder. Some music is consistent with profound introspection. Other playlists are designed to disturb you, evoke specific feelings or teach you how to change your emotions.

Techniques . . .
may include intuitive inquiry to deepen your body and emotional awareness, breath work, sounding, dream exploration, tantra and sacred sexuality exploration, various states of trance and meditation, role play, psychodrama, gestalt and voice dialogue, sandplay, dance, bioenergetic exercises, shamanic journeying, stillness, prayer and exploring the enchantment of nature. I give you permission to go wherever you need to go within your psyche, whether you need to untangle confusion and connect with the source of your imbalance, or you may need to expand your consciousness and let your life force flow freely, with joy and laughter.

What you may Experience
Whilst we may spend some time talking, it is the experience of yourself that is important. There may be times when you feel deeply, expressing whatever it is that has been stuck, be it pleasure and/or pain. You may open to lost memories, altered states of perception, experience new energy and expand your sense of Self. You may have spiritual or mystical experiences, feel as if you are being reborn or feel without any story. Time may seem to flow more slowly or hours can seem like a moment. The past may seem to be more real than the present or you may have insights into possible futures.

Often old emotional distress is first felt as a physical sensation, so the body may feel things before you can emotionally express them. There could be experiences of tightness, tingling in the extremities and contraction of the body, vibrations or muscle tremors, the need to shake the limbs and move. Some people feel cold or excessively hot, an indication of energy moving through the feminine or masculine channels. There can be sensitivity to lights, smells, touch and sounds. Some people may at times feel a little nauseous when there is fear present or they are really sick of something in their lives. Sometimes people may re-experience old injuries and pains or experience new feelings about current circumstances, bringing a sense of insight and surprise.

Where appropriate you may dialogue with people in your current life or the past, as if they are present with you now, which they are - inside your mind and heart. You can reclaim lost parts of yourself through dialogues with people, pets, places and objects, using them as symbols or as aspects of yourself. You may have transpersonal conversations with God or goddesses, archetypes or animal spirits, with beings from other worlds or any other creature that may or may not exist in anyone's reality.

In Groups
At the beginning of the experience in a group session, I encourage people to take some time to go deeply within, to explore the inner landscapes and gain deeper self knowledge. After a while most people get comfy, relax and share their stories and experiences with each other. As people become more experienced in this work, they are able to work with each other so that together we create a rich learning environment. It is through these interactions that we get to see how we create our experiences and become more whole through relationship.

Some people prefer to be out in nature or simply remain quiet with others in a contemplative state. For some, there is a need to remain in a quiet space because they are too sensitized, need more privacy or are distracted by too much chatter.

As part of the work, people may open up to their energy and experience sexual feelings. If this happens, I encourage them to own their experience, enjoy it and dance or move the energy if they want. It is not appropriate to act out sexually with others in the group, although couples may choose to go somewhere private to work with the energy.

My Role
I mindfully observe and feel each person's experience guiding them through the places of energetic, emotional and physical blocks, coaching them to feel and become self aware of the patterns which bind them there. By feeling deep empathic resonance with people, I model healthy emotional patterns, assisting them to relax into their authenticity and constellate their own new bio-resonant choices. By creating a safe, loving space and a field of learning and play, I open doorways to new possibilities, awakening appreciation, wonder and awe for this dance called Life. Sometimes this is done verbally, often it is an energetic experience.

Towards the End. . .
the music becomes quieter and you will have some time to rest. If there has been a lot of talking, it may be a good time to be quiet. If there has been a lot of movement, let the body relax and be still. As these sessions are sometimes intense or quite long, there is usually some nourishment:  a cuppa' tea, a snack or soup or whatever you need to graze on before leaving. This not only nourishes the body but also feeds the heart and soul and helps you get grounded.

At the end of a breath work or sandplay session, many people find that drawing further expresses their experience, helping them to ground the energy and to create a record so they can reconnect with it again later on.