Sunday, June 19, 2011
Missing the Energy
Tuesday afternoon, just at the time our weekly teleclass is scheduled, I was sitting on an airplane waiting to fly back to Seattle. It was the weirdest feeling, knowing that class was going on and I wasn't listening in. This is the first class I've missed. Felt a bit empty not being in the classroom! Looking forward to listening once it's posted on the website, and then notifying Coach of "the word" for the credit!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Second CORE - Day 4 - Sunday, June 12
Here we are, our final day of CORE. It's been a heck of a ride! In the morning there was some time to do a few more pieces of work. There was some unfinished business with a couple of the students, so I told Melisa that if we didn't get to the piece I wanted to work on, it was okay. I was sad to let it go, and also felt that the group synergy was on a certain path, and that path should be completed.
After lunch, we did gathered for a final bit of time with one of the horses, and then closed the day. It was goodbye to this CORE, because there will never be another one like it. Saying goodbye to the container is a little like ripping out all the safety nets we put in place - being out in the "real" world is definitely not like this!
Glenn and his sister picked me up at 4 pm. I introduced them around; there were a couple of herd mates Glenn had not yet met, and his sister got to meet them all for the first time. That was fun, especially since Sis is a musician, and one of my herdmates left behind her rock band when she moved to Colorado. They had a nice connection.
I don't feel as wiped out as I did at the first CORE. Things seem to be integrating nicely. Last time I was a total vegetable. I felt so bad because I spent time with Sis and her son, and we pretty much just stared at one another. This time it feels like I'll actually be able to carry on a conversation!
Spending a couple more days in Colorado and then heading home. I have loved being here, and can hardly wait for the next CORE I'll be attending, in August. Until then, I'll keep the memory of my herdmates alive and well in the very CORE of my being.
After lunch, we did gathered for a final bit of time with one of the horses, and then closed the day. It was goodbye to this CORE, because there will never be another one like it. Saying goodbye to the container is a little like ripping out all the safety nets we put in place - being out in the "real" world is definitely not like this!
Glenn and his sister picked me up at 4 pm. I introduced them around; there were a couple of herd mates Glenn had not yet met, and his sister got to meet them all for the first time. That was fun, especially since Sis is a musician, and one of my herdmates left behind her rock band when she moved to Colorado. They had a nice connection.
I don't feel as wiped out as I did at the first CORE. Things seem to be integrating nicely. Last time I was a total vegetable. I felt so bad because I spent time with Sis and her son, and we pretty much just stared at one another. This time it feels like I'll actually be able to carry on a conversation!
Spending a couple more days in Colorado and then heading home. I have loved being here, and can hardly wait for the next CORE I'll be attending, in August. Until then, I'll keep the memory of my herdmates alive and well in the very CORE of my being.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Second CORE - Day 2 - Saturday, June 11
Fun times! Day three is when the bulk of personal work is done, and today was a doozy. Lots of Ah Ha’s and realizations, a hip that ached because it wanted to be noticed, tears and joy. Lots of learning. As I watched my fellow students take on the role of coach and deal with whatever came their way, my respect for them grew and grew. For some, it was their first time in the “hot seat.” Everyone’s coaching was an inspiration. I know I’ll soon be in that same hot seat, and I know that it will be a positive learning experience, no matter what it looks like. The container we create for one another is safe and secure. I trust my fellows implicitly.
I had the good fortune to participate in a reflective round pen exercise with Abhain the Gypsy Vanner, who used to be with me in Washington. This was his first day on the job, and what a tremendous job he did! His joy at doing this work radiates from him, along with his love and caring. He has grown into himself in the last six months, and is calm and focused. I was able to thank him for giving me the gift of this program, and he thanked me for sending him to the place he was meant to be, with Melisa. It was a sweet moment, and I so appreciate and respect the fine horse he has become.
Almost all of us went to dinner together, and my husband, Glenn, joined us. We set him at the head of the table as the token masculine energy, and we all had a ball. Talk about appreciation! I don’t know too many husbands who would come to dinner with 10 powerful women and survive to tell the tale! I look forward to being reunited with him tomorrow night. For today, though, it was back with my sisters to rest, rejuvenate, and look forward to our final day.
I had the good fortune to participate in a reflective round pen exercise with Abhain the Gypsy Vanner, who used to be with me in Washington. This was his first day on the job, and what a tremendous job he did! His joy at doing this work radiates from him, along with his love and caring. He has grown into himself in the last six months, and is calm and focused. I was able to thank him for giving me the gift of this program, and he thanked me for sending him to the place he was meant to be, with Melisa. It was a sweet moment, and I so appreciate and respect the fine horse he has become.
Almost all of us went to dinner together, and my husband, Glenn, joined us. We set him at the head of the table as the token masculine energy, and we all had a ball. Talk about appreciation! I don’t know too many husbands who would come to dinner with 10 powerful women and survive to tell the tale! I look forward to being reunited with him tomorrow night. For today, though, it was back with my sisters to rest, rejuvenate, and look forward to our final day.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Second CORE - Day 2 - Friday, June 10
Well, guess what? I woke up, on my own, with plenty of time to get ready and head over to Melisa’s with the other students. Didn’t even need my phone alarm; the sun did a fine job of letting me know when to get my bum out of bed and dressed. All that anxiety for nothing. I have a room to myself at the house, very nice, and my housemates are all awesome, caring women.
Morning was spent talking about temperament, insurance and other business-type items. In the afternoon the real fun began, with pieces of work. I related to all of them. I can’t believe that at the last CORE I thought there was nothing in me to work on. Hardy har har har har! There’s enough to keep me busy well into the next century!
The main event of the day, however, was the graduation of five students. They are called the Mid-Pack, and are the second group of graduates through the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method certification program. It was a beautiful ceremony, and incredibly moving, with a few jokes, and a lot of heartfelt tears. Family and friends watched on in pride as their loved ones received their certificates, everyone had cake, and hugs were happening everywhere. I had the privilege of being in my first CORE with two of the graduates, and did pieces of work with both of them. I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to get to know them, and also another graduate who is in this CORE, and know our paths will continue to cross as the community grows. Ahhhhh, I love this community!
Morning was spent talking about temperament, insurance and other business-type items. In the afternoon the real fun began, with pieces of work. I related to all of them. I can’t believe that at the last CORE I thought there was nothing in me to work on. Hardy har har har har! There’s enough to keep me busy well into the next century!
The main event of the day, however, was the graduation of five students. They are called the Mid-Pack, and are the second group of graduates through the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method certification program. It was a beautiful ceremony, and incredibly moving, with a few jokes, and a lot of heartfelt tears. Family and friends watched on in pride as their loved ones received their certificates, everyone had cake, and hugs were happening everywhere. I had the privilege of being in my first CORE with two of the graduates, and did pieces of work with both of them. I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to get to know them, and also another graduate who is in this CORE, and know our paths will continue to cross as the community grows. Ahhhhh, I love this community!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Second CORE - Day 1 - Thursday, June 9
Arrived at my second CORE today. Lots of people from out of town, so Melisa’s place is full to overflowing. I am flowing over into the house of one of the other students, who has generously opened her home to five of us. For my introvert self, this is a bit of a challenge - strange place, new people to meet. Happily, one of my herdmates from CORE #1 will be bunking down in the same place.
Another interesting opportunity has been thrown into the mix. My phone doesn’t work. Somehow, downloading an update to the email application has put it into a permanent reboot loop. Removing the battery and letting it sit for a while has not helped. How will I know when to get up? How will I even know what time it is? Will my phone ever regain its mind? This is causing a bit of anxiety.
The first evening of CORE, we do a check-in and then Melisa demonstrates how to do a genogram. I volunteered to be the client, and we had a great time drawing lots of circles and squares denoting the people in my life, past and present. A trend emerges. Most of my intimate relationships, save the current one, lasted less than four years. It was four years before my mother had her first child, and she has told me in the last few years that my birth was the happiest day of her life, because she craved a child so much. Four years later, my brother was born. My first memory is of being at my brother’s baptismal party, sitting at a table away from everyone else, by myself, eating lobster. I was four years old. Four, four, four, four. Amazing. There’s more work to do around this one, which hopefully will happen this weekend. There were some knowing looks passing between Coach Peggy and Melisa, and of course they weren’t telling.
After that we moved on to a Mandala demo, with a different student client, and then we paired up with another student, and I played client again, building a mandala with one of the senior students. It was a fun time, and I feel a little more integrated into the genogram and mandala as a way to open doors for a client’s session.
Another interesting opportunity has been thrown into the mix. My phone doesn’t work. Somehow, downloading an update to the email application has put it into a permanent reboot loop. Removing the battery and letting it sit for a while has not helped. How will I know when to get up? How will I even know what time it is? Will my phone ever regain its mind? This is causing a bit of anxiety.
The first evening of CORE, we do a check-in and then Melisa demonstrates how to do a genogram. I volunteered to be the client, and we had a great time drawing lots of circles and squares denoting the people in my life, past and present. A trend emerges. Most of my intimate relationships, save the current one, lasted less than four years. It was four years before my mother had her first child, and she has told me in the last few years that my birth was the happiest day of her life, because she craved a child so much. Four years later, my brother was born. My first memory is of being at my brother’s baptismal party, sitting at a table away from everyone else, by myself, eating lobster. I was four years old. Four, four, four, four. Amazing. There’s more work to do around this one, which hopefully will happen this weekend. There were some knowing looks passing between Coach Peggy and Melisa, and of course they weren’t telling.
After that we moved on to a Mandala demo, with a different student client, and then we paired up with another student, and I played client again, building a mandala with one of the senior students. It was a fun time, and I feel a little more integrated into the genogram and mandala as a way to open doors for a client’s session.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
A First
I conducted my first session last weekend. It was a practice session, and my husband, who had something he wanted to work on, agreed to be my vict-..., er, client.
One word, grossly overused, but appropriate: Wow.
Even though my skillset and toolbox at this point are pretty slim, there were results, and Glenn said he got a lot of out of it. I can trust my husband to give me a fair assessment of his experience. If I got stuck on what to ask or which direction to go, I just sat there, and in a pretty short space of time a question or direction would reveal itself. I trusted in the process, and it worked!
The most amazing and humbling part, though, was the critical role my beloved Wilma played. She has obviously, once again, just been waiting around for me to get my act together so she could do what she was born for - use her considerable skills to help humans. She let Glenn know when he was right on the mark, and when he backed away or deflected, so did she. And she gave him so much love it was an expansion for all of us on so many levels.
Youngster Lili, Wilma's granddaughter, observed the session with great eagerness. She soooo wanted to jump in and help. Instead, I kept her beside me so we could both watch the master at work. I know she took it all in and has been mulling it over, like I have. This is a filly who learned to wear a halter and be lead by watching the experiences of the other horses. She is as incredible as grandma Wilma!
This weekend a dear friend is going to sit in the chair, and we are going to partner with one of her horses, who are eager to assist her in her growth. I so appreciate all of my friends, human and equine, who are confirming for me that this is the path I should be on.
One word, grossly overused, but appropriate: Wow.
Even though my skillset and toolbox at this point are pretty slim, there were results, and Glenn said he got a lot of out of it. I can trust my husband to give me a fair assessment of his experience. If I got stuck on what to ask or which direction to go, I just sat there, and in a pretty short space of time a question or direction would reveal itself. I trusted in the process, and it worked!
The most amazing and humbling part, though, was the critical role my beloved Wilma played. She has obviously, once again, just been waiting around for me to get my act together so she could do what she was born for - use her considerable skills to help humans. She let Glenn know when he was right on the mark, and when he backed away or deflected, so did she. And she gave him so much love it was an expansion for all of us on so many levels.
Youngster Lili, Wilma's granddaughter, observed the session with great eagerness. She soooo wanted to jump in and help. Instead, I kept her beside me so we could both watch the master at work. I know she took it all in and has been mulling it over, like I have. This is a filly who learned to wear a halter and be lead by watching the experiences of the other horses. She is as incredible as grandma Wilma!
This weekend a dear friend is going to sit in the chair, and we are going to partner with one of her horses, who are eager to assist her in her growth. I so appreciate all of my friends, human and equine, who are confirming for me that this is the path I should be on.
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