Online Weekend: The Power of Emotions
23-24 November 2024
Don't Fear Emotions. Feel their Power!
Take a weekend to crack your emotional code
In many ways, emotions are the most important things in our lives. But, simultaneously, they are also the most transparent and misunderstood. We live our lives trying to feel positive things and avoid negative things. Emotions colour our life and give our experiences meaning. Without emotions life would be unbearable and inhuman.
This weekend you will be looking at your own unique emotional thumbprint.
All mammals have what is know as affect (the physiological reactions, hormone responses and behavioural follow-throughs) but human have especially complex emotions because our affect passes through a complicating mesh of language, culture, family and religious upbringing and personality. That's what makes us unique...
Understanding your emotional code unlocks immense power and richness in your life.
What will I experience on this weekend?
This 2-day Zoom course is a relaxed and friendly exploration of this central aspect of being human. Together we will look to explore the following:
emotions are natural and all emotions are valid.
how we ignore our emotions at our peril
understanding Panksepp’s wheel can make us feel more secure emotionally.
emotions are a mix of biological affect and personal conditioning.
recognising our own unique emotional thumbprint.
we don’t have to be feeling emotions all the time
feeling an emotion doesn’t mean acting it out.
Beingfulness provides a safe space to experience emotions
mental health is improved by practicing emotional granularity
be aware of how you feel about your feelings.
check your mood.
at root emotions are empty of permanent, inherent essence
emotions make life meaningful and rich - so go feel them!
The sessions run from 10am - 4pm UK time on the Saturday and Sunday with an hours break for lunch. We'll be using Zoom to connect. There will be notes and handouts and recordings after the course is over.
Pricing
We've got an early bird rate for this weekend. Up until the 31st October you can book the weekend for £50. Going forward the price climbs to £75.
And, of course, we never want money to stop you from getting the benefit of meditation. So if the concessionary rate is also too much for you right now then please click the right-hand button below and we will find a way to make it happen!
What to expect from a this online workshop
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This is an online workshop using Zoom. It is not an in-person retreat but we like to hold a strong container for the weekend. The zoom link will be sent to you when you register.
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We will begin on Sunday morning at 10 am (all times UK time) with introductions.
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We'll finish at 5 pm on Sunday and have an hour's break for lunch. There will be tea and pee breaks too.
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Alistair will teach and guide practice throughout the weekend. His teaching will be illustrated where necessary with slides.
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There'll be plenty of time to share experiences in break-out groups.
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The teaching and Q&A sessions will be recorded and shared with you after the retreat. (For reasons of confidentiality please don't share beyond the group!
About the teacher
Alistair is a broadcaster, psychotherapist and meditation teacher.
He's worked for the BBC for more than 20 years and works as a UKCP-accredited therapist in East Sussex. Since 2004, he's run Mindsprings, his therapeutic meditation organisation which teaches body-based and Buddhist solutions to many of our everyday problems.
Mindsprings offers popular meditation-based courses on many subjects:
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helping people with anxiety, dissociation, stress.
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working with mental health in the LGBTQ community.
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exploring the growing field of embodiment and somatic practices.
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teaching Buddhist practices for mental health and well-being
Alistair teaches in England, Wales, Scotland, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Iceland and the Netherlands.
