Imagine you walked around everywhere carrying a heavy rucksack on your back.
It weighs you down, makes you physically tired, and it gets mentally draining knowing it’s always there lurking behind you.
This is how it is for most people these days in our busy, stressful lives…
Only difference is, that rucksack is invisible and it’s filled with the weight of our fears, anxieties, insecurities, and emotional blockages.
The outside world can’t see it, and neither can you – but you can feel it.
Those fears, doubts, insecurities, and stuck energies can become extremely heavy when relationships get difficult. They become intensified when your job becomes a grind, and they continue to burden you when you refuse to let go of charge-filled events from the past (either consciously or unconsciously).
The regular ceremonies we hold in collaboration with Rory Lamont and Shannon Brown at CAIM health retreat in Highland Perthshire allow you to finally ditch the rucksack – and lighten the load on yourself.
The retreats allow men and women to do some invaluable inner work to foster self-care and improve their health and wellbeing. This involves the use of various natural tools, including ancient medicines from the Amazon and breathing techniques. You can learn more about those by clicking here.
However, there’s one other natural tool we use that’s equally as important and ever-so simple: our sharing circle.
Participants are invited to speak openly and honestly at the beginning and end of the retreats, which can have extraordinary benefits.
“Often people come from backgrounds and relationships where it’s very difficult to speak their truth,” said Alan Wilson, of Yourevolution and one of the retreat facilitators.
“For these men and women, it’s usually the first time they’ve had the chance to tell a group of people that they’ve never met before how they really feel inside – and sometimes that can be easier.
“By being able to speak that truth it lightens the load on them.”
Here in Scotland, it’s uncommon to speak openly about how we feel. Often, we bottle up our emotions and this adds to the heavy load we carry around with us.
What Exactly Is A Sharing Circle…How Does It All Work?
Alan explains how, at the start of each retreat ceremony, people are invited to introduce themselves, and share a little about themselves – if they choose to do so.
“What’s really important is that we often say ‘share as much or as little as you want’,” said Alan. “Some people don’t feel comfortable sharing, especially at the beginning of the day where everyone is a bit tentative about the day ahead and what’s to come through the experiences they’ll be having.
“Others may feel more comfortable and might share the reasons why they came along, their intention for the day, and sometimes a bit more about their life and what led to them coming along that day. Even at the beginning of the day the sharing can be super powerful in terms of getting people dialled in, sharing, and being vulnerable.
“From a facilitator perspective, it’s really important to tell everyone attending to give the person the floor when they’re talking. Quite often we resonate with what others are saying and the natural reaction is to jump in and agree, sharing some thoughts of their own.
“But it’s really important to give the person that space to speak their truth and allow them to be validated.
“At the beginning of the day, it’s generally a shorter sharing. At the end of day, people can take as long as they need.”
How Effective Is This Sharing Process?
Nearly 100 people of all ages and backgrounds have attended the retreats up until now, and therefore many different stories have been shared. However, participants often find more clues to their own puzzle by listening to the reflections of others.
Alan said: “What I’ve noticed, particularly when we get to the end of ceremonies, is that when people have been given the opportunity to reflect with an expanded level of consciousness and awareness, it is super powerful.
“Sharing isn’t just about finding the courage and being comfortable enough to share, but also actively being a listener for others and just being present with that individual as they try to process moving through their life, or answers they’ve got that day during the ceremony.
“By virtue of others being able to really tune in and listen, it helps them develop a really important skill as well, which is compassionate listening. Being able to listen to someone else and the struggles they’ve been through, it’s effective for helping people to really sit with another human being in a place of non-judgement.
“That person could be expressing something that doesn’t align with you, but it’s their truth and it’s really important to just allow that to be validated in the sharing experience.
“Rory likes to say, ‘we are the medicine for each other’ – and it’s so true. There’s so much we can glean from just listening to our brothers and sisters sharing their experiences.
“There’s an opportunity to tap into high wisdom. I often see a lot of myself in the sharing that’s occurring, and that gives me food for thought. Almost like a mirror, it gives me a reflection of areas where I can work on as well.”
How Powerful Can Sharing Be In Terms Of Health & Wellbeing?
The retreat facilitators find that many people are carrying around deeply-entrenched beliefs about themselves, about others, and about the world. The inner work carried out during the course of the retreats, rounded off by sharing, allows for a fresh perspective and more positive outlook.
“Coming through one of these deep day experiences, or weekend experiences, often challenges us to open our heart,” said Alan. “It also provides a very safe space where you can step in and express yourself fully.
“Being able to speak your truth in a safe environment where there’s non-judgement allows people to step back into their lives with a new energy.
“When you lighten the load, you create space – and that space can then be filled with lots of positive stuff. It could mean going back and changing habits, or re-evaluating the way you’ve been living, the circle of friends you’ve got, or your career.
“Emotionally, and even physically as well sometimes, the process of sharing can be massive. Getting stuff properly off your chest physically makes you feel lighter. You don’t have all the stress hormones coursing through your body when you’ve been able to unload and get it all out there.
“Speaking those words truthfully in that space is like powerful medicine for us. It helps us in becoming a wee bit more rounded and balanced.”
Self-Conscious About Revealing Your Innermost Thoughts And Feelings?
Of course, many people are reluctant to share openly and honestly about their emotions and what keeps them up at night.
That’s okay. There’s zero pressure, just an opportunity to do so if they wish.
“I recognise how difficult it can be when people are really self-conscious and worried about the sharing aspect of themselves on retreats,” explained Alan. “We remind people to share as little, or as much, as they want. It’s really about empowering that person to feel like they’re in control.
“There’s never any pressure to share. If someone chooses to skip it completely that’s okay, but obviously we’d always encourage people to try to share. Even speaking about one wee thing they got out of the retreat experience helps because it can help seal those energies they’ve experienced that day.
“It also gives them time to support the integration and processing of experiences they’ve had.
“And once again, I’d remind them of the benefits of sharing: being held and supported in a safe environment to speak your truth, without being lectured or judged.
“What usually holds people back is basically a reluctance to let their guard down. But what I find is that during the course of the day people are being vulnerable around others regardless because of the kambo and the breathwork.
“So, they come into the room that morning less inclined to share because they’re feeling a bit tentative. As the day goes on, they discover they’ve probably got a lot more in common with the others than they could’ve imagined. That helps create that sense of safety and assists in people feeling more at ease.”
* To book a space at one of our upcoming retreats, please get in touch (you may have to book 1-2 months in advance as spaces fill up quickly).
For more information, email: info@you-revolution.co.uk
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