The Connection Institute

Open House

August 28 - September 02

Come experience our cutting-edge Circling, Parts Work, Meditation, and Leadership Training Community.

 

All of our Open House classes below are free and open to the public.

Our Open House Events:

Medisaytion with Richard Kwan

MediSAYtion is a simple and easy partner practice with one person sharing (or SAYing) their thoughts, imagery, feelings and present moment body sensations with their eyes closed to a silent witness listening.  Each person is given 5 minutes to warm up and about 20-30mins to dive deeper in the practice with each other.
 
What I love most about this class is the safe space that is created for each person.  There is no feedback or impact shared.  There are no comments on what is being said.  Each person’s own meditative process is sacred and confidential.  At the end of the class, each person can remain silent or share their own meditative insights with the group.  It is a practice where you dive deeper with your whole being.
 

About Richard:

I am not a meditator.  I have trouble sitting still with my eyes closed and meditating. Ever since Paul Falk introduced me to MediSAYtion back in December 2020, I was inspired and was able to meditate for more than an hour with a partner.   Since then, I’ve been practicing and hosting weekly MediSAYtion classes every Sunday morning on The Connection Institute.

Session:
Sunday, August 28
7:30 am PT | 8:30 am MT | 9:30 am CT| 10:30 am ET

*This is a 90 minute session

Growth Circle with David

In this circle you’re invited to pick one thing (tool, skill, principle…) you want to grow in.

  • Maybe you want to let go of perfectionism?
  • You might want to strengthen the habit to pause and check in with yourself more, before you respond to people?
  • You can get more intentional about how you treat boundaries. You might want to set them yourself, or experiment with celebrating other people’s boundaries.
  • Or there’s a kabuki role you want to get better at? (notice, seem, imagine, appreciate, reflect…)
  • Maybe you’d like to test what it’s like to take up more space yourself? Or get more curious about others and offer them space?
  • Perhaps you’d like to play with pacing and see what happens if you go faster or slower?
  • You name it. 

About David:

David’s motto is “stay curious”. 

He’s passionate about making music, automagic dance, writing and being human. 

After practicing and teaching meditation since 2005, his approach changed significantly in 2019 when he dove into emotion processing and circling.

He believes life is all about expanding love, for self and others.

David lives in Belgium and is married to his high school sweetheart. Together they have two daughters, who are natural born Zen masters.

Session:
Monday, August 29
6 am PT | 7 am MT | 8 am CT | 9 am ET

*This session is 90 minutes long

Advanced T-Group with Jorge

T-Group is the practice of revealing our experience in connection with others without asking or being asked questions. In this advanced class, the invitation is to reveal the underlying motivations driving our behavior. This could include values, needs, feelings, and desires.  

This gives us the opportunity to deepen awareness of our internal experiences when in connection with others.

About Jorge:

Jorge Moreira has been immersed in relational practices since 2017 when he joined Authentic Relating Toronto and subsequently studied Circling Facilitation, Master Circle (Surrendered Leadership), and T-Group Facilitation. He enjoys creating and leading workshops designed to cultivate self-awareness and lead to authenticity and genuine connection.

Session:
Monday, August 29
12:30 pm PT | 1:30 pm MT | 2:30 pm CT | 3:30 pm ET

*This session is 90 minutes

Intro to Coyote Series with Rachel and Jen

In some legends,  Coyotes represent master tricksters, often using games, play, and sabotage to teach a lesson to others.

So.. how do we deal with Coyotes that show up in our groups when we are in leadership?

In this series we will review how to meet challenging situations with more skill and grace, including addressing some of these kinds of Archetypal “Coyotes”:

Catharsis Junkie (Juicer), All About Me Moe, Fix-it Fran, Misattuned Mike, Psychotherapy Sally, Jaded Jess, Projecting Pam, The Analyst, The Policeman, The Philosopher, and The Victim.

**This class is for facilitators and coaches. Please do not register if you do not have any experience leading groups.

About Rachel and Jen:

Rachel has dedicated her career to leading herself and others into deeper connection. She especially loves inviting risk into the brave spaces she is committed to creating. She is one of our Head Trainers at the Relational Leadership Academy.

Jen is Head Trainer, CEO and coach at The Connection Institute. She loves empowering people to step into leadership in their lives – in both big and small ways. 

Session:
Tuesday, August 30
9 am PT | 10 am MT | 11 am CT | 12 PM ET

*This session is 90 minutes long

Alter Ego Circle With Laura and Jen

Let’s play with our Alter-egos– characters that are the OPPOSITE of how we like to show up (or be seen).

This practice of acting out personas who you judge or reject can help you deepen self-awareness, empathize with others, and reclaim powerful choices & possibilities that were beyond your reach before, in the “not me,” section of your universe!

About Laura and Jen:

Laura is an artist and healer with an educational background in trauma, life coaching, and theatre. She is passionate about creating opportunities for conscious connection, deep inner work and integration, and healing through community.

Jen is Head Trainer, CEO and coach at The Connection Institute. She loves empowering people to step into leadership in their lives – in both big and small ways. 

Session:
Wednesday, August 31
8 am PT | 9 am MT | 10am CT | 11 am ET

*This session is 90 minutes long

Honoring our Protectors with Peter Benjamin

What happens when we don’t make the ways we protect ourselves wrong?

This Parts class is all about working with defenses.  Together we will practice inviting in a spirit of welcoming, curiosity and acceptance  about our walls, blocks, boundaries, and defenses.

About Peter:

Peter is one of the joyful co-founders of The Connection Institute.  As lead staff trainer and CEO he delights in caring for the staff and students.  Peter also works as a Professional Coach and teaches continuing ed for Coaches and Therapists. Peter’s mission is to support everyone he knows in feeling worthy of love and goodness, and accessing their personal power. 

 

Session:
Thursday, September 1st
8 am PT | 9 am MT | 10 am CT | 11 am ET

*This is a 90 minute session

Parts Theatre with Laura

For most people, inner conflict is a daily experience, yet on we plod, trying ‘harder’ to move forward, despite feeling confused, stuck, or overwhelmed.

Just like other people we care about, it’s important to give voice to all parts of us, especially the ones that have been ignored or silenced in the past.

Sophie will lead a simple yet powerful process to invite our internal parts into a theatrical space to be fully heard, seen, and understood.

About Laura:

Laura is an artist and healer with an educational background in trauma, life coaching, and theatre. She is passionate about creating opportunities for conscious connection, deep inner work and integration, and healing through community.

Session:
Friday, Sept 02
10:00am PT | 11:00am MT | 12:00pm CT | 1:00pm ET

*This session is 90 minutes

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