Workshops

Introduction to the Sentient Body

“Our sense of well being depends on unfolding subtle body sensations that reflect the underlying dreaming or essence level of reality... I have found that all body movements and symptoms can be traced back to these tiniest, most subtle, 'imaginary' experiences that precede their 'real' everyday appearances." Arnold Mindell

Subtle sensations in the body open us to the deep, unbroken wholeness from which all experience arises. Through Sentient Awareness, a finely-tuned transpersonal awareness that picks up slight somatic experiences, we discover that the tiniest events can lead to deep and transforming moments.

When we explore our physical bodies using Sentient Awareness we find that the body carries information essential to our life path, information that may later appear in our dreams, relationships, body symptoms and life events. Bringing awareness to subtle body experiences, we interact through small and/or large movements, energy sketches and simple words to translate their messages into our daily world.  With short discussions, inner work exercises and demonstrations we touch into different levels of reality and learn to recognize communications from the underlying essence level in our bodies and in our lives. Email lisa@sentientbody.com or call Lisa at (360) 385-7760 for more information.

This class is a prerequisite to other offerings including Exploring the Sentient Body-3 class Series, Your Mythic Path and the Sentient Body, Creating a Sentient Body Practice and Discovering the Earth.

“Even before I was gifted with such spectacular experiences I was enjoying your presence, style, presentation. Realness goes a long way with me. I feel like my life in every way is inviting me in to territory that I have resistance to, all to do with getting further into my body and the moment. Sentient awareness is one of the many prongs that invites, invites, invites. I am super, super glad I took these classes." -Shanti Aurora, Eugene, OR

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Practitioners Guide to the Sentient Body; a Process Work Approach

“Every time you ignore sentient, that is generally unrecognized, dreamlike perceptions, something inside you goes into a mild form of shock because you have overlooked the spirit of life, your greatest potential power.” Arnold Mindell

We seldom pay attention to slow and subtle body experiences, Sentient Body communications, in ourselves and in our clients.  Discover how vague sensory impressions contain information about energies trying to unfold in ourselves and others before they appear in body symptoms, dreams and life events. This is Process Work Psychology developed by Drs. Arny and Amy Mindell from the inside out. In this workshop, we explore and integrate these experiences into our professional practice.

Sentient Awareness, a finely-tuned perception that picks up slight physical experiences reveals the body’s wisdom, connecting us with the sentient world. Beginning with the body, we pick up “flirts”, experiences that usually remain below the threshold of consciousness. These subtle signals offer tools to guide ourselves and our clients toward wholeness.

We interact with subtle body experiences through awareness, small and/or large movements, energy sketches and simple words. Through short discussions, inner work and demonstrations we touch into different levels of reality and weave these experiences into our professional practice. Underlying communications from "the spirit of life" appear in our bodies, our daily lives and in our work as massage therapists, counselors, social workers and health care professionals.  Email lisa@sentientbody.com or call Lisa at (360) 385-7760 for more information.

“You are an inspiration!  The process you led us through and the experience I had are still with me and I find myself calling on it at random moments.  It is a help to have a tangible experience on an intangible understanding.” -Lindy Brooking MA LMHC, Port Townsend WA

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Exploring the Sentient Body-A 3 part series

“But from another point of view, you are the universe’s mother, giving its directional nature a chance to be realized in everyday life. You can bring the stars to earth.” Arnold Mindell

We focus on understanding Sentience, a transpersonal awareness that accesses the deep wisdom of the body. Developing a practice of Sentient Awareness, we notice subtle sensations called “flirts” which drop us into the Essence Level of reality, the deep, unbroken wholeness from which all experience arises.

In the first class we learn to recognize the underlying Essence level engaging and communicating with us through subtle physical experiences. In the second class we follow its path into Dreamland, where energies that have been ignored or unclaimed amplify to enter our dreams, symptoms and relationships. In the third class we weave what we have discovered into our daily lives and explore how Consensus Reality experiences are connected to all levels of being, reflective of our underlying wholeness. We take what we have learned and create a daily practice that enriches our world.

Through short lectures, demonstrations, inner work excerices and dyad work we touch into the different levels of reality. Exploring our physical bodies using awareness and movement, we find tools for understanding and relating to these underlying realms. From there we can become co-creators with the underlying energetic field.

This series is open to participants who have taken an Introduction to the Sentient Body workshop. Email lisa@sentientbody.com or call Lisa at (360) 385-7760 for more information.  

"The process of working with issues and emotions via bodily movement was extremely powerful.  Your approach was gentle, affirming, personable.  Your openness about yourself made the work very approachable.” -Lesley Tabor, NY

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Your Mythic Path and the Sentient Body

“You don’t have to choose between different parts; they can all be there at the same time…. A special kind of magic can happen when we are able to be with all the different parts.  Out of that can come something that is better than and different from any of the parts, and yet all the parts have given something essential to that new synthesis.”
Ann Weiser Cornell

Our earliest dreams and memories are blueprints for the energies we work with throughout our lives. These snapshots illustrate the parts of ourselves that become our primary identities and the secondary aspects that seek awareness and relationship through us.  Exploring our life myth as laid out in our earliest dreams and/or memories we discover the unique energies the underlying sentient field has bound together in our beings. Identifying the various aspects of ourselves, both conscious and unconscious, we look to create acceptance and relationship between these different parts. This opens us to the gift our unique constellation of energies brings to our communities and the Earth.

Bringing awareness to subtle body experiences, we interact through small and/or large movements, energy sketches and simple words to translate the message our dreams and memories bring.  With short discussions, demonstrations, inner work and movement exercises we integrate these energies to honor our unique path in the world.

This series is open to participants who have taken an Introduction to the Sentient Body workshop. (See above)  Email lisa@sentientbody.com or call Lisa at (360) 385-7760 for more information.

"Your workshop not only inspired me but also educated me greatly in a mode [movement] I feel I am only beginning to understand. I experienced your workshop as a gentle, yet provocative prompt of inviting me into an exploration of my inner wisdom's expression. So appreciate you." -Dean Yamamoto M.Div., BCC Portland, OR

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Creating a Sentient Body Practice

“I have several answers for why we marginalize the Dreaming and ignore our sentient tendencies, the shimmering sense of the dark side of the moon.   First, few people focus on subtle tendencies, there is little community support for doing so.  Then these tendencies are subtle, and their meaning is not immediately apparent.  Most people do not think about quick sensations they do not immediately understand.  Finally, to catch actions and thoughts as they are arising from a background of subtle tendencies, you must have developed your mindfulness and concentration, what I call lucidity.” Arnold Mindell

In this ongoing series we explore our unique experience of the Sentient Body and create a practice that is specific to our way of processing.  Identifying our primary channels of perception such as auditory or visual, we discover channels of perception that we are less aware of, often movement or proprioception.  Learning to still our minds, we enter relationship with channels less occupied by awareness which drops us into the magic of the sentient world. Through short exercises and discussions we develop our practice, identifying new tools while learning from others who have been exploring the Sentient Body. We find that our practice serves a greater community of sentience as we explore the power of relatedness in these ongoing classes.

This series is open to people who have taken an Introduction to the Sentient Body workshop. Email lisa@sentientbody.com or call Lisa at (360) 385-7760 for more information.

“A day or two ago I was in a situation where I felt my body present with me (without asking it to be). It was such a comforting feeling. I felt grounded, very present and insulated from weird thoughts. It was a very rich feeling too. 4D? Colors and sensations felt more vibrant & I felt very secure. I would like to work with this to see how I can get there more often…” -Anne M.

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Discovering the Earth

“The universe does not exist 'out there,' independent of us. We are inescapably involved in bringing about that which appears to be happening. We are not only observers. We are participators. In some strange sense, this is a participatory universe.”— John Wheeler

The Earth is our container and playground for embodiment. Join us for this informal exploration of the Sentient Body at play. In the spirit of communion, we explore the Sentient Body and its relationship with the Earth to discover what is calling us into presence. Awareness, movement and the playmates we find in the waves, woods, meadows and beaches join us with the Earth. Through short awareness practices and exercises with nature we notice and follow the wisdom and guidance provided by the Earth, nature and our bodies. This class meets in various locations; the Earth and the group dreaming determine how we move through the evening. Please bring adequate clothing, water, walking shoes, snacks and a chair or blanket if you need them.

Discovering the Earth is a regular event and available to anyone who has taken an Introduction to the Sentient Body workshop. Email lisa@sentientbody.com or call Lisa at (360) 385-7760 for more information.

“Thank you Lisa!!  I had a great experience…  I feel like I got a lot out of the classes.  I especially appreciate you bringing in the Earth as a helper….  I would love it if there was a weekly guided practice, kind of the way people go to a weekly yoga practice.” -Tana K.

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