Day 4: Looking at the workshop

Liz Here again..... Remember, this is my take on the workshop. Please add comments when I get something wrong.

Check-in
One of the traditions we have in these workshops is what we call "Check-in." The reason we do this goes something like: we desire to create a space for all of us to develop, and as part of that we want to be completely present. So we attempt to lay down those things that are on our minds so we can attend to each other. We always can pick them up at the end of class if we like. (this is my explanation - let me know if there is a better one) The unusual thing about today is that Roger did not announce that we can now check in, instead we all were silent for a while then people spontaneously began checking-in. It continued as a regular check-in until Roger asked us if it was different today than other days when he usually sets the context for check-in. We talked about it a bit and Roger explained further the purpose of check-in. He said that the listening during check-in shifts the space where we can pay attention to our internal process. Some of us want to respond to other's check-in, but when we don't, we can notice this habitual interaction.

Day 3: Observing the underlying structure of conflict

So here I (Liz) am again reporting on the class. I hope that Linda will be back soon as our faithful scribe, but until then.....

I want to be clear that the notes I record here are just my impressions, there are nearly 20 of us in the workshop and I am sure we each have our own impressions. I have a request, to which you all can say "yes," "no," or "maybe later." If you think I missed or misunderstood something that happened in the class, can you please leave a comment? I think if you are are willing to do this, we might end up with a very rich representation of the space we all occupied together for two hours each Friday.

Last week's Homework: The taxonomy of offense

Roger talked a bit about investigating the taxonomy of an offense. Everyone has their own unique structure of offense. We could actually figure out exactly what "pushes our buttons" and teach someone to do just that. We often marry people who can push our buttons exactly.

Day 2: Conflict, the Unsayable, Neutrality, and Love

I am not even pretending to be as insightful and funny as Linda, or as amusing and aware as Dianne. I will just report the facts (as I see them). Also please remember my check in – I was a complete wreck. So here it goes…..

Homework discussion
After check-in Roger ask about our homework. He had questions about the process of journaling (as this was part of the homework). Did we censor our journals for the person we imagine might one day read it (Roger said he had compassion for that person – reading the boring entries)? He encouraged us to not necessarily stop censoring (if we were), but to notice, put attention on the experience. This meta-cognition is a theme through today’s workshop (maybe all of Roger’s workshops).

Roger asked for reports on how the homework went. Someone reported that she had identified a project (conflict to work on) for the quarter, and then promptly resolved the conflict within a few days. She now is left without a project. Roger volunteered that she probably could very easily recreate the conflict if she liked.

Roger also said that this is not unusual, that even observing something (placing attention on it) is a kind of intervention. Things might change just by looking at them. This should be a warning (be careful what you look at).

Day 1: The Nature of Conflict (?)

This is a brief account of our time from a single point of view. I'm not meaning to be so narrow in my seeing, it is simply my natural condition. So I apologize ahead of time for the incomplete, distorted nature of this summary.  Respectfully, Linda Vanasupa

In the response to the question, "Why are you here?", several people reported that they have returned because of the personal and positive learning that takes place in their lives because of their participation.

Roger made clear that the workshop is not about he as an expert, passing onto us some kind of authorized viewpoint so that we then become authorized in our viewpoint.  It is more about us together holding a kind of reflective space in which our own unconscious models and strategies for dealing with conflict can surface.