Couples Council – Creating a sacred, healing space for communication

Quotes

“A soul connection is a resonance between two people who respond to the essential beauty of each other’s individual natures, behind their facades, and who connect on this deeper level. This kind of mutual recognition provides the catalyst for a potent alchemy. It is a sacred alliance whose purpose is to help both partners discover and realize their deepest potentials. While a heart connection lets us appreciate those we love just as they are, a soul connection opens up a further dimension — seeing and loving them for who they could be, and for who we could become under their influence. This means recognizing that we both have an important part to play in helping each other become more fully who we are….A soul connection not only inspires us to expand, but also forces us to confront whatever stands in the way of that expansion.”

– John Welwood

“Romantic Love delivers us into the passionate arms of someone who will ultimately trigger the same frustrations we had with our parents, but for the best possible reason! Doing so brings our childhood wounds to the surface so they can be healed.” – Harville Hendrix

Couples Council – Level 1 Workshop

We believe that the foundation of all strong relationships lies in the ability to communicate well. Sometimes though when we are “in it” we need allies. In this weekend workshop, in addition to learning powerful communication tools, you will be asked to tune into the “spiritual presence” of your relationship. We believe this is a third energy that gets created when two people come together in love. We affectionately call this presence our Relationship Angel.

Jeannie was introduced to this concept of “third presence” during her time of living and working at The Ojai Foundation, a spiritual and educational retreat center in Ojai, CA. I would like to acknowledge the work of Jack Zimmerman and his wife Jacqueline in their body of work, Flesh and Spirit. These teachings and the “spiritual presence” has had a profound impact on her relationship with Mark and indeed, without a Council practice as a couple, it is doubtful that we ever would have gotten married.

To me, the idea of the Relationship Angel (R.A.) builds on Albert Einstein’s thought that, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” When either Mark or I (or both!) are triggered, it is very difficult for us to have any perspective on our discussion. We usually need some cool down time to get our objectivity back on line and see what is really going on.

When we sit in Council together, and call in our R.A., we are reminded of our relationship commitment to walk our relationship as a path of spiritual and personal growth. When we bring ceremony to our marriage and light the candle and say a prayer to dedicate our Council, we drop into a deeper space of listening with each other where our everyday triggers are replaced by a heightened listening from the heart. In this space, things are different, and with the help of our R.A. we really do have a heightened and usually healing perspective on our love. In this space we are definitely able to access a different level of consciousness than created the issue in the first place.

In the Couples Council weekend we will have an opportunity to learn some heart centered relationship skills based on nonviolent communication and the “Clean Talk” process we use in Shadow Work®. We will learn the Council process and you will practice accessing the wisdom of your own Relationship Angel. Each couple will have an opportunity to do a center work piece of Council if they choose.

This is a unique opportunity for couples to support other couples in their healing and growth process. In our culture, we often “hide” our relationship struggles from others. Here we will all be holding space for healing and truth to be shared. The basic principles of Council will be honored, and those of us on the outside circle will be listening from the perspective of the center couple’s Relationship Angel. This is an amazingly supportive process that can help you gain wisdom, perspective, work through challenges and deepen your love.

You will learn these tools and be able to integrate them immediately into your home life. This is the foundational course for the rest of the Transformative Loving series. If you are ready to deepen your love by walking the path of your relationship as a personal and spiritual growth path, this workshop is for you!