Active listening is non-judgmental listening with full attention.
Active listening is about not only listening but also about acceptance and reception of the speaker’s whole self. Active listening requires the listener to be empathetic, non-judgmental and congruent. It requires the listener to be open to whatever the client says. It does not mean that a listener cannot have an opinion or own emotions. If we feel it necessary to express our feelings that arise during the speech of the client it is very important to express them as solely personal, never in a judgmental way.
There are certain communication techniques that help active listening such as repeating or paraphrasing certain words or sentences of the client, highlighting a couple of topics that seem to be important. Summarizing the topic, articulating emotions that the speaker mentions, and the use of symbols and images.
The Wheel of Life tool is a process where, in just a few steps, participants create a graphic visualization that is an assessment of various areas of their lives. In the end it gives a broad overview so the participant can see which parts of their lives are going well and which ones could be improved upon.
Wheel of Life tool is part of the Live Your Power workbook, which could be viewed as an in-depth course-length process. Find the full workbook at hostingtransformation.eu.
The purpose of Setting Your Intention is to clarify, both within oneself and within the group, what each person’s aim is.
In order to get clarity about a topic or to determine your spiritual location, you go out alone into nature and trace this topic there. In the mirror of your environment, guided by your intuition, you receive “medicine”, a gift of impressions and impulses.
The Medicine Walk is an ancient and a modern practice. We have always made medicine walks into nature or pilgrimages, because the space out there gives us the possibility to reconnect. To reconnect with levels within ourselves that are not accessible to us through the mind alone, the deep inner knowledge about nature and being. It is a magical experience. Magical because it is animated by many different encounters – with plants, trees, animals, stones, branches, images…. All the living beings out there invite you to get in touch with them. For example, an encounter with a squirrel. You can ask a question about something specific that is on your mind and see/listen to what happens, what comes up as an answer while observing the squirrel. You can also let yourself be drawn to interesting places. It’s a free space out there, follow your intuition.
If you feel a burning question in you – take it with you on your Medicine Walk!
The purpose of the Round of Gratefulness is to practise the attitude of gratefulness. This brings deeper peace, greater well-being and an enhanced capacity for joy and self-empowerment.
There are five guiding principles that can serve as touchstones to support the practice:
- Life is a gift
- Everything is a surprise
- The ordinary is extraordinary
- Appreciation is generative
- Love is transformative
You can use freewriting for various purposes, e.g. for reflection, integration, generating ideas or conflict resolution. Set a clear timeframe (10-20 minutes maximum) and start writing without stopping. If you have the intention to generate ideas, write down every idea you can think of about your topic, no matter how “crazy” it is. You can judge later (and no one else is going to read it). Don’t worry about correct grammar or spelling, that is not important in this exercise.
The Way of Council is an ancient and modern practice, a structure for holding conversations, where each participant truly listens and truly shares. From waysofcouncil.net : “Council offers a way of communicating that encourages attentive listening, as well as honest and compassionate expression. It makes room for new insights and understandings, wisdom in decision making, and healing. As a personal practice, a group process and a life-pathway, council is an intrinsic ingredient of our education at any age and especially important for families, guides, teachers, therapists, caregivers or anyone whose work involves groups.”
Participating agreements are a set of directions for how each participant aims to behave in a workshop, course, meeting etc. They are co-created by everyone in the room to reflect the kind of culture that participants seek in order for the group culture to feel safe, respectful and encouraging for all involved. The details will vary from group to group although there are key similarities that any group of people desire.