I love the high vibes I wake up to the day after I host a workshop. My dear friend Sanja Avramovic and I were thrilled to finally see our hard work and planning become a reality as we created space for our 10 participants at The Art of Health studio in Inglewood.
What I find most fascinating as I prepare for a workshop is how my language in describing the event becomes more clear and succinct the closer we get to the event date. It starts big picture with way too many details. As I engage in the conversation over and over again, I am able to summarize the event in simpler terms where each word packs a punch. Promoting and reminding people about the workshop is my least favorite part of the whole process, but once I am able to describe it in a simple and powerful way, it becomes easier. When I am powerful in my description, it reminds me of the beauty and growth I am embarking on and the gift it is to the world. In the end, if no one registers, I know I still got something out of it. This takes a lot of pressure off of me, and as a result creates much more interesting conversations, regardless of the interest in actually attending the workshop.
Sanja and I are definitely going to plan and host another Experience Collective, so I wanted to take an opportunity to share how it went, how it is different from any other workshop, and what we learned. My goal is to share some value in this post for anyone interested in learning how to master their negative mind (which we all have in various degrees).
The purpose of Experience Collective is to honor the unique and powerful individual, while collaborating and generating a transcendent collective energy. We are stronger together, but we are also powerful and amazing beings individually. We wanted to honor this dualistic nature and speak to why we are biologically driven to be in "tribes" while also driven to self-love and creating a unique legacy of our own. We talked about Happy Chemicals and our mind's habitual nature that conserves energy while also keeping us small and closed off to change. When you understand the system you are working with, it's a lot easier to navigate positive change.
In yoga philosophy, the Yamas and Niyamas are the first two limbs of the eight limbs of yoga. They are known as the tools for mastering the Negative mind. I like to think of them as your tool belt and tools, and through support and big conversations, we develop the awareness and know-how to use these tools throughout our day.
What makes this workshop so unique is the ongoing support and community we are striving to create. While we experience the yamas and niyamas in conversation and in our kundalini practice, we also know that we are creatures of habit. We need repetition, support, and accountability to actually create sustainable change. Which is why I created a 30 day challenge to practice and play with these concepts in your daily life. Those who attend the workshop can opt into this if they choose. An online community for 30 days, and an optional get together at the end to share our leanrings, insights, and celebrate the discipline and growth we collectively created together.
As we went through the workshop last night, both Sanja and I picked up on what we would do differently next time to make the experience fuller and more on par with what our goals are. More examples or anecdotes to understand the concepts, more group work to talk through the concepts, and more discussion on the difference between the Negative, Neutral, and Positive minds. There is always something to improve on and we are committed to making this experience the absolute best it can be.
We are excited and so full of gratitude for everyone who contributed and supported this workshop. Our community of entrepreneurs in yyc are absolutely amazing. Thank you to everyone who participated or donated their time or goodies for this event. We could not have done it without you. (Check out my Instagram post from last night to see the full list of contributors - @dopeame).
Stay tuned for the next Experience Collective, and in the meantime, if you have questions or want to learn more about anything I have mentioned, don't hesitate to reach out. I live for big conversations.
xoxo
*Click below for details on my next workshop scheduled for October 29 at LIV yoga + wellness studio. The Mind-Body Movement