Relational Presence

A couple of weekends ago I attended a workshop called “Speak Authentically with Joy, Ease and Power”.  Going into this day long workshop, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I met the speaking facilitator at one of my workshops that he attended.  Upon hearing that he was a speaking coaching, I thought “Great!  I would attract a professional speaker to be in the audience.” 🙂

Of course I don’t believe in ‘coincidences’ so I decided to check my ego at the door and view this as an opportunity to follow the bread crumbs and see what fun lie on the other side.  We began a dialogue over the next week and discussed sampling each other’s services.  That afforded me the opportunity to attend his day long workshop.  I was prepared to learn about speaking in front of others (which I am pretty comfortable with), pick up a few pointers here and there and polish my presentation skills.  What ensued was an experience beyond my imagination and not the slightest bit aligned with my expectations.  What ensued was pure magic!

The workshop brought together a group of people with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicity, and vocations. However, everyone had one thing in common; they had a strong connection to Oneness and Source.  The workshop wasn’t marketed as a spiritual experience. No mention of spirituality or energy work showed up anywhere on the websites, meetup listing or emails.  I was taken aback (in a good way) by the profound impact the workshop had on me and the other attendees.  I just couldn’t believe it would turn out to be such an emotionally cathartic experience and a practical demonstration of what it feels like to truly connect in a heart-felt and soulful way with another person. Because of the work I do, it’s not surprising that I’m drawn to spirituality and energy work but the real treat was finding the magic when it was completely unexpected.

We live in a world of contrast.  The contrast is what highlights our experiences and allows some of those experiences to touch us very deeply. We wouldn’t know joy without knowing sadness.  We wouldn’t know kindness without knowing anger. We wouldn’t know passion without knowing apathy.

The workshop focused on ‘relational presence.’  Because we live in such a checked out society that is distracted by technology, social media, careers, family, and in general just trying to keep up, we have lost our ability to truly connect in with another person.  I experienced the beautiful side of that contrast…what it DOES feel like to focus in on another for a sustained amount of time.  I also experienced what it feels like to connect energetically to a group of loving, open, receptive and nonjudgmental individuals. Being in the presence of such high vibrational energy allowed everyone to be vulnerable, release the masks they wear and cathartically share stories that have touched their lives.

I found myself in receivership of the collective energy as well as being a contributor to it.  It was a beautiful dance that continued throughout the day.  My amazement was present throughout.  How did a group of individuals all align themselves with the same experience for the purpose of expanding everyone who attended?

By the end of the day I was so inspired with what unfolded that I felt like taking up a mission to encourage the workshop as a requirement for life.  Just think how profound a shift it would be on our planet if every human being treated each other with absolute presence and awareness when interacting with each other.

The workshop was amazing.  But for the time being, I’ve decided to focus on my mission of expanding awareness for the journey of the soul and leave the mission of relational presence to Eric Atwood of Speaking Circles.

For more information on the experience I described above, please contact:

Eric Atwood
770-365-7447
Speech and Presentation Coach
Speaking Circles® Certified Facilitator
http://www.TheSpeakersStudio.com
http://www.meetup.com/Speaking-Circles-in-Greater-Atlanta