Many people say that their second Workshop is their most difficult one. This isn’t always the case. But it is frequently. And there are many reasons why. Three of the most common are:

  1. Some were preoccupied by comparing their second experience to their first one.
  2. Having been through a Workshop before, many try to lead the group to Community by example and became frustrated when they don’t follow.
  3. Others have a tough time letting go of the fact that so many people can’t seem to follow the guidelines — especially early on.

These and a whole host of other barriers can keep participants stuck in Chaos their second, third, fourth…time around. Instead of building Community, they find themselves held back from participating authentically and simply experiencing the stages as they surface.  They fail to recognize this as the content of the Workshop for them — and find themselves holding on tight to their barriers until it’s too late. Letting go of a barrier like “I find myself constantly wanting to be in my first Workshop instead of this one” or “I can’t stop judging people for not following the guidelines” may feel less personal and less intense than their first encounter with Emptiness. But if that is the content that the Workshop is building for them then that is the content. It is where they’ve been invited to begin their journey toward Community. And until they do they will remain in Chaos.

Considerations for Participation After Your First Workshop

Recommendations

Journaling

Journaling is one of the oldest methods of self-exploration. Many people find it a useful process for clarifying relationships, negotiating new situations, overcoming obstacles, resolving past hurts, gaining insights. It can also be a powerful tool for processing and understanding the Community Building experience as it unfolds. Therefore, we encourage you to consider keeping a journal at breaks and in the evenings during the Workshop. If you plan to continue journaling during the Workshop and you’ve never kept a journal before (or it’s been a long time) here are a few things to keep in mind:

A Few Final Thoughts

Some questions to consider before the Workshop:
Don’t leave Content outside the Circle

Small risks of vulnerability are like invitations to Community.  So don’t work out something about the group outside the group without bringing it back to the group. Chances are that if it was going through your mind it is attached to something going through someone else’s too.

Pay attention to the little things

Like smoke to fire, traces of chaos can lead to the treasures hidden in Emptiness. So don’t ignore the little things that come up for you. This can be tough to do when the group is moving quickly. But try to discipline yourself to take a few beats of silence (even if the group doesn’t) to search yourself for anything that is going on for you or that you might want to offer before going on.

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