OUR COURSES

Course Overview

Every cell in your body originates from the sperm and egg of your parents and carry with them the memory of those original cells. These cellular memories inform our present day lives in ways that would we are barely aware of and yet are extremely powerful. Here at the cusp of where consciousness meets biological life powerful dramas are played out that we can find echoed in ancient myth and modern Hollywood blockbusters. Archetypal forces are at work in our beginnings, which shape our sense of who we are, why we are here and what meanings our lives carry. Each of us has our own story that reaches back to our earliest experiences of becoming embodied. Prenatal psychologists have mapped out specific stages that we pass through prior to conception, at conception and at implantation. We all have to experience these templates of embodiment to be here. As we pass though each of these stages we are imprinted by that particular template at a biological, psychological and archetypal level.

Whilst science has traditionally dismissed these early experiences as mere mechanistic processes, cutting edge research in the fields of cell biology and consciousness studies are supporting what prenatal psychologists have known for some time; that who we become has its roots in how we became. The four workshops explore these primary templates through embodied processes that connect us with our beginnings, so that we can understand how the deep emotional self and the perceptual filters by which we experience the world were forged. The opportunity to identify and resolve trauma associated with these templates supports us to be more fully embodied in the present and less driven by self-limiting survival strategies that no longer serve us. Time is given to research and honour our personal stories and to the integration of new possibilities. These workshops are open to anyone who is interested to explore these formative territories. Personal research through embodied experiential exercises is supported by theoretical teaching sessions, hand-outs and group discussions.

Course Structure

The course is residential and consists of four modules, each of which is four days long.

Participants are encouraged to take all four modules to get the full benefits of the course. A certificate of completion is given at the end of the fourth module. As well as personal research the course counts as continuing professional development (CPD).

Module One: The Template of the Sperm

Our encounter with the sperm cell at the level of the soul brings us into relationship with the archetypal masculine, with the biological mandate of life as specifically expressed by the sperm and the cellular consciousness of our father. Our embodying essence becomes ‘entangled in these events and impressions shaping us to become who we are. The body memory of the cellular movements of the sperm are easily evoked and the imprints of this early cellular experience are brought into conscious awareness. Themes that constellate around the template of the sperm include:

• Why our embodying consciousness was drawn to our particular father.

• How his beliefs, dreams, fears, personal and ancestral history , relationship with our mother, diet, state of health and attitudes towards his masculinity and sexuality imprinted our cells and psyche.

• The way in which the biological life of the sperm informed our experience of embodiment into physical form and is actively operating in our present day life.

• How our own attitudes towards sexuality and masculinity were forged.

• How our physiological rhythms and pacing were influenced by the biological mandate of the sperm.

• The way in which our life’s purpose was either enhanced or inhibited by the imprint of the sperm template.

• Our attitude towards death and how this cell, which is required to die for life to continue, informs our fears or acceptance of dying.

Module Two: The Template of the Egg

Unlike the sperm cell which have a brief life span of only three weeks at the most within the body of our father, the egg cell has been present for decades within our mother’s body. It was formed within the ovary of our mother, whilst she was still gestating within her mother’s womb. This connects us powerfully to the matrilineal line, through the direct cellular encounters with both our mother and grandmother. The egg is infused with the personal stories of these women and the archetypal feminine. Until ovulation the egg has remained stationary and in relationship with all it’s ‘sister eggs’ within the ovary. The body memory of the egg is within all of us and carries with it this long-history within the body of our mother, as well as the events that unfolded with the eruption of ovulation. Themes that constellate around the template of the egg include:

• Why our embodying consciousness was drawn to our particular mother.

• How her beliefs, dreams, fears, personal and ancestral history , relationship with our father, diet, state of health and attitudes towards her femininity and sexuality imprinted our cells and psyche.

• The way in which the biological life of the egg informed our experience of embodiment into physical form and is actively operating in our present day life.

• How our own attitudes towards sexuality and femininity were forged.

• How our relationship with change, success and loss of community were influenced by the biological mandate of the egg.

• The way in which our life’s purpose was either enhanced or inhibited by the imprint of the egg template.

• How the matrilineal line runs like a deep river within each of us and carries its history of persecution and discrimination, wisdom and power.

Module Three: The Alchemy of Conception

Conception is often thought of as a single event, but from the perspective of the soul it is a series of events, each with its own archetypal and existential theme. With conception we enter deeper into the world of embodied life. It is profound threshold between where we came from and the conditions of the world we are entering. Conception is a truly alchemical process in which the masculine and feminine elements of sperm and egg merge and the biological nature of the fertilised egg and spiritual nature of the soul fuse. With the death of the sperm the egg is transformed forever, so that a new life can begin to take shape. Later the egg will begin to divide and these ‘daughter cells’ (blastomeres) will in time differentiate to form the various organs and structures which make up our bodies. Our body memory of conception is carried along with the physical unfolding of our structure. Themes that constellate around conception include:

• How our embodying consciousness was changed by the emotional and sexual attitudes of our parents at the time of conception.

• How we were imprinted by any drugs or alcohol that were present at this time.

• Whether we felt tricked, trapped or welcomed into embodied life and how that informs our present day experience of trust, self-esteem and sense of belonging.

• The way in which our commitment to ongoing development and differentiation (individuation) is influenced by conception.

• How our trust in sexuality and intimacy is shaped.

• The way in which we experience our internal masculine and feminine aspects and their embodiment by others.

Module Four: The Implantation Portal

Carrying on from conception we continue down the fallopian tube through to implantation. This is the next major threshold between where we came from and the conditions of embodied life. It is estimated that between 40 to 60% of blastocysts do not successfully implant and hence do not survive. At a profoundly existential level we know this and the implantation phase carries with it this quality of risk. For those who make it, the fertilised egg (blastocyst) burrows into the wall of the uterus. This is truly a portal from one world to another. This is when we get to ‘taste’ our mother’s blood for the first time. As such, it is a precursor of the umbilical relationship with mother. This first taste, which includes her emotional biochemistry and any toxins she has ingested, infuses us with impressions of the world we are entering. The body memory of these initial impressions colours our experience of being here in the present moment. Themes that constellate around implantation include:

• Our relationship with money, food and intimacy

• Our sense of home or lack of it

• Our sense of safety – ‘will I survive here?’

• How we experience and manage toxicity – be it emotional or environmental.

• How we get our needs met in the world.

• What do we need to leave behind, so that can we can survive?

• How we handle transitions – what did passing through the portal of implantation tell us about transitional states?