Transpersonal Workshops in Dorset
All transpersonal workshops in Dorset now take place at:
Ponies' End, Budden's Lane, West Melbury, Shaftesbury, SP7 0LY, Dorset – usually in our home.
Ian is a qualified and experienced teacher, artist and musician, with training in Humanistic Counselling and Transpersonal Psychotherapy and a master's in Transpersonal Arts and Practice (Archetypal Psychology). He has held various posts within the Counselling Departments of Huntingdon and Melton Mowbray Regional Colleges, as a supervisor, trainer and moderator, and been a trainer for Dorset Adult Education following many years' experience in industry and commerce. He now works in private practice. Ian trained in Transpersonal Psychology with Hazel Marshall, who had attended the original trainings run by Ian Gordon-Brown and Barbara Somers. At these seminars, Hazel made thorough notes of the teachings, which, along with information gathered from sound recordings made at the time, Hazel edited as a series of four volumes. Ian designed the covers, some of the illustrations and the layouts which were then successfully published by Archive Publishing and are available worldwide today. He has been facilitating and teaching workshops and experiential days in Britain and Ireland since 1994. He is a Reiki Master, Sechiem Master and has many years experience as a shamanic practitioner. He may be contacted at ian@archivepublishing.co.uk or telephoned on 07939 030875
Transpersonal Weekends in Brief
Approaching the Self – Personality Integration – TPW1
Fri: 6 for 6.30pm - 10 pm; Sat: 9.30 for 10am - 6pm; Sun: 9.30 for 10am - 3pm
and for those that experienced TPW1 over 6 months or more ago:
The Masculine and Feminine Within – TPW2
Fri: 6 for 6.30pm - 10 pm; Sat: 9.30 for 10am - 6pm; Sun: 9.30 for 10am - 3pm
and for those that experienced TPW2 over 6 months or more ago:
Cycles and Stages – TPW3
Fri: 6 for 6.30pm - 10 pm; Sat: 9.30 for 10am - 6pm; Sun: 9.30 for 10am - 3pm
and for those that experienced TPW3 over 6 months or more ago:
Initiation and the Myth of the Journey – TPW4
Fri: 6 for 6.30pm - 10 pm, Sat: 9.30 for 10am - 6pm, Sun: 9.30 for 10am - 3pm
The Transpersonal Journey of the Soul
The prefix 'trans' means 'beyond', so when we say 'transpersonal' we are talking about something beyond our everyday selves — often referred to as the Self, with a capital 'S'. This 'Self', 'Soul' or 'Atman' is also known as the 'Higher Self'. It is the part of us that knows on a deeper level what our life is about, and what aspects of ourselves we need to bring to the fore to express who we truly are.
Learning to access the supportive guidance of our Self is invaluable in our search to lead happier, more meaningful lives, and to fulfil the Soul’s purpose.
We can learn to listen to this guidance in meditation, in observation of nature and the natural world around us, and through our dreams as well as our creative processes of which these workshops may form a part.
The Introductory Workshops and Dates
The four introductory workshops, created originally by Barbara Somers and Ian Gordon-Brown, have been the foundation and hallmark of Transpersonal work in the UK since the 1970s. Today they are as valid and life enhancing as ever, with a remarkable power to widen our horizons and illuminate our journey.
These transpersonal workshops offer ordinary people seeking personal growth the chance to explore their own inner worlds, gain insight into their unconscious patterns, work towards freedom from the control of those patterns and thus find more meaning in their lives. However, Ian (IGB) said: ‘No one should do the workshops unless they are on an inner, spiritual path, or quest, or pilgrimage – are seeking some sort of initiation.’ It was made clear that galloping from stage to stage is not helpful. Indeed it is often found to be useful to have at least six months between workshops. In these experiential weekends, participants are offered opportunities to explore their own sense of Self through creative work with symbols, guided imaging, inner dialogue and gestalt exercises as the main techniques for contacting the inner world. 'The whole thing is a path of initiation. It’s a progression, a developmental process that confers freedom. It catches naturally into people’s need – no one need bend themselves to fit. The material is, yes, for counsellors, therapists and those who work with people, but not only for them. It is, as originally conceived, for anyone drawn to it. First and foremost, it is for individuals at a personal level.'
Workshop I Approaching the Self – Personality Integration – TPW1 on the weekend of:
2024 – to be decided
As a first step towards self-knowledge, we explore the nature of consciousness, look at our self-image, and through exercises and guided imagery encounter our sub-personalities with their often surprising characteristics, which unconsciously but powerfully dwell and act within us all. A Gestalt exercise sheds light on how our body, mind and emotions relate to each other, and how their potential conflicts can be resolved.
Workshop II The Masculine & Feminine Within Us – TPW2 on the weekends of:
2024 – to be decided
The Universe rests on the equilibrium of the opposed but complementary energies of Yin and Yang, the feminine and masculine principles. The same energies operate within us. Each sex contains a fragment of ‘the other’, and in this workshop we meet, recognize and befriend our Inner Man/Inner Woman, Jung’s Animus and Anima. Cooperating with them releases fresh energies and can improve our human relationship.
Workshop III Stages and Cycles of Growth – TPW3 on the weekends of:
2024 – to be decided
In the Transpersonal worldview life is a journey that doesn’t begin at birth and doesn’t end with the death of the body. Its purpose is inner development and the fulfilling of our true potential. In this workshop we explore life’s cycles and phases – and their specific tasks – from birth to death, look at possible changes of direction, and discover the power and the risks of unconsciously projecting parts of ourselves onto others.
Workshop IV Initiation and the Myth of the Journey – TPW4 on the weekend of:
2024 – to be decided
From time immemorial there have been mystery schools and centres of spiritual training offering seekers a path of accelerated development, a progressive initiation into new, expanded states of consciousness. The modern counterpart of initiation is individuation. Seen from a Transpersonal perspective, the path of initiation, both inner and outer, is the journey between the individual's first conscious response to the Transpersonal Self and full Self-realisation
