Let’s Get Emotional! Embracing Your Empathic Genius with Karla McLaren
Sunday, October 24th thru Friday, October 29th at Kripalu Center in Western Massachusetts
People are always telling us not to get emotional, but did you know that your emotions contain your intuition, your honor, your clarity, your capacity to set effective boundaries, your ability to communicate and relate with others, and your ability to heal psychological wounds?
In The Language of Emotions, empath and researcher Karla McLaren introduces readers to the genius of the emotions and teaches specific skills to help identify, welcome, and work with all of them. In this week-long workshop, you and your emotions will experience a safe and welcoming “empathic sleepover camp” where emotional awareness, deep relaxation, and healing laughter will help you translate the language of your own emotions.
You’ll learn empathic mindfulness practices to help you define, ground, and center yourself in a hectic and non-empathic world, and specific ways to skillfully engage with every emotion you have. Special activities include:
- A Shadow Walk to help you learn to deal brilliantly with hatred
- A Grief Ritual to help you mourn your losses, and
- Emotion Theater, a fun opportunity to explore emotions with the help of other empaths
Come and get emotional with Karla McLaren … safely, enjoyably, and with support!
At Kripalu’s gorgeous retreat center, you’ll find healthy organic meals, wonderful views, and the opportunity to relax, get back to nature, and take good care of yourself.
Information about the retreat and accommodations at Kripalu Center
New! Continuing Education Credits are available!
This program will receive 23.5 hours of credit for Counseling through the NBCC, and 23.5 hours of credit for Social Work through the NASW.
Toll-free number for Kripalu: 1-866-200-5203
I’m really looking forward to spending an entire week where it’s okay to talk about emotions, learn about them, welcome them in other people, and have fun doing it! If you can make it, I’d love to see you there. Imagine, a whole bunch of friendly people creating art, healing rituals, and emotional awareness. I can’t wait to go!
If you’re coming, here’s how to prepare:
Dear Empathic, Emotional You!
I’m really looking forward to meeting you!
To prepare yourself for our week together, make sure to have read the book (or audio learning set) The Language of Emotions: What Your Feelings Are Trying to Tell You. If you already understand the material before we meet, we can go into deeper information pretty quickly, and I won’t have to teach everything from scratch.
If you know The Language of Emotions, you’ll also know that our week together won’t be a yelling, cathartic, weeping mess of a bad drama class. Instead, we’ll learn to work with our emotions in honorable ways that protect and nurture the people around us. We’ll set behavioral boundaries right away, so if you’re a very sensitive person, know that you’ll be safe and honored. We empaths need a vacation from this non-empathic world; a gentle, funny, warm, deep, and loving atmosphere. We’ll create that together.
If the weather permits we’ll be doing a walking meditation called the Shadow Walk (if the weather is too rough, we’ll create an indoor version of this walk). Please bring comfortable walking shoes and layers, your favorite water bottle, and a journal to write down the answers you’ll receive on your walk. The shadow is an amazing teacher and it can give you nearly miraculous answers!
We’ll also create a grief ritual for our group (in an extended Wednesday afternoon session), so please bring a photo or memento of a lost loved one. You can also bring mementos that signify losses other than death (for instance, a relationship, a job, a dream, good health, etc.). If you’re unsure of what to bring, ask yourself the questions for grief: What must be mourned? and What must be released completely? Your grief will help you find the perfect item.
In summary, please bring:
- Walking shoes
- Layered clothing for changeable weather
- A journal
- Water bottle
- A photo or memento for our grief shrine
- Your tired and huddled empathic self, yearning to breathe free, to relax, and to laugh!
