What is Relateful - it's not JUST being vulnerable> right?
What is Relateful?
This is something i think about almost all day long. Ok that's extreme over stating, but it's a big part of my life. It's not what is it, but more like, HOW DO I EXPLAIN IT?
What is it though. So for me, it's been a life changing practice. For me, after trying what felt like every healing modality in the universe (obviously impossible task), circling 2018 on circle anywhere was the tool that truly created the - changes.
What's most alive for me at the moment, is the memories of the people who tried circling/relateful and did not like it. WHAT no, some people don't like it? That can't be (wish i could change font color for my sarcasm).
These imprinted memories of witnessing sessions where a person seemed to have a need and that need wasn't met. For instance, someone (person A) reaches out to another participant (person B) with some love and care - the receiver (B) - goes into their system truth at the moment - and communicates - they cannot receive and or reciprocate this love and care. The person A offering their care becomes upset obviously trigger. The "giver" person A, is not able to see that they weren't actually giving love/care, but asking for love care. Maybe this is a big assumption on my part - but if we give someone a compliment or reach out for connection and we are not received the way we wanted to be received... then it's not giving - it's almost demanding, or cloaked need.
This person A was (probably still is) a therapist in the real world. We connected outside of the platform and listened to their side and how upsetting this experience was for them. That person then made claims that this practice isn't safe. Person A did not continue. Person B is someone i trust and wasn't at the time, but is now a Relateful facilitator. Stating this, i want to side with participant B doing this practice, being themselves, expressing in a way, their inability to allow love in, who was not available for a connection, but was available for being with that inability to connect. That is how i witnessed it. It felt to me like a beautiful experience, but it's hard for person A to be with how it feels to reach out and not be received.
I'm guessing (assuming) you have all witnessed this in a session in some way. Then there are rumors from these types that Relateful is - not just an unsafe practice, but they seem to claim it's harmful or damaging.
The example given was the most obvious in my witnessing. The therapist unaware of what this practice and the seasoned practitioner doing the practice - with their most truth in the moment, can't receive their love and care. There was not an attack of any kind, the receiver was in my opinion doing a beautiful practice with attunement and didn't speak until prodded to respond and when doing, did their best to be kind in their moment of not wanting to love bomb out of a social norm.
Not saying we can't get better at attuning. Not saying it was a perfect example.
What i'm wondering is if there is a way to explain this practice in advance- where they are prepared??? Like how powerful and life changing this could have been for the therapist and my actress friend and many others.
This sweet well mannered soft actress friend of mine practiced for a few months and felt similar in times... she said "i was being my most vulnerable and it's harmful for me to continue this practice". This friend of mine - 5 years ago - i felt responsible, that i some how oversold the practice as a place to be your most authentic self. She internalized it - "a safe place to be vulnerable". But i never said that, even back then, i would describe this practice as a "safe place to practice being with unsafe".
Now very recently with a human who will remain nameless... heard similar things:
paraphrasing:
"i was being my most vulnerable self..."
This invisible rule, if someone is being vulnerable, then the whole group has to be gentle and say "awe" or something like that.
Or that if one is being vulnerable, the group needs to navigate as to not cause any harm to that person. It's so sublte and submersive comes to mind, but they participant is UNAWARE that there vulnerability is cloaked in need and manipulation.
How to communicate what this practice is???!!!