Every one of us has a side of ourselves that continuously observes, monitors, evaluates and judges our own decisions and actions. While recognising this inner voice is common, in many ways this voice is so ‘normal’ that we seldom notice it or pay attention to the impact it is having.
Why do we allow this inner voice to pass judgment (often with intense feelings of hostility) towards us? What are we protecting ourselves from or against? How does all of that impact on our emotional health?
This 2-day workshop offers the opportunity for us to explore and better understand our own ‘inner critic’ and its effect. As a result, we will come to learn a great deal more about our own personalities, cultivate self-compassion and strengthen inner peace.
It is inspired by the fascinating teaching of Don Riso and Russ Hudson on each Enneagram Type’s ‘inner critic’ structure and the ‘boundaries’ – Closed, Open and Flexible – that are in place to protect the personality.
Over the two days, we will specifically examine the coping strategies of these three ‘boundaries’ to gain a deeper understanding of the way in which they ‘show up’ and their impact on us and others.
Why are those with a ‘Closed’ boundary structure afraid of getting in touch with their heart? Why do they avoid feelings of vulnerability? Why do those with an ‘Open’ boundary structure feel so overwhelmed with the demands of the external world that they withdraw deeper into their inner world? Why is it so important for those with a ‘Flexible’ boundary structure to cultivate ‘inner guidance’ to reduce the over-influencing and intensity of the Inner Critic.
We will also learn about the loops we create that continue to protect the boundaries we have, visit some of our hidden beliefs and assumptions around these, and explore ways to reclaim our ability and capacity to make creative choices in our lives.
This Inner Critic workshop was piloted by Stingo Chan in Xin Chu, Taiwan in 2019 with the journey continuing in Kyoto in Japan, then Hong Kong and Shanghai, Bangkok and Singapore. We are excited for Stingo to now bring his work to Australia. We offer a unique approach to the work (through ‘playback theatre’ and somatic experiences) resulting in a greater ‘felt-sense’ experience and deeper understanding of the boundaries themselves.
Workshop purpose
- To examine and experience how our inner critic is embedded in our personalities and the impact this has on our daily lives.
- To develop a deeper understanding of each of the inner critic’s distinctive structures based on our understanding of the personality.
- To integrate insights and connections through a holistic body experience, and to provide the opportunity to expand options to move forward.
About Stingo, the Enneagram and Playback Theatre
One way of interpreting the Enneagram is to see it as a system of personality typing, describing patterns in how people interpret the world and manage their emotions. There are 9 Enneagram types, each of which has a gift, a basic fear and a coping strategy that largely guides actions and decisions.
Stingo began studying the Enneagram in 1997 and has trained with some of the best-known Enneagram teachers world-wide, including Russ Hudson, Don Riso, David Daniels, Tim McLean, Ginger Lapid-Bodga, Tom Condon and Jerry Wagner.
Playback Theatre is a spontaneous theatre form created through a unique collaboration between performers and audience. It involves someone sharing a story or moment from their life, then choosing other workshop participants to play the different roles in the story. They (and other participants) can then watch as their story is recreated and given artistic shape and coherence.
Stingo first learned Playback Theatre from Veronica Needa in Hong Kong in 1997 and subsequently from its founders, Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas, in the USA and Europe. He formed a group called Ultimate Playback Group in Hong Kong in 2012.
Agenda
Read the full agenda on the program brochure here. Note that the workshop commences with a pre-session Zoom meeting on Wednesday, October 16 between 4.30pm and 6.00pm AEST.