Spirit into Form: Being with the Book 2022

This course with Cherionna Menzam-Sills is being offered again in response to requests from eager readers who missed it the first time, as well as some who found their participation in the course so valuable that they want to do it again.

The intention of the course is to deepen together in the experience of reading Cherionna’s new book, Spirit into Form: Exploring Embryological Potential and Prenatal Psychology. Cherionna will share some material from the book each class, as well as guiding you through an experiential exploration and group discussion. The plan is to read one or two chapters each month, then meet to explore their themes together. Bring your curiosity, your questions and your willingness to read the book!

Recent trauma therapies are incorporated into the book and will inform our time together. One aspect included in the book is the element of cultural trauma, how our personal trauma experiences can be influenced by the larger context of the culture in which they occur. For example the stresses mothers are exposed to prenatally affect their babies and the birth. These stresses often include not only the accelerated pace of the modern world but also being in a collective field of racism, violence, and other ongoing threats like a global pandemic.

One aspect of healing of collective trauma is being able to meet in groups where we can experience a safe holding field, which is also what little ones need. Although it is important to note that this course is not therapy and not a replacement for personal therapy if needed, a major intention of this course is to establish and grow such a therapeutic healing field, where we can be present with whatever trauma may have occurred on our way into form, and also access the incredible potential of that early time.

The format for the course is twelve 2-hour sessions. We will meet approximately once a month to review, explore and discuss together a section of the book. Usually, we will cover one chapter each month.

Each class will involve a guided group settling meditation, a short presentation or talk relevant to the reading for that month, a guided experiential exploration related to the reading, and time for questions and discussion, both in the large group and in optional smaller groups in break out rooms.

Please note that this course, while likely to have therapeutic effects, is not therapy and is not to be used in place of therapy. If you find yourself activated or overwhelmed by the reading, please find a therapist you can trust to support you with this. Most helpful would be a practitioner who is familiar with pre- and perinatal trauma, or at least has somatic/body-centered trauma skills, like Somatic Experiencing. Other practices like trauma-informed yoga or meditation can also be supportive.

You can find a list of prenatal and birth-oriented therapists at the website of APPPAH (Association for Pre- and Perinatal Psychology and Health)  and of the Castellino training . Please also feel free to contact Cherionna for referrals to graduates of trainings she has facilitated or co-facilitated.

To find the course materials once you have registered, please choose this course from My Courses after you log in, then choose Curriculum, which is below the full course description. If you join the course after it has begun, please review the videos of the classes you have missed before attending the next one. Please note that a copy of the book is not included in the tuition.

TUITION

• £255 payable via PayPal (about $305 USD, $395 CAD, 300 euros) – Early bird until October 6th, 2022 is £230

Includes:

• 12 CLASSES (24 hours of class time)
• Lifetime access to video recordings of each class
• Lifetime access to additional videos and other supplemental learning materials

Detailed Curriculum:

How to Access the Class and Video

Once you have purchased the course, it will appear under My Courses when you log in to the website. Choose the course, scroll down to where you can click on the Access Zoom Registration Link button below. You will need to register for the meeting with Zoom in order to attend.