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| Fall at Omega
In early October approximately 90 people gathered at the Lake Theater, Omega Institute, near Rhinebeck NY, participating in the conference The Continuing Evolution of Constellations. Originally created for Bert and Sophie Hellinger's long-awaited return to share their newest work in the USA, by September the announcement came that they would not be able to make the trip (Bert is now in his late-eighties and had just returned from work in Mexico; it was felt that another long trip so soon would compromise his health). Rather than forfeit the dates and location, organizers Suzi Tucker and Steve Jimenez produced an Autumn "phoenix" and, as Suzi recently posted, the decision "...was right in line with Bert Hellinger’s emphasis on being in
accord with life. Life shifts, ebbs and flows, and sometimes takes sharp turns.
If we insist on staying in one place, refuse to release our expectations and
absolutes, we get left behind. At the same time, life requests our generosity
and confidence to meet it half-way. The Omega event worked out because everyone
who participated in it was able to hold a sense both of flow and
sure-footedness."
https://suzitucker.squarespace.com/blog/10/16/2014/you-asked-for-it-omega
(I wrote a fairly lengthy description of the conference earlier today, then, when the Save To Drafts function on the blog platform failed, all was lost! I took that as a message to rewrite, being more concise the second time in relating some reflections of the event: Take Two!)
Organizers, Suzi and Steve, shared the introduction and overall facilitation by interspersing their perspectives through short readings, reflections on the importance of the systemic work in their own lives, holding the integral space for the seven other teachers to share their respective offerings in short, workshop-style segments, as well as introducing themselves via their work and participating in the facilitation. Some personal highlights for me, as for many, were found in the small group or couple exercises. Core language, being pared down to more and more essential phrases, allowing for one's truest expressions to be revealed through the other's softly persistent questioning, was a gift. I felt my mother very close and my commitment to the Systemic Constellation Work to be of value to her healing as much as in mine and also for others in the family, providing a new and fresh awareness of support that was felt to be flowing both ways. (Thank you Mark, your core language approach cuts straight to the heart and moves with a laser-like precision and tempo! And thank you, Emily, for your invitation to see my mother in your warm brown eyes!)
In groups of four we were invited to choose three people in our young lives who had been "living angels" for us and to use the three other people in our group to represent them and to then communicate why we considered them so; they then exchanged with us what being an angel for us had meant to them. Many felt profoundly buoyed by this experience and some angels were discovered in surprising guises. (Thank you Ed, your energy, vision and inclusiveness is angel-light!)
During one mid-day break, I was asked to represent someone for a fellow participant who wanted to "finish a piece of work" for himself. By the lake, I sat with him while he voiced, in his first language, all the words he needed to speak; I did not understand the words, the experience for me was a beautifully calming and restorative one, as sunlight on the lake sparkled and strong, warm winds blew old cobwebs from the relationship, while the majesty of a mature tree, ablaze in colour, bore witness to the man's vitality and growth. For those who don't know Constellation work, to represent for someone is an invitation to simply be in the Knowing Field of the person's family soul (or system), responding not from an intellectual stance but instinctively, with respect to the Truth implicitly waiting in the Field. Knowing when my being near was enough, I got up and walked away, leaving him to feel a new fullness in the emptiness of the departure of the one I represented for him. Simple is often so beautiful in the work and world of Constellations. And nature abides. (Thank you, friend!)
The beauty of this work is that it is open to one and all. What one needs is to do their own work, apply it, integrate it into what they already do and give it their own voice.
Rosalba Stocco, http://guelphfamilyconstellations.com/category/soulart
So many/much contributed to a full and complete experience at Omega and I am grateful to them all: The gift of warm Autumn days; the beautiful acreage and facility that is Omega's home; the staff that smile, helpful and attentive, yet unobtrusive; the teachers -- Suzi Tucker, Steve Jimenez, Jamy and Peter Faust, Mark Wolynn, Susan Ulfelder, Ed Lynch, Dan Booth Cohen and Emily Volden; my co-traveling sisters, participants from Venezuela and their friend, who translated quietly at the back of the room, connecting them through his heartfelt understanding of the immensity of the work, again, lovingly unobtrusive; the history of Constellations from those who preceded Bert Hellinger, informing him, standing behind him as he synthesized this amazing approach, which evolved through his marriage to Sophie and beyond, out through the generations of his students. Which brings me back to Omega: thank you to the first generation for your combined mastery, grace, strength, impeccability, keen sight, creative inspiration and for the expansion to me and through me, to others. The gifts are so many...
Judy Young Melanson
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How Personal and Business Dynamics are transformed through this unique three dimensional mapping of issues, relationships, processes and timelines. After the work of German author, philosopher and psychotherapist Bert Hellinger, this phenomenological and experiential work has spread and evolved around the world over the last two to three decades.
Friday, 17 October 2014
Fall at Omega: The Continuing Evolution of Constellations
Sunday, 10 March 2013
Why Systemic Constellation Work?
After the work of Bert Hellinger - German author, poet, philosopher, psychotherapist - SCW has evolved in Europe, the Americas and beyond, practised in over thirty countries worldwide as a vibrant modality used by social workers, coaches, psychologists, traumatologists and others. Often conducted in group workshops, this unique method allows the client to set up an issue, difficulty or challenge in a visual way, using people or markers placed in relationship to one another. The relationship among people or elements associated with the issue is the starting image the client brings to the “Constellation”. Once the image is placed the client settles back to watch how the Constellation subsequently shifts and what, out of the complex dynamics of the family field, wants to make itself known in that moment to her/him and to the group (even if ‘the group’ is just the client and facilitator). This “Knowing Field” has all the information of all experiences, traumas, successes and relationships across multiple generations of the family system and can be accessed to help the person now. The soul of the family is what unites all its members and this unparalleled work allows us the possibility of new unions within our family system and across systems connecting us deeply with others and with Life itself.
Example: A man brings an issue of chronic headaches to the workshop. He chooses a representative for himself and one for the headaches. We may also set up his parents and grandparents as representations, since the observation has been that difficulties are connected somewhere in our family system, usually to someone in a previous generation. The client sets up his representatives slowly, one by one, placing them in relationship to one another, almost by instinct, in the space. Then we all wait and watch. The person who is ‘the headaches’ wants to move until he is standing very close to the paternal grandfather. The story is revealed by the client that his grandfather experienced a fall from a height that resulted in head injuries, causing a wider trauma of financial distress for the family. His mother’s loss of her father as a child carried weight in the family and her son, in turn, holds ‘headaches’ as the connector between the three generations. This may be a simple example; other revelations may be more complicated, less concrete and without historical references.
Always the client receives a kind of soul-level acknowledgement of where a difficulty is connected - even if s/he doesn’t know her/his family stories. This “Knowing Field” never lies. We have seen dramatic resolutions, as the loyalty and connections born out of love have caused us to be connected to an ancestor so deeply that we are willing in our souls to look back at them, rather than forward into the success that is, by its very nature, our own life.# Once we see, once we acknowledge where the connection is rooted, we can then release it back where it belongs, carrying on with more energy, more love, more awareness and more of the strength of who we are and from where we have come.
Many types of issues can be opened up in the systemic work, including issues adversely affecting organizations and businesses, as well as those challenging individuals. Because organizations are systems, too, created by people and undergoing events which cause ripples over time, limitations seen to be thwarting success or development may be turned to strengths, using the multidimensional tools of Constellation work. Workplace injuries and deaths, for instance, can cause trauma that if left unresolved and unacknowledged may result in generations of human resources difficulties. Constellations help with product development, to test out new ideas and gain direct insight as to how these dynamics will affect the larger system.
For us as individuals, the sudden awareness that our ancestors want us to succeed, that yes, they may have suffered tremendously yet trusted that their children’s and grandchildren’s lives would be better than theirs, is often experienced in Constellation work as a new supportive pillar, one which bolsters and nudges us to do something good with our life.
I heard Bert Hellinger himself once say, “If more people in the world were doing Family Constellations [the original name for what is often now referred to as Systemic Constellations] there would be no need for psychotherapy.”# A bold statement from the “Granddaddy” of the Constellation work, from one who has facilitated and observed thousands of moving and beautiful moments, in a methodology still young, yet poised to be seated in a powerfully potent place at this time on Earth. Whatever is reflected in an individual’s life is mirrored in our organizations and in our global and cultural systems; in striving for unity, peace and reconciliation this healing tool is ready to serve. In serving, it may need to present the flip side of what we know to be true, in order to open us to the rich tapestry of a parallel connectedness, a deeper more lasting ground.
“Above all, in everything we remain in the love that lasts.”#
Judy Young Melanson is a facilitator of Systemic Constellation Work and founder of Maritime Constellations. She provides group workshops as well as facilitating Constellations one-to-one, in person, by phone or Skype. Maritime Constellations offers facilitation, education and training for those interested in experiencing or using the Systemic Constellation Work for personal or professional enhancement.
www.maritimeconstellations.com
After the work of Bert Hellinger - German author, poet, philosopher, psychotherapist - SCW has evolved in Europe, the Americas and beyond, practised in over thirty countries worldwide as a vibrant modality used by social workers, coaches, psychologists, traumatologists and others. Often conducted in group workshops, this unique method allows the client to set up an issue, difficulty or challenge in a visual way, using people or markers placed in relationship to one another. The relationship among people or elements associated with the issue is the starting image the client brings to the “Constellation”. Once the image is placed the client settles back to watch how the Constellation subsequently shifts and what, out of the complex dynamics of the family field, wants to make itself known in that moment to her/him and to the group (even if ‘the group’ is just the client and facilitator). This “Knowing Field” has all the information of all experiences, traumas, successes and relationships across multiple generations of the family system and can be accessed to help the person now. The soul of the family is what unites all its members and this unparalleled work allows us the possibility of new unions within our family system and across systems connecting us deeply with others and with Life itself.
Example: A man brings an issue of chronic headaches to the workshop. He chooses a representative for himself and one for the headaches. We may also set up his parents and grandparents as representations, since the observation has been that difficulties are connected somewhere in our family system, usually to someone in a previous generation. The client sets up his representatives slowly, one by one, placing them in relationship to one another, almost by instinct, in the space. Then we all wait and watch. The person who is ‘the headaches’ wants to move until he is standing very close to the paternal grandfather. The story is revealed by the client that his grandfather experienced a fall from a height that resulted in head injuries, causing a wider trauma of financial distress for the family. His mother’s loss of her father as a child carried weight in the family and her son, in turn, holds ‘headaches’ as the connector between the three generations. This may be a simple example; other revelations may be more complicated, less concrete and without historical references.
Always the client receives a kind of soul-level acknowledgement of where a difficulty is connected - even if s/he doesn’t know her/his family stories. This “Knowing Field” never lies. We have seen dramatic resolutions, as the loyalty and connections born out of love have caused us to be connected to an ancestor so deeply that we are willing in our souls to look back at them, rather than forward into the success that is, by its very nature, our own life.# Once we see, once we acknowledge where the connection is rooted, we can then release it back where it belongs, carrying on with more energy, more love, more awareness and more of the strength of who we are and from where we have come.
Many types of issues can be opened up in the systemic work, including issues adversely affecting organizations and businesses, as well as those challenging individuals. Because organizations are systems, too, created by people and undergoing events which cause ripples over time, limitations seen to be thwarting success or development may be turned to strengths, using the multidimensional tools of Constellation work. Workplace injuries and deaths, for instance, can cause trauma that if left unresolved and unacknowledged may result in generations of human resources difficulties. Constellations help with product development, to test out new ideas and gain direct insight as to how these dynamics will affect the larger system.
For us as individuals, the sudden awareness that our ancestors want us to succeed, that yes, they may have suffered tremendously yet trusted that their children’s and grandchildren’s lives would be better than theirs, is often experienced in Constellation work as a new supportive pillar, one which bolsters and nudges us to do something good with our life.
I heard Bert Hellinger himself once say, “If more people in the world were doing Family Constellations [the original name for what is often now referred to as Systemic Constellations] there would be no need for psychotherapy.”# A bold statement from the “Granddaddy” of the Constellation work, from one who has facilitated and observed thousands of moving and beautiful moments, in a methodology still young, yet poised to be seated in a powerfully potent place at this time on Earth. Whatever is reflected in an individual’s life is mirrored in our organizations and in our global and cultural systems; in striving for unity, peace and reconciliation this healing tool is ready to serve. In serving, it may need to present the flip side of what we know to be true, in order to open us to the rich tapestry of a parallel connectedness, a deeper more lasting ground.
“Above all, in everything we remain in the love that lasts.”#
Judy Young Melanson is a facilitator of Systemic Constellation Work and founder of Maritime Constellations. She provides group workshops as well as facilitating Constellations one-to-one, in person, by phone or Skype. Maritime Constellations offers facilitation, education and training for those interested in experiencing or using the Systemic Constellation Work for personal or professional enhancement.
www.maritimeconstellations.com
Friday, 15 June 2012
For us as individuals, the sudden awareness that our ancestors want us to succeed, that yes, they may have suffered greatly, yet knew that their children and grandchildren’s lives would be better, is often experienced in Constellation work as a new supportive pillar, against which we may feel bolstered and better able to serve Life.
“If more people in the world were doing Family [and Systemic] Constellations there would be no need for psychotherapy.” A bold statement from Bert Hellinger, the “Grandfather” of the Constellation Work, having facilitated and observed thousands of moving and transformational moments, in a methodology still young, yet poised to take a powerfully potent place at this time in the world. For whatever is reflected in an individual’s life is mirrored in our organizations, in our global and cultural systems. In approaches towards unity, peace and reconciliation, this healing tool is ready to serve. And serving, it may present to us the flip side of what we know to be true, in order to open us to the richer expanse of a parallel connectedness with its deeper, more lasting view. Experience how Constellations can enrich your life ~ in group, individual, in-person, by phone or Skype … www.maritimeconstellations.com. “Shift your Star!”
Maritime Constellations will be presenting a workshop at the International Conference on Spirituality and Social Work, June 21-23, 2012 at Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario. Saturday June 23, 2012, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm - if you happen to be in Thunder Bay!
Saturday, 10 March 2012
Open Constellation Evenings
Spring is Springing! Join us for open Constellation evenings on Wed Mar 14 and Wed Mar 21, 2012 from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, at 94 Rockland Drive in Moncton. Come to see what the Constellation work is about, or to set up a Constellation about an issue affecting you. You will have an opportunity to be a representative for somebody else's Constellation, a fascinating and rewarding experience all by itself ... please call 872-4803 to reserve, as space is limited. Cost is $40 to set up your Constellation, $25 to participate. Spring special - mention this blog and bring a friend for half price!
Why do we use materials such as coloured mats, footprints, string, etc., in the Constellation set up? These resources are very useful in setting up Constellations as they provide a starting point for the client through his/her tactile sense to 'set the stage' as it were for the issue. Placing mats or footprints on the floor in a pattern of people or things in relationship to one another sets up the starting image for the Constellation. Workshop members may be drawn - or asked - to stand on these representations, bringing the elements to life and providing valuable insights for the client. As the Constellation is given some time to unfold, the Representatives may shift positions to reveal where in the client's family system the issue may be connected. We can then allow for transformations to occur with regards to any apparent dynamics; what was once stuck or 'entangled' begins to loosen and the client often experiences relief, release and new awareness of how the issue may be resolved.
Why do we use materials such as coloured mats, footprints, string, etc., in the Constellation set up? These resources are very useful in setting up Constellations as they provide a starting point for the client through his/her tactile sense to 'set the stage' as it were for the issue. Placing mats or footprints on the floor in a pattern of people or things in relationship to one another sets up the starting image for the Constellation. Workshop members may be drawn - or asked - to stand on these representations, bringing the elements to life and providing valuable insights for the client. As the Constellation is given some time to unfold, the Representatives may shift positions to reveal where in the client's family system the issue may be connected. We can then allow for transformations to occur with regards to any apparent dynamics; what was once stuck or 'entangled' begins to loosen and the client often experiences relief, release and new awareness of how the issue may be resolved.
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Welcome to 2012!
Welcome to Maritime Constellations in 2012!
You may work with us individually, or as a couple, in group format or as an Organization. Systemic Constellation work, Works Wonders in any format and for any issue, almost guaranteed .... ;)
Well, nothing in Life is guaranteed, is it? However, the SCW (Systemic Constellation Work) always gives us unique glimpses into where are issues are connected within our family system - within the system of the Organization - therefore enabling us to re-connect anew - with ourselves, firstly, and then with everyone else in our life. In the case of an Organization, it is possible that an event in the past is hindering the growth or prosperity of the present and these dynamics may be looked at such that the hindrances may be resolved.
How does SCW do this?? Well, come & experience exactly how - contact Judy for workshop/appointment times & locations. Just DARE... in 2012! ... to be bravely YOU! Mention this blog and receive 50% off until Spring!!
You may work with us individually, or as a couple, in group format or as an Organization. Systemic Constellation work, Works Wonders in any format and for any issue, almost guaranteed .... ;)
Well, nothing in Life is guaranteed, is it? However, the SCW (Systemic Constellation Work) always gives us unique glimpses into where are issues are connected within our family system - within the system of the Organization - therefore enabling us to re-connect anew - with ourselves, firstly, and then with everyone else in our life. In the case of an Organization, it is possible that an event in the past is hindering the growth or prosperity of the present and these dynamics may be looked at such that the hindrances may be resolved.
How does SCW do this?? Well, come & experience exactly how - contact Judy for workshop/appointment times & locations. Just DARE... in 2012! ... to be bravely YOU! Mention this blog and receive 50% off until Spring!!
Sunday, 11 December 2011
December Constellations
Happy Holidays! Join us for Constellations on Wed December 14, 2011 from 6:30 to 9:30. Whether you are interested in setting up your own Constellation or supporting others in theirs, or simply observing, you are welcome!
94 Rockland Drive, Moncton E1A 3T5 ...
$40 to set up your Constellation; $25 for general participation; we offer a sliding scale for the un(der)-employed.
Treat yourself to a pre-Xmas gift!
;)
94 Rockland Drive, Moncton E1A 3T5 ...
$40 to set up your Constellation; $25 for general participation; we offer a sliding scale for the un(der)-employed.
Treat yourself to a pre-Xmas gift!
;)
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