We operate on autopilot expecting outcomes to be predictable. This is useful in many contexts, but when we want to encourage change, we have to start by examining patterns. In this introduction, we will practice exercises that help us see our own patterns. We will discuss how becoming aware of habits helps us change them.

It’s not always simple to identify a pattern. Sometimes a pattern is associated with a belief that has an origin in past pain, even intergenerational. Emotions can make patterns harder to shift, but we can learn to work with them through our presence.

In this class, we will practice methods of awareness that train our focus to deepen and expand into the current moment. We will do this by noticing how we produce sound and what changes our voice can produce.

Groups of humans follow patterns in the same way that individuals do. They often do so subconsciously, agreeing to harmful norms out of habit more so than desire. This includes, for example, unhealthy habits of overworking, overcompensating, perfectionism, and more. These habits negatively impact our experience of collaboration and belonging.

In this session, we will take what we’ve learned in Sessions 1 and 2 and discuss how to apply this awareness in a group setting. We will practice with body exercises involving choice and social expectations.

Feedback gives us useful information. We will finish this course by bringing attention to the space around us and using it as a reference point. We will practice balancing internal and external stimuli and noticing when resistance is necessary and beneficial.