Welcome to part 1 of our 4-part series. This level 1 journey has been created from over 10 years of study, research and thousands of hours sitting with clients from all walks of life. This training is also the accumulation of my own life experiences, travels, teachings and wisdom that had been shared with me by some incredible teachers along the way. It is my way of sharing these teachings in a digestible and accessible manner to continue helping others move through their pain, discomforts, fears and challenges.
What is often confusing and confronting is that our inner resources have become so interwoven with our defensive strategies that we do not know how to sort out the good and bad in ourselves.
Before real change is possible, we must first see, feel and understand "what is" distinct from our familiar sense of reality (This is not easy). So, the first step is to commit to seeing ourselves as we are, no matter how much we dread what we will discover.
Ego - What is it?
The surface conceptual mind
Thinks solid thoughts
Forms the self-concept
Helps separate the self from others
Pursues control
Mastery of functionality
The Body-Mind
Sensing
Knowing
Contains personal and transpersonal elements
Operates in the background
Recognising, working with, and growing out of these unconscious patterns is the groundwork for developing authentic individuality that is not compulsively driven by the conditioned tendencies from the past (eg. limiting self-image, denied needs, self-punishment, childhood scripts, dysfunctional interpersonal patterns, fears of loving and losing). This work is about finding a deeper meaning in our suffering. A way to shed light on the areas we may or may not know are causing us pain, discomfort, fear, etc. It shows us exactly where we learnt it from and, subsequently, how we shut ourselves down. It also shows us where we need to focus our attention and unfold as individuals. This Level 1 training aims to provide a meta-cognitive framework to direct your attention inward in becoming intimate with all that you are.
"Until You Own It ..... You Can't Change It!!"
By learning to open to the poisons of the mind and recognise how they are all self-created fixations arising from our own disconnection from our true nature, we no longer fall under its power. The goal is to reveal essential qualities of our being that have been hidden within. We could say that when you work on your personality structure, your personality wakes you up.
This 8-week journey is a process to understand yourself better, your patterns, your triggers, your programming, your mind, your fears and ultimately your desires, so you can start to relate to it more directly rather than trying to change, run or permanently transcend it.
Personality
Every personal identity starts as a brilliant survival strategy constructed from a person’s native resources. However, it eventually becomes a compulsive identity project, becoming an inner conflict and obstacle to further growth. We hold onto our self-identity for dear life. We will cling to a negative self-identity even if it is choking us because it gives us a sense of existence, eg. "I am something... rather than nothing."
At first, we draw off these personality structures to protect us. But later, they end up incarcerating us from enjoying life. We do not need to reject the defensive personality but rather crack it open so that we can discover and gain access to the intelligence and resources that lie hidden in them.
Course Structure
This course will guide you through an 8-week process to the hidden secrets that have laid dormant inside you. Each week we will explore a different topic and create an opportunity for discussion, sharing and experiencing. Teachings will take place on a Monday night for 2 hours (online), where the content for each week will be presented. There will be an additional Thursday night 1.5 - 2 Hour (online) Q&A call for those wanting to ask questions, share their experiences from the week or sit on the ‘hot seat’ and dive into a process of change. These Thursday calls is where the deep work truly happens.
During week 3 and week 7 there will also be an additional 3-4 Hour online breathwork on the Saturday morning for a deeper dive into our work together. There will be ample time for reflection and integration.
Event Details
Weekly Teachings:
Every Monday Night: Starting September 23rd (2-Hours)
TIME: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm (AEST)
LOCATION: Online
Q&A Calls:
Every Thursday Night: Starting September 26th (2 Hours)
TIME: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm (AEST)
LOCATION: Online
Online Breathwork:
Week 3: Saturday, October 12th (9:00 am - 11:00 am AEST)
Week 7: Saturday, November 9th (9:00 am - 11:00 am AEST)
Dan
With a background in psychology and neuroscience, Dan’s passion has led him down a path of extended study exploring the vast nature of the mind. He has explored the nature of behaviour, the importance of these behaviours, and how they impact how we show up in life. He has developed a strong psychoanalytic and psychodynamic framework that he teaches from and guides you through, focusing on integrating back into the whole. His approach is holistic but focused on reintegrating past experiences so you can start living more fully from the present and less from the past.
His approach to breathwork explores the stuck energy that keeps us recursively looping, reminiscing and re-living our shame, blame, guilt, sadness, etc… he helps you find your voice again to express the things you never have. He guides you and gives you permission to release the feelings of anger and frustration you may not have been able to access or the deep grief and sadness you may not have known were present. He does this by teaching you and then guiding you into practice in a safe and supported way.
Dan has extensively explored the impact that events from the past have in shaping who you are. We unconsciously take on so much from our environment, often unaware of how we have been impacted. This becomes stored mostly in the body and nervous system. Through his own trauma history and over a decade of exploration, Dan shares from a place of lived experience and a passion for change.
“If you could think your way through it…. wouldn’t you have done it by now?” — so maybe it’s time to try something else instead. Dans’ approach is both cognitive, somatic and transpersonal.
He has grown up learning and playing music from a young age. From his study of music at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) to exploring sound and vibration in the Peruvian Amazon and learning from teachers worldwide, he has spent the last 10 years working as a trauma-informed psychotherapist. He is a Provisional Psychologist studying a Master of Clinical Psychology with a BPsySc (Honours) degree. His work as a psychotherapist currently involves working with people suffering from depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, and PTSD. His holistic approach to healing encompasses cognitive, somatic, and vibrational medicine to release limiting beliefs, stagnation, stress, tensions, and a whole range of other pathologies stored in the body. Dan’s own history and personal journey have led him to find a passion for educating and empowering others, sharing these learnings, and giving people an experience of transcendence for their own exploration and evolution.
This journey is for those looking to go within, to deeply listen and learn about how you truly perceive the world.
Disclaimer
This event is intended as a personal growth experience and should not be considered a substitute for psychotherapy or psychology.
It is important that I am made aware of your state of health and mental health. Certain medical and mental health conditions may limit your participation in the breathwork sessions. Breathwork can involve dramatic experiences accompanied by strong emotional and psychical release. Equally, the nature of this course and shadow work is to turn our attention towards the dark parts of ourselves, the parts we have not wanted to acknowledge. Please be aware that when we turn towards these parts, difficult emotions may emerge, such as fear, anger, sadness, guilt, and shame as examples. It is important that you have a good support network around you if / when things become challenging. If you have any concerns, please reach out before booking your space.
Contraindications
This process is not appropriate for pregnant women or for persons with cardiovascular issues, severe hypertension, detached retina, glaucoma, high blood pressure that is not controlled by medication, severe mental health issues (Bi-polar or Schizophrenia), epilepsy, seizures or other neurological conditions, recent surgery or fractures, acute infectious disease or recent respiratory infections such as COVID.
Nb: Asthma is not a contraindication; however, we ask that you notify Dan before the breathwork event if you have asthma.
If you doubt whether to participate, consult your GP, physician, or therapist, and email Dan before purchasing a ticket.
Refund Policy
All participants should consider their own participation in light of the disclaimer mentioned above. Due to the limited places in this course, there will be a strict NO REFUND policy. Please contact Dan directly if you have any questions regarding the 8-week journey, what's involved and whether this is the right path for you.