THE ART OF RECEIVING EACH OTHER

Overview

The "Art of Receiving Each Other" is a five-month program for committed couples to deepen their understanding of negative patterns in their relationship. It helps cultivate vulnerable and strong love through insights, education on relational styles, and experiential practices. Sessions include guidance, dialogue, and practice, with a private virtual session in between. This is different than couples therapy in that we meet for longer sessions that focus on outcomes rather than analyzing the past. Jackie specifically helps guide, teach and support couples in learning intimacy and relational skills that work.

Contact Jackie for more details on this transformative program.

This series INCLUDES a Sacred Union Breathwork session with Catie Macken during the middle of the experience. Additional details provided below.

Session Outlines

Session One  Welcome to Your Body: Nervous System States + Beliefs 

In this session we will settle in with each other, get to know one another and begin to dive into the realm of our body, how our past shapes our current experience - including our view of ourselves, our relationship with our partner and the world around us.  By the end of this session, the couples will have a better understanding of when they are in the “red", how it impacts their connection with their partner, including the stories that they narrate about the connection and begin to develop skills to help regulate their nervous system so that the couple can relate to one another from a more open, compassionate and emotionally mature place that is rooted in the present experience, not over-coupled with the past.

Session Two  From Fear to Trust: Establishing the Truth within the relationship

Based on John Gottman’s work with couples and Internal Family Systems by Richard Schwarz, we will deepen our understanding of “who” is really running the relationship by examining the various parts (defense mechanisms) that are often in the relationship, not us!  We will identify with, explore and practice Self energy - the place from which true intimacy thrives on and how to soften the edges of our body to receive the love we desire and our partners as they are, not as we always paint them to be.  We will develop new narratives and stories of what’s possible and lean into the real truth of the matter.  We will also work with rupture and repair and how it relates to the success of our relationship - both with ourselves and each other.  The aim here is that through conflict and challenges, we can actually deep and grow our love with one another.

Session Three Playing the Edge: Intimacy involves risk  

As we enter the middle stages of our time together, we will deepen our practice and understanding of this work by moving it even moreso from the mind and into the body.  This session will be more experiential and will include exercises, practices and sharing.  Here we put our words into action + real experience.  Couples will have real time, real opportunity to play the edges of their comfort zones with one another and practice what it feels like to soften the body to another, stretching the heart into further zones of intimacy and connection. 

Session Four  Examining the Erotic: Holding the Charge of Arousal with Ease 

Sex, Emotions - both are ways to connect and they are interrelated.  Often one partner wants more of one without the other and in this session we will dive into our misconceptions around intimacy and the way in which most partners actual want the same thing when it comes to connection.  We will examine our biases, fears and personal relationship with both emotional and physical intimacy.   Couples will have a chance to practice through breath work and movement how to hold arousal and capture it as powerful energy that once can be held inside of a relationship creates an enormous amount of pleasure and enjoyment - both in and out of the bedroom.  We must learn to ride the waves of tension and release.  In session four we begin to really play with the energy of EROS and how to transmute the mundane into the spiritual!  **all exercise that are practiced together in the group sessions will be “PG” in nature and couples will never be asked or invited into sexually charged experiences within the the office setting.  Although there will be invitations to connect more intimately in their own homes between sessions.

Session Five  Integration + Appreciation: Opening to what is next 

In our final session, we will have time to integrate all that we have learned, experienced and play with through our time together.  Couples will have time to further connect as Jackie offers a practice for intimacy and connection.  This session is all about appreciation and resting into the the fabric of compassion, ease and celebration for each other!  Our last session will summarize and review all that we learned, have an opportunity to have questions answered and address ways to open to what is next and continue the refinining the “art of receiving each other”. 

Offered by Catie Macken, Sacred Union Breathwork is an invitation into intentional choice within your partnership. Breathwork is a rhythmic, breathing meditation that supports the release of energetic blocks, beliefs, unconscious patterns, stories, and fears. The breath is alchemical in nature, moving you into an altered state of consciousness making space for greater connection and depth of intimacy.

The session will open with reflection on the current energetic themes within the relationship container. Each partner will be asked to speak their truth and courageously name their concerns, needs, and desires. Being the sacred witness and attuning emotionally to yourself and your partner opens up the healing portal of our work. Once you have connected, we will move into the breathwork practice. Breathing together allows you to clear stagnant energy, build emotional capacity, and feel alive in your body. Afterwards, I will guide you out of the space and we will reflect together. Remote sessions require privacy and a quiet place to commune together. If you have kids or animals, please arrange for their care to ensure you are undisturbed.

This is for couples who:

• desire deeper levels of intimacy within themselves and with their partner.

• are ready to courageously talk about their needs.

• are interested in playing with their emotional edges.

• are excited by the possibilities of breakthroughs.

• wish to create more ease and harmony together.

• want to co-create with their partner.

• open and curious about themselves and the relationship.

Also for couples who are experiencing a rub within the relationship and interested in a supportive space to heal together.