Gabor Maté & Betsy Polatin

Returning to Ourselves: The Wisdom of Trauma A 4-Day Online Retreat With Gabor Maté, Betsy Polatin, and Lorraine Taylor

For many of us, the global crisis has reactivated old fears, depression, dissociation, feelings of isolation and numbness. We live in times of uncertainty that awaken old traumas and reactions in us. When we are under stress and feel challenged, we resort to old patterns of survival.

Join Dr. Gabor Maté & Betsy Polatin for a 4-day Live, online retreat July 16–19, 2020 from 9am-12pm Pacific Time. In this unique workshop we will learn to:

• Apply Dr Gabor Maté’s Compassionate Inquiry technique to access early traumatic event and uncover unconscious feeling states
• Trace and uncover repressed emotional states through body awareness
• Utilize meditation and breathing practices to generate calm and stability
• Express what has until now remained unexpressed from early trauma
• Cultivate self-acceptance and self-compassion, being with what is
• Access implicit memory through body sensations and emotions
• Cultivate patience, respect and choice in the healing process
• Find a balanced stance in ourselves

Many turn to spirituality to alleviate pain and suffering. The internal discomfort of anger, sadness, fear, shame, or self-loathing is soothed by pleasant or blissful experiences encountered through meditation, yoga, chanting, prayer and connecting in community. Spiritual bypass occurs when we use our spiritual beliefs, practices, community and way of life to avoid experiencing, revealing and processing emotional pain. The original wound can remain unhealed, despite years of dedicated spiritual practice. We may even intensify our practice in a disciplined effort to suppress difficult emotions.

Spiritual bypassing can be addressed through compassionately guided self-inquiry supported by bodywork, which, together, invite pain, discomfort and repressed emotions to come to the surface to be experienced, witnessed and worked through in a safe, supportive setting. Acceptance, allowing, non-judgement, expression and self-compassion are the ingredients needed for resolution.

This moment of crisis and uncertainty provides a potent opportunity to recognize old trauma dynamics and create new ways to respond informed by trauma education.

The teaching will be articulated in four main themes:

1. Recognizing Trauma Dynamics
2. Staying Grounded and Connected
3. Expanding Compassion
4. Developing Resilience

Who is this online retreat for?

This will be an in-depth program, suitable for therapists, spiritual seekers and anyone looking for a profound, experiential understanding of their traumatic imprint and the hidden beliefs that sustain it.

Workshop structure: July 16–19, 9:00–12:00 PDT

This 4-day live, online retreat consists of one daily 3-hour session, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM PDT. Gabor will be offering a mixture of didactic presentation and Q&A sessions with participants.The event is structured like a live retreat, and all participants are invited to participate live to all sessions on all days.

Having a webcamera is strongly recommended. Gabor is asking participants to have their video turned on. Priority to questions will also be given to those that have their video enabled.

Sessions will take place through the Zoom platform. A link will be sent to participants upon registration.

Daily structure: