AsmallBitofGuidance and corboy,
First off, I would like to extend my thanks for each of your responses; I greatly appreciate the time taken by both of you to go through my initial post and address concerning aspects you had identified.
Despite my immense skepticism and suspicion, I decided to go through with the workshop regardless. I was very much stuck between a rock and a hard place just before the time. I couldn't continue living my life the way I had and a change or push was necessary, but I had no idea what else to do or where else to go. On top of that, I trust the friend who recommended this to me with my life, so I decided I'd give it a try. My rationale was one of well, what would I have to lose and I could always leave if I wanted to.
My experience of the workshop was a very intense one and I would agree with AsmallBitofGuidance in that this isn't for the faint-hearted, the fragile, or the weak (for lack of better words, please don't offense as this isn't directed at any one or meant to be either). To sum it all up (since we were kept constantly busy with activity after activity and talk after talk), those 5 days were probably the most difficult, emotional, overwhelming, tiring and unpredictable days I had been through in a while. Many times I considered leaving or not returning, but I either managed to convince myself to see it through or had others do so when I displayed discouragement.
Look, I'll be as objective as I can be and I can only speak for myself here. I'm the type of person who tries to take value out of every circumstance or situation I find myself in and because of that, I can't say that the workshop was all bad. I wouldn't give it a 5 star rating on Google Reviews, but I don't regret the experience. I most certainly wouldn't do it again and if I had known beforehand what we would go through, I never would have signed myself up for it. But I can't say it was 100% through and through, from start to finish absolutely horrific and life destroying. I did find some things very bizarre and often asked myself "what is the point of this?" or "what are they trying to do here?". I think it's very important to use your own conviction and to not take things personally or as some kind of attack on you, there are many things that were said and done in those 5 days that I completely disregarded since they didn't make sense to me at the time. But on the other hand, there were also many things I actually found to be quite useful and valid. I would advise to use your own discretion to decide, but it could also just be my way of thinking.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that the workshop was as traumatising or devastating, at least not to me, and further down along the line I have actually seen and reaped some benefits from it in my own life - which I wouldn't have thought would be possible. It certainly triggered some sort of paradigm shift for me and I've found myself slowly becoming the person I used to be before I lost my way. I wouldn't attribute it all to the workshop though, as there are many other things I had done and tried over the last few months to help me in this regard, but do I think this contributed something. I do agree, however, that this may not be for every person out there and the approach is quite radical and pulls the carpet right out from under your feet.
I, however, have decided that it's not my place to tell others to do it and I'm not interested in volunteering either. I'm not sure what else to say other than that, but I am very glad I did the research beforehand.
First off, I would like to extend my thanks for each of your responses; I greatly appreciate the time taken by both of you to go through my initial post and address concerning aspects you had identified.
Despite my immense skepticism and suspicion, I decided to go through with the workshop regardless. I was very much stuck between a rock and a hard place just before the time. I couldn't continue living my life the way I had and a change or push was necessary, but I had no idea what else to do or where else to go. On top of that, I trust the friend who recommended this to me with my life, so I decided I'd give it a try. My rationale was one of well, what would I have to lose and I could always leave if I wanted to.
My experience of the workshop was a very intense one and I would agree with AsmallBitofGuidance in that this isn't for the faint-hearted, the fragile, or the weak (for lack of better words, please don't offense as this isn't directed at any one or meant to be either). To sum it all up (since we were kept constantly busy with activity after activity and talk after talk), those 5 days were probably the most difficult, emotional, overwhelming, tiring and unpredictable days I had been through in a while. Many times I considered leaving or not returning, but I either managed to convince myself to see it through or had others do so when I displayed discouragement.
Look, I'll be as objective as I can be and I can only speak for myself here. I'm the type of person who tries to take value out of every circumstance or situation I find myself in and because of that, I can't say that the workshop was all bad. I wouldn't give it a 5 star rating on Google Reviews, but I don't regret the experience. I most certainly wouldn't do it again and if I had known beforehand what we would go through, I never would have signed myself up for it. But I can't say it was 100% through and through, from start to finish absolutely horrific and life destroying. I did find some things very bizarre and often asked myself "what is the point of this?" or "what are they trying to do here?". I think it's very important to use your own conviction and to not take things personally or as some kind of attack on you, there are many things that were said and done in those 5 days that I completely disregarded since they didn't make sense to me at the time. But on the other hand, there were also many things I actually found to be quite useful and valid. I would advise to use your own discretion to decide, but it could also just be my way of thinking.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that the workshop was as traumatising or devastating, at least not to me, and further down along the line I have actually seen and reaped some benefits from it in my own life - which I wouldn't have thought would be possible. It certainly triggered some sort of paradigm shift for me and I've found myself slowly becoming the person I used to be before I lost my way. I wouldn't attribute it all to the workshop though, as there are many other things I had done and tried over the last few months to help me in this regard, but do I think this contributed something. I do agree, however, that this may not be for every person out there and the approach is quite radical and pulls the carpet right out from under your feet.
I, however, have decided that it's not my place to tell others to do it and I'm not interested in volunteering either. I'm not sure what else to say other than that, but I am very glad I did the research beforehand.
