Relationship Coach | Self-Discovery Mentor
Taking time for yourself. Resting. Setting boundaries. Looking after your body. Doing more of what makes you feel good.
All of that matters.
But I think there is another part of self-love that we don’t talk about enough:
What happens to your relationship with yourself when another person triggers you?
Do you silence yourself? Over-give? Do too much? Withdraw? Become resentful? Try to control the outcome?
Wait for somebody else to understand what you haven’t yet been able to name for yourself?
For me, this is where relational self-love begins.
Not with becoming perfect at relationships, but with learning how to stay connected to yourself while being in relationship with other people.
Maybe you recognise yourself here
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You’re often very good at understanding other people, but not always as clear about what you need.
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You can look independent while secretly longing to feel supported.
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You notice yourself over-giving, people-pleasing or doing more than your share.
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You sometimes silence yourself to avoid conflict, and then feel resentful later.
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You find yourself analysing somebody else’s behaviour instead of noticing what is happening inside you.
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You know a lot about personal development, but some of the same relational patterns still keep appearing.
Or perhaps you simply feel ready to know yourself more deeply.
Meeting Myself is a space to stop looking outwards for a few hours and gently turn the attention back towards you.
What we'll explore together
During the afternoon, I’ll guide you through a combination of teaching, reflection, conversation and restorative practices designed to help you understand yourself relationally.
We’ll explore:
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the relational needs beneath our reactions and communication
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the patterns and protective strategies we develop to get our needs met
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over-giving, over-functioning, people-pleasing and self-silencing
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the difference between caring for another person and abandoning yourself
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recognising what belongs to me, you and us
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how to communicate needs more directly
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how greater self-awareness gives us more choice in the moments we would usually react automatically
There will also be time to slow down, reflect, journal, connect with others and simply be.
This isn’t therapy, and you don’t need to arrive with a problem to solve. It’s a space for curiosity, honesty and deeper self-understanding.
What previous guests have said
Why I created Meeting Myself
My name is Erica, your guide on the retreat.
My own relational work has taught me that I can spend a huge amount of time looking at what another person is doing.
What they’re not understanding.
What they’re not saying.
What I wish they would do differently.
And sometimes the most powerful question has been much closer to home:
Where have I stopped meeting myself?
I’ve had to learn to notice the moments where I silence myself, over-function, try to manage everything, or wait to be understood instead of first getting honest about what I feel and need.
I don’t teach this because I have perfected it. I teach it because I practise it. Again and again.
And because I believe the quality of our relationships changes when we become more able to stay true to ourselves inside them.
That is the heart of Meeting Myself.
What to expect
The flow for our afternoon at Roots of Respect, Leeds
Arrival, tea and refreshments
Time to settle into the space, enjoy a warm drink and gently arrive before we begin.
Welcome meditation and opening circle
We’ll begin with a grounding meditation followed by an open circle, a spacious hour to arrive fully, connect with the group and meet ourselves exactly where we are.
Relational self-discovery workshop
Through teaching, guided reflection and shared exploration, we’ll discover our core relational needs, discover how our nervous system is wired to react at times of relational stress, and how our patterns shape the relationship we have with ourselves and others.
Closing circle and sound relaxation
We’ll bring our insights together before settling down for a deeply restful sound relaxation, allowing the body to soften and the experience to integrate.
Autumn supper and conversation
We’ll close around the table with a nourishing vegan supper and relaxed conversation: time to connect, digest and enjoy being together.
Perhaps it’s time to meet yourself differently
Not to become more independent.
Not to become less affected by other people.
Not to never get triggered again.
But to notice yourself sooner.
Understand yourself more deeply.
Speak for yourself more clearly.
And become better at staying with yourself while loving other people.
Meeting Myself
Saturday 10 October | Leeds
