Cathy Courtenay is a Conscious Relating Coach who brings her heart and listening skills to everything that she does, whether it's dance or Body-Mind Centering. She is a true gift to the relational world, and through leading the Art of Circling, Cathy cultivates a safe space for people where they can stand in their truth and experience what is real for them. Responding to life's call to find truth, Cathy is committed to a mission of helping uplift humanity and develop profound compassion and empathy in the world.

In this episode, Cathy and I explore and demonstrate the art of circling and how it can cultivate relational skills between couples. We discuss how society has conditioned us to be solutions-oriented and how we tend to be uncomfortable with simply being present for another person. We describe the different kinds of noticing and illustrate how we make assumptions on or judge our experiences. We also underscore the role of curiosity in practicing the art of circling and detail how couples can establish circling as a daily practice.

"The more curiosity you can bring in, the greater the ability there will be for more understanding, connection, and intimacy." - Cathy Courtenay

This week on Relationships! Let's Talk About It:

• The art of circling and how it can help couples develop relational skills
• The importance of authentic communication between couples amid the pandemic
• How circling can help us sit with our experiences, whether they're good or challenging
• Our tendency to correct and fix people in contrast to just being present with them
• Demonstrating two exercises in the art of circling
• The importance of expanding and practicing our emotional vocabulary
• Practicing the art of circling without the need to solve a problem or arrive at a goal
• The two different types of noticing and what it means to observe without judgment
• Falling into the blame game when we feel shame and why we need to own our experiences
• Establishing the practice of circling as a daily habit
• Why it can be challenging for some people to practice the art of circling

Related Content:

• What Makes A Relationship Worth Doing the Hard Work
• Difficult Conversations
• Falling in Love
• Helping Men Learn to Connect with Women

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown

Connect with Cathy Courtenay:

• Cathy Courtenay Website
• Cathy Courtenay on Facebook

Let's Talk About It!

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Theme music "These Streets" provided by Adi the Monk