‘I regard the desire to be loved and cared for as being an integral part of human nature throughout adult life.’ - John Bowlby

 

‘Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside.’ - Sri Ramana Maharshi

 

Two quotations — one from a Western psychiatrist, the other from an Eastern mystic — each in seeming contradiction of the other. Do they point to irreconcilable worldviews, or does each shed a different yet complimentary light on what it is to be human?  

 

Attachment theory sees humans as emerging out of the relationships they form with their primary caregivers. These relationships act as a template, which influence all future connections throughout their lives. A healthy, loving and supportive relationship will act as a secure base, from which a child may go out and explore their world.

 

Nondual spirituality also has a concept of a secure base, but one that is found inside, in the field of consciousness out of which our sense of individual identity arises. Abiding in this field is in and of itself a source of contentment and love, from where an individual may feel safe to reach out and embrace life to the fullest.

 

In this workshop, Clare Beckell and Richard Cox will explore how these two contrasting approaches may be integrated into a seamless whole. Supportive attachments with other people facilitate us to look within, whilst abiding in the depths of our being allows for greater connection with others. To embrace both poles, is, therefore, to create a virtuous circle.

 

This workshop is aimed at therapists looking to broaden their skills, as well as really anyone desiring a deeper connection with both themselves and others. 

 

Clare Beckell is a Play and Creative Arts Therapist with a background in theatre. She specialises in early developmental trauma and attachment theory. Clare’s work is also deeply informed by mindfulness practice as a part of a broader interest in spirituality. 

 

Richard Cox has been immersed in nondual spirituality for over twenty years. He has a particular interest in how this philosophy speaks to perception, both of ourselves and the world around us, and how it can form a basis for freeing us from limiting perceptions. He regularly publishes both articles and podcasts on both nonduality and broader themes.

Saturday the 4th of April, 10am till 5pm, at the Wild Goose Space, Bristol