Voices from the Q2
Sheila from the Hoffman enrolment team (pictured) speaks to participants from a Q2 earlier this year and hears why this brilliant workshop is such a great follow up to the 7-day Process.
To find out more about spaces on our upcoming Q2 events, click here
What brought you to Hoffman?
I did my Process in February 2020. I’d been aware of it for some time via various friends who had all come back from the course saying that it was amazing and hugely transformational.
My personal reasons for doing the course were firstly that I had recently gone through a divorce and was finding it challenging being a single mother. Secondly, as I came from a therapeutic background, I was aware that personally I needed support that was of an immersive nature: something that would allow me to ‘jump in’, without distractions and work on patterns that weren’t helping me. I was generally feeling a little lost about my past, I’d been through periods of depression and I’d lost my excitement for life. 1:1 therapy was helpful but I felt I needed a deeper re-set.
I came out of the course literally feeling ‘reborn’. It felt as if a whole set of weights had been lifted off my shoulders. I had a sense of excitement, energy and drive and a renewed sense of hope. The Process allowed me to develop a real sense of compassion for myself and others. It felt as if I’d come back to the spiritual home of myself.
What prompted you to do the Q2?
Some of my fellow Process people had been on the July 2022 Q2 course and had recommended it. Plus my Mum had been diagnosed with cancer. She had addiction issues and that brought up a lot of family patterns/ancestral patterns for me which I felt I needed to work on. I also noticed that it was the same three facilitators working on the Q2 who had taught my Process and I had such huge respect for them that I wanted to work with them again. Last but not least, a fellow participant from the Process was going on the November Q2 which was another sign that it was the right time for me to book on it.
How was the Q2 experience for you?
Amazing. It was like a ‘mini Process’. It included all the best elements of the Process but was a little less intense. It was just what I needed at that time. All the Hoffman magic and yet a little lighter and even more enjoyable. In a way, I almost felt I got more out of it than the Process. I was able to relax more and get the most out of the techniques. The second time round you know what to expect and there are less nerves around what you’re going to be doing.
The venue was stunning. The grounds were beautiful, the room where most of the work was done was gorgeous and the food was amazing.
What was most beneficial?
The three days completely reinforced my conviction that community healing is very powerful. Being with people from all walks of life, seeing them work through their struggles and then heal is immensely cathartic. Hoffman has this amazing way of allowing you to go very deep and look at past traumas and negative patterns but then lifting you up and out of that state in a positive way. You don’t get lost in the pain. You do go deeply into it but you don’t get stuck there: you rise out from it. Community healing is great as it allows you to witness your own pain alongside others and come out with a ‘lifted spirit’.
The other great thing about Hoffman is their recognition of embodiment. They understand that you need to shift trauma out of your body through somatic work and this is threaded throughout the work you on the Q2 course.
Advice for people thinking of doing the Q2
Definitely go for it. It’s really worth giving yourself the time and space: it really helps you re-set and move forward more positively. My Q2 experience further reinforced my positive impression of the Hoffman facilitators. I work in the area of therapeutic healing and the experience and the calibre of the Hoffman people is second to none. Their rigorous training shines through and they are 100% committed to working with the participants on the course. I felt safe and held throughout the three days I was with them.
What has Hoffman given you overall?
I now have much more compassion for my parents and what they went through in their lives. The Process and Q2 have made me even more self-aware and more aware of the patterns I’ve been carrying and how they’ve played out in my life. I’m more conscious of the parent I want to be and I’m now a better parent because of this.
Hoffman inspires JOY and the discovery of joy at a very innate level: just the joy of ‘being’ and not needing attachment to material things or external factors.
And, you get the benefit from working with an amazing group of people with whom you form an incredible bond with and some who become great friends.
When did you do the Process? How did it help you?
It was in 2020, just before lockdown. I was feeling very stressed at work, had relationship issues, was estranged from my Dad, had a difficult relationship and a lot of anger towards my Mum. Lots of my friends had done the process and urged me to try it over the years, so the time seemed right.
The most important outcome of the Process was that I able to forgive my parents. I had a big realisation that there was no point being angry anymore. I experienced a real shift and a great release on the back of that shift.
What prompted doing the Q2?
I had worked in the same company for 21 years – two decades in financial services. I was under a lot of stress and feeling burned out, so decided to leave. I thought the Q2 would help me reset and think about my future and what to do next. I wanted to get back to my Spiritual Self and make sure I was on the right road going forward, making some deliberate, thoughtful decisions to balance the important of money vs creative fulfilment at this moment in my life.
Another positive for me was that the same facilitators who had led my Process were doing the Q2 course, which felt very safe. I also decided to attend with one of the other people who had been on my Process course, which gave me reassurance and that extra nudge.
You did the Q2 at Broughton Sanctuary. Overall, how did you find the Q2 experience?
It was just a fabulous experience in an amazing venue. It was so valuable for me to have three days without any outside distractions and to totally and selfishly spend time on me.
It helped me really look at how I was feeling (there were lots of issues in my life at the time) and really think about what I wanted to do with my life. It wasn’t as intense as the Process, or as life changing, but more of a ‘top up’ on the Hoffman tools and techniques and a time for reflection. It was definitely gentler than the Process but gave me so much more than I’d have gained from going on another type of retreat (e.g. a spa).
The venue and its surroundings were amazing and really added to the experience, from the quirky decor to the awe-inspiring outside space. The food was fantastic and the staff really looked after us.
What were the most beneficial parts for you?
Definitely the transference session. It was really useful to revisit this and see how it played out in my everyday life. Also, the dancing, music and movement. I had forgotten just how cathartic and good for the soul this really is.
The visualisations also helped me. I had taken up a regular meditation practice over the previous six months, but it was more breath-focused and I had forgotten the joy and power of the visualisations I had experienced on the Process, it was wonderful to experience that again.
Any advice for those considering doing Q2?
Definitely go for it and definitely do it at Broughton Hall. It’s a lovely thing to do, in a lovely venue. It gives you time to really step back from everyday stresses, to put life on hold for a few days and really invest in yourself without distraction.
It’s not necessarily as transformational as the Process, but I would highly recommend it as real gift to yourself and a reminder of all of the Hoffman tools and how valuable they can be to help you navigate life.
We’d like to thank our previous Q2 participants for speaking with us about their experience. If you’re interested in the Q2 at Broughton Sanctuary, you’ll find more information and dates here, and you can watch a video walkthrough of the Broughton estate here
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