Is it Failure or is it Compost?

As the days passed in the lead-up to the workshop, and I only had one booking, I can't lie - I had a few low moments. 

My highly sensitive brain went into over-drive:

Should I cancel and cut my losses?

Would it be better to postpone the date?

Did I need to offer something different?

Was I honouring my energy more by not driving all the way to Brighton or should I honour the commitment I’d made in offering the workshop? 

You can imagine the stream of thoughts spiraling through my mind. 

In the end, I chose to go. 

I decided to use the driving time to listen to podcasts and enjoy the afternoon after the workshop soaking in the vibrant buzz and healing sea-air of Brighton.

The day unfolded beautifully.

The Loft space I'd hired was perfect for dancing in. My one participant was an experienced music and vocal therapist, so it felt natural to encourage her to use her voice as part of the Dance Your Wild Voice process. 

I got goosebumps witnessing her dance unfold; her voice, combined with movement, added an extra dimension and I could feel the power of her dance reverberating in my body.

I’d brought along some of my essential oils to diffuse during the workshop. 

We used the oils to anchor the experience, making  up a rollerball with the chosen scent - Serenity.

Using voice and essential oils were both new additions to the Dance Your Wild Voice process, and ones that I'll definitely be incorporating going forward. 

If I hadn't chosen to show up for the workshop, I wouldn't have experienced the additional power that a strong voice can bring to the process. I'm excited at the way the Dance Your Wild Voice process is evolving!

On my drive home from Brighton, I listened to an episode of Kate Northrup's podcast - Plenty. She was talking about some of the 'failures' she'd had in her business, but instead of seeing them as failures, she thinks of them as 'compost'. Lessons to be learnt that fertilise her future successes. 

Such a great reframe.

In Neuro Linguistic Programming, there's a saying:

"There's no such thing as failure, only feedback". 

I am beyond delighted at the 'feedback' I received during my workshop for one. I see it as compost that is helping me create an even more powerful Dance Your Wild Voice process:

 "I had no idea what to expect of Nina's workshop Dance your Wild Voice. How 'wild' was this going to be? But Nina created a calm, nurturing atmosphere from the start with a structure, but no fixed agenda.

We did some breathing and a visualisation which helped me get into a calm, focused place and let go of preoccupations. Encouraged to write, I found myself connecting with some of my inner drivers and consider the path I am on with words. After reading this out loud I was then asked to recreate what I had written through improvised movement. Although potentially daunting, this turned out to be a highly emotive, pleasurable experience. I brought in some vocalisations as well since my voice is such a central part to my identity and purpose. Surprising symbolic connections were made between past experiences and current behaviours which helped me understand them better. This allowed me to consider how I frame my reality and how self-perception is ultimately a choice - overall the experience was very centering and empowering.

Thank you Nina for offering this wonderful space!"

Tina, Workshop participant