For as long as I remember, I always tried to find ways to make others happy. It started with my parents and sister, and gradually expanded to all the spheres in my life. I have a high level of empathy and seeing suffering in the world hurts my soul, be it violence against animals, destruction of nature, mean, harsh words between people who love each other, etc. I have a visceral, physical pain when I witness the suffering of others.

In a way, and mostly unbeknownst to myself, I have spent my entire life pursuing one goal: helping people get along.

As a child, my skills were basic, unrefined, primal. I became a pleaser, an obedient person, avoiding conflict, making sure not to make waves, keeping quiet when I wanted to jump at an injustice, holding my tongue instead of screaming at an aggressor. At the time, it seemed like a good way of instilling peace and harmony. In those years, I developed a humongous level of self-control, to the point of forgetting how to be without that control.

Fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. I later learned that these are the brain’s four possible responses when perceiving a threat or danger. They are impulsive safety mechanisms. Well, it turns out that I had become a master of the last two:

– Freezing, when the brain decides it best to become quiet or very still until the danger passes.

– Fawning, when the brain decides to try and please whoever is triggering the danger until the threat passes.

When I turned thirty, however, I started to realize the limitations of those safety mechanisms. I often found myself frustrated and annoyed at my reactions in stressful situations. I would freeze in conflictual interactions, only to find the right words to say days after the event had occurred. In social gatherings, I could be so quiet that I felt invisible, unheard, unseen, even when I opened my mouth to speak. Worse, I came to feel that I was giving so much to others daily, that there wasn’t any reward big enough to make me feel appreciated. I further realized that there was a disconnect between the person I thought I was inside, and the person others perceived from the outside. This disconnect made me feel uncomfortable and unhappy, so I decided to change that.

I trained and developed new skills, accompanied by professionals, therapists, authors, energy workers, etc. I gave a direction to a natural skill I always used, albeit instinctively before then: I became a coach in emotional management.

It was easy for me to see that I would better accompany highly sensitive women – I have guided some men too, given my own level of sensitivity.

A highly sensitive person has an increased perception of physical, emotional, or social stimuli. On top of being empathic, I feel easily overwhelmed in/by crowded places, hectic situations, bright lights, intense emotions (positive, or negative), loud voices and noises, etc. The expression “carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders” is part of my everyday vocabulary.

In the yoga philosophy, which I studied in my thirties, I learned the high value of being sensitive. What I had seen as a burden in my youth (what child or teenager, really, wants to be targeted as the sensitive one in the recess patio?) started to transform into a gold nugget.

As it turns out, highly sensitive people are commonly and naturally empathic, compassionate, good listeners, deep thinkers, thoughtful, caring people, and they usually understand the needs of others by sensing all the emotional cues of the people around them.

– If you too want to stop carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, this workshop is for you.

– If you want to learn simple, effective methods to speak your truth and be the person you are meant to be in every aspect of your life, this workshop is for you.

– If you simply want to learn to better communicate with a loved one who is highly sensitive, this workshop is for you.

This workshop is an invitation to exploring your heart chakra (a chakra is an energy center) and getting a sense of what it might hold.

Our negative emotions can be imprinted in our body and certain words stuck in our throat. By starting to explore your heart chakra, you start to walk towards yourself under a new light. You might feel lighter and develop a new appreciation for who you are.

With an intimate group of maximum 8 participants, you will initiate a heart-to-heart conversation with yourself through simple, effective exercises and a loving meditation.

Saturday Feb. 12th, 2022

2 – 4:30 pm

$20 donation (includes snacks and drinks)

Rumson, NJ 07760

Must register before the day of.

Info and registration: vligot@hotmail.com or (732) 330-6185