The voice of the inner critic can become the background noise which prevents you from living your life wholeheartedly. It might hold you back in your career, or constantly judge your parenting or social skills or tell you that who you are is just not good enough.
If any of this sounds familiar, be aware that you are not alone. Everyone has an inner critic. Yet some people get on with their lives anyway and thrive, while for others, the relationship can turn toxic. The inner critic would have you believe that all those “other people” are just better than you – at everything. It can lead to a feeling of helplessness, doubt and anxiety.
Yet this is by no means the truth or the whole picture. You too can learn to rise above the inner critic –to find your feet and fly.
The course I am offering will help you do just that. It will help you forge a different relationship with the inner critic. One that puts you in the driving seat and allows you to unhook from the repetitive loops of judgement.
There’s no need to aggressively do battle with the “enemy.” Instead, you will develop a stronger, more heart-felt way of supporting yourself.
As you commit to this, you will discover new habits of thought, new, more encouraging ways of relating to yourself and the world. And the voice of the critic will fade.
What does the course involve?
Together we will explore where the inner critic shows up in your life and its impact. We will use techniques from yoga and mindfulness to “find our feet” first so that we have a secure place to come back to where we feel relaxed and comfortable.
Again and again we will return to mindfulness to help stay present and grounded. Through mindfulness we can notice more quickly when the inner critic is in control and practise bringing kindness and encouragement to ourselves.
We will use journaling, group discussion and pair work to shed more light on the inner critic and to develop an “inner mentor.”
Who is it for?
The course is for anyone who feels like they’re being held back or has a niggling feeling of dissatisfaction with themselves. You might not be able to put your finger on what exactly is wrong, yet feel deflated or demoralised. You might be a mum struggling to be a “good parent,” a student trying to get on the job ladder, a business person who fears going for the promotion – or maybe you are retired and lack a sense of joy or purpose.
Will I get homework?
I prefer to look on this as “home practice” rather than homework. We know that the more we practise anything, the better we get at it. The same goes for noticing the inner critic and forming new, healthier ways of supporting yourself.
So each week there will be a hand-out and a mindfulness recording for you to practise at home. This might be a body scan or mindful walking, movement or breathing. You will be encouraged to keep a journal of your experience from day to day. The aim is to keep things fresh and alive and to water the seeds of what you want to grow in your life.
A gentle reminder...
This course is an introduction to what may feel like a whole new way of being with yourself in the world. It will take some commitment but it is steady, gentle work which can be taken at just the right pace for you. It is not a quick fix. The course will help you trust yourself more and move beyond the harsh judgements of the inner critic to something truer and more wholesome.
The inner critic may have developed over much of your life-time so it’s not surprising that it might put up a fight when challenged. It might tell you that this is not the course for you or that you can’t do it. Why not take a breath, take a chance and sign up anyway? You never know what might happen...
Here is what previous participants said about the inner critic workshop:
"There was so much of value throughout the day, with a constructive, engaging and interesting delivery that allowed everyone in the group to contribute and feel valued and heard. My top benefit is I can now more readily recognise my 'inner critic' as a debilitating force and now have effective ways to deal with it, or even simply acknowledging it is now pleasantly empowering.
"It was fascinating to realise that so many people carry around an 'inner critic', accepting it as an irremovable/immutable companion, until Pip comes along with this essential workshop. It's a day that can have resounding effects on enhancing how you live your life." Marion
"A room full of amazing women who all had a pretty vociferous inner critic reminded me I'm not on my own and to look out for it. It wants to help but it really doesn't. And I think the workshop also helped me to really grasp gratitude practice in a way that will help me more." Beth
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The course is not therapy or counselling. If you feel you would benefit form working with a therapist, please speak to your GP.
