SOMATIC T-GROUP

An unparalleled transformational journey into mindfulness + unstructured group dynamics.

Experience oneself and others as part of a group metamorphosis.

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What is T-Group?

T-Groups is an intensive affective learning laboratory that experientially catapults participant awareness and growth. The "T" in T-Group stands for "Training". T-Group is an experimental group dynamics laboratory that emerged from National Training Labs in the 1940s and since has enabled leaders in government, military, as well as high profile executives to rapidly experience leadership development in a unique environment where all participants are invited to explore presence, examine impact, and disclose feedback while experimenting with new behaviours. Participants often benefit from a greater degree of diversity and the expression of differences for greater learning and growth. Much of the richness of T-Groups occurs when the unexpected emerges, such as awareness of a patterned behaviour that was once a blindspot, or unforeseen conflict that leads to a growth opportunity. The outcome of a T-Group is unexpected. The ability for dynamics such as forming, storming, norming, and performing to be fluid, fluctuate, and develop organically is also a function of T-Groups. T-Groups emphasize inquiry about the nature of the different levels of communication. The patterns of presence and feedback in T-Groups point to how people show up in a number of contexts and situations that arise, which often leads to provoking a more profound level of awareness among the participants individually and collectively. The impact of a T-Group is immediate and can lead to long-lasting learning inquiries that for many have lasted months and up to years after a T-Group laboratory experience.

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Nylie Ataraxia brings a 21st century version of T-Group that is called "Somatic T-Group" that takes T-Group to a new level. Somatic T-Group includes the sensate experience of the body as well as permitting dynamic gestures and movement (versus sitting and talking) in gradually increasing capacities which invite and challenge participants to experience themselves and others newly in space and in contact with one another while remaining present with one's experience and the various levels of impact on indvidual, interpersonal, and group levels. 

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Highlights from past Somatic T-Group labs:
-Participants observed habitual conflict patterns emerge and role-played new behaviors in a variety of situations
-Participants gained insights into themselves, their behaviors, and their impact upon groups and individuals
-Participants achieved at different times to different degrees independent, interpersonal, and group "flow states"
-Participants, in their own bodies, challenged the norms about how to be and inhabit one's body in space, in a classroom, and in a group with others
-Participants explored various alternative methods of communication beyond language through touch, eye contact, movement, stillness, and empathy
-Participants bravely stepped outside their comfort zones and stretched themselves to take risks and show up with new behaviors that allowed deeper connection, authenticity, and the ability to show up powerfully
-Participants explored beyond groupthink, what it was to be both sovereign individuals and in connection with a group 
-Participants engaged in a lot of laughter, cuddling, play, conscious physical contact, improvisational conflict, and exploring both the edges of one another's embodiment of boundaries and responsibility
-Participants explored dominance, submission, power, while challenging and supporting one another

What’s to come in future Somatic T-Groups:
-Continued exploration of conflict modes, states and behaviors
-Continued practice with use of sensate/somatic languaging tools to describe present-moment experiences
-Exploration of the physiology of triggers, distress states, and distress management
-Somatic patterns of codependency and self-responsibility
-Power and submission dynamics in body language 

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Join us at our next Somatic T-Groups to uncover the profound, activate your awareness, and expand into new capacities that call forth your greatest leadership as well as your most empowered and authentic self.

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Agenda:

 Introduction to Somatic T-Group + examples, demos, & resources

Dyad practice and warm-up

Basic group practice lab

Set learning goals + 5 min. bio break + Q&A

Somatic T-Group Lab #1

Community learning session on somatic conflict modes + Q&A

Re-evaluate learning goals + 5 min. bio break

Somatic T-Group Lab #2

Debrief, learning shares, & integration exercises 

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Nylie Ataraxia, Board Certified Coach, CLC, RCS

Nylie Ataraxia is a transformation catalyst who exists to empower the luminaries of the future. At age 29 she is a transformational leadership coach, Board Certified Coach, relationship coach, life coach, conflict mediator, transformational workshop leader, yoga teacher, multidisciplinary artist & designer, inventor, innovator, & visionary futurist. At age 14 in college, Nylie began merging disciplines so as to build and create anything for the purpose of optimizing life on Earth. She runs a transformational leadership incubator space in Emeryville, California where she leads group learning labs and embodied symposia that promote creativity, empowerment, aliveness, self-realization, expression, freedom, connection, and fulfillment. Her take on advancing humanity is through *massive* amounts of unbridled creativity, experimentation, imagination, play, inquiry, discovery, and connection. Her mission is to co-create a fully empowered humanity and facilitate global access to human potential. She believes that all people are deserving of the gift of realizing their greatest potential before they die.

Nylie Ataraxia is the creative mastermind behind Humanity Labs where she leads accelerated group learning labs and invites emerging visionary world-changers to shift into empowering contexts and come out of the closet with their greatness.

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More about traditional T-Groups:

"A T Group is a small group in which participants learn from their own behavior in the group. In a T Group participants interact with each other in a manner which is not predetermined or externally planned; rather, the group members themselves structure it. The process of consciously interacting with each other and creating meaning for their time together causes the group members to know more about themselves and others. In the process of getting to know each other and creating a group, the members voluntarily disclose a lot about their personal cultural group identities and their various perceptions about how people should interact. The norms and values of an individual T Group reflect the preferences of its members. The degree to which cultural diversity is appreciated and each member is able to be fully heard also depends upon the explicit and implicit decisions of the group members. Community sessions are composed of the members of the multiple T Groups during these sessions, participants explore concepts and engage in skill training that they can apply to their T Group and their work settings."

Excerpt from Diversity Perspectives in Human Relations Training
Patricia Bidol-Padva 
Howard K. Jackson

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Disclaimers: 
1. T-Group is not a study group, therapy group, support group, circling, group coaching, healing modality, or a religious group.
2. Previous experience with T-Group, somatic awareness practices, mindfulness, and conscious communication can be helpful though is not necessary. In past Somatic T-Groups, there have been highly experienced participants who appeared more challenged than beginners who had no previous background with T-Group. Somatic T-Group is open to participants regardless of their background.

3. Conflict and discomfort may occur in a T-Group. These are common responses to unstructured group dynamics, competition for leadership, reaction to the lack of leadership, or while participants are experimenting with new behaviours or exhibiting existing behaviour patterns. These experiences are expected and are confronted by participants to explore areas for growth. Each participant is responsible for taking care of themselves and being responsible for their own learning. We encourage participants to step outside their comfort zones and take risks while taking care to not stretch themselves beyond their ability to learn, partipate or be fully engaged.