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WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID ABOUT WORKING WITH CLOWNWITHIN
GENERAL APPRECIATIONS:
"Thank
you so much for the clowning workshop … I saw myself in truth"
"Just
the balance of playfulness and deep learning that I was looking for.
I enjoyed the variety of techniques and the sense of safety"
"What
can I say ! Many thanks for creating the space - magical - for us/me
to release some of those pent-up feelings and allowing us to breathe
through our feelings"
"Fantastic…
challenging…off the wall….crazy….expanding….fun"
"I
love what you do. It blesses so many of us"
"My
reason for writing is to let you know how successful your course has
been. Yesterday evening (at CR), we had a session with singing bowls
doing solos and, when it came to my turn, I did a comic version wearing
a red nose. Two people came up to me afterwards and said they are
going to book on your course as a result !….I often use my red
nose…. I would like to say how much your course has helped me
to play much more in my life and for that I am very grateful"
"I'm
feeling more confident after having had such a good experience…
I haven't started wearing my red nose to work yet or introducing myself
with my teeth sticking out, but I'm planning that for next week !"
"Thank
you so much for an amazing week - it's such a relief to feel so alive!"
"You
are not a guru but you are as bonkers as my six year old niece ! -
I felt so safe working with you"
"You've
confronted our deep and painful issues with grace and gentleness"
"When
I cantered round the room, I felt like I was six !"
"I
really loved the time spent clowning - Thank you for teaching me to
be unafraid of opening my heart"
"Thank
you for a wonderful, loving and thrilling holiday. Your courage and
honesty is so inspiring."
"The
week was one of magical bonding and camaraderie and I got to see myself
in you all more clearly, so deep appreciation and gratitude…..
Rachel was fantastic- a veritable bundle of joy, mischief, love and
compassion"
"I
remember several moments when I lost all consciousness of myself and
really had no idea what I was going to do next, but a certainty that
there would be a next thing…it's having an audience that not
only accept whatever comes out of me, even likes it, that feels wonderful,
the idea of not having to self-censor, that turning off the filter
leads to being better accepted rather than rejected which is empowering
and liberating and generally fab …and yesterday was another big
step in learning to release…. I liked the use of music, really
liked the place, and the transparent way you made decisions. Liked
the way you integrated authenticity and support into the structure
of the day and the way you wordlessly persuaded me to be a flightless
bird in a ballet that was not about a duck !"
"Thank
you with my whole WHOLE heart for the party ….every single thing
was wonderful …. You were the most fantastic clown I've ever
seen. I hope you enjoyed entertaining us. I thought you were absolutely
excellent. No one could have been better"
"Thank
you, you taught me some great clown skills. To start off with I wasn't
quite sure but now I am quite convinced ! After the show, all my friends
and people who I didn't know said I was BRILLIANT. I was really pleased.
Once again, thank you very much."
"It
was really a success and I would like to thank you and your partners
for all the effort that you put into the workshops…the members
are still talking about the Circus !"
"I
really enjoyed working with you… you're such an inspiring, giving
person and I feel like it's OK to feel what I'm feeling when you're
there, plus of course I love all the dancing and larking about….
You did a great job"
"I
would trust Rachel with my life"
CLOWNS AS HEALERS:
"She
who stands at the edge and then goes one step further. Mrs Give and
Give some more. Thank you for all the attention you have given my
sadness and the time and passion to let me fly. I won't forget this
special time and think I'm very privileged to be on this course. I
wish you every strength with your open heart surgery"
"Thanks
again for the course. Over the years, I have often wished for unstoppable
healing tears but never anticipated them so unexpectedly or so publicly
or with the support of clowns bearing toilet rolls ! So thank you."
"How
much I benefitted from your skills as a facilitator. I now understand
a bit at least about the depth of emotion, compassion and sensitivity
involved in the craft of clowning."
"Just
wanted to thank you for an amazing day ! I've made a connection since
with a character I created when I was 11 called "Buster"
- he was a real adventurer and individualist - a tear-away with a
heart. Maybe that's my clown name ?……. I'm training as a
Spiritual healer - I was really pleased to find a performance space
that felt like a continuation of my healing practice (and background
in Wicca too - I got the Crone mask!) . Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank
you ! (and my back feels great)"
"It
seems like an eternity that we were all together…tears tumbling
and bellies aching from laughter …we were a great group. I really
felt loved by you all. What a joy… I can honestly say that the
depths we travelled were really grounding for me and I feel very different
from before I went. Motivation has entered into my life and I really
want my clown to pop up as she feels. I'm a lot clearer too as to
what I want and where I'm going"
"Looking
back we both really enjoyed our week with you although, at times,
we were both strongly challenged. What we are finding is that we are
using clowning much more now to communicate with each other and I
believe that the experience has significantly strengthened our relationship"
"I
would very much like to thank you for the wonderful week of clowning.
It was a really terrific experience. In fact, I would go so far as
to say that without it, I would have had trouble coping with what
came next , i.e. the ruptured Achilles. I think I was able to bear
the whole episode because I had forgotten what the correct adult response
to such an injury should be"
"I
wanted to write and say how very moved I was by your workshop…and
by how it has continued to affect me in varied and sometimes surprising
ways over the past two weeks. Not always easy, but real. When I said
it had been a profound experience I meant it, and am immensely grateful
to you…… to express my immediate appreciation - and admiration
- for your depth and integrity….A particular coyote story keeps
returning to my mind, one of the ones where he falls out of the sky
and dies, "rubbed out", until returned to life by Fox and
his honouring of the four directions…..like all the coyote stories
I know, they have such depth of meaning and each time I tell one the
more is revealed to me. And this one, right now, feels a little like
a metaphor for my life and illness, and the seven years I have felt
"rubbed out". It is good to have metaphors sometimes isn't
it, especially ones that make you laugh at life. Stories carry that
real power for me, but sometimes the imagination needs a physical
prod, and lying on the floor of the Magic Circle, getting "just
a little bit more comfy" is a metaphor that I keep returning
to with an inner warmth. So many thanks and "blessings"
to you, the giver of them."
"Clowning
has made an incredible difference to my life. I'm more confident,
more creative, have more energy, am more honest about what I feel
and think. I really want to pursue clowning further."
"Well,
you would be proud of your pupil ! Two hugs in first morning surgery,
one hug from a patient in Mental Hospital who really seemed to understand
that by sectioning her I was caring for her ! One clown hug from behind
for my grumpy GP colleague who actually said how nice it was to be
hugged ! Complete hysterics with one 4 year old boy whose tummy was
too tickly to be examined and told me very rude things when I listened
with my stethoscope. There is LOTS of enthusiasm for you to come up
here… Your workshop was just the very best for me - it really
connected with forgotten parts, got rid of parts that needed to be
forgotten and was such a laugh !"
MORE FEEDBACK FROM COURSES SHORT & LONG:
"I
loved your performance and the workshop was fantastic . All the comments
were positive as I expected them to be. I think I enjoyed your workshop
more than any other we have had at Gaunts"
"You
made me laugh so much, what a great job you are doing to heal the
planet"
"My
heart has opened from the work and play together, sometimes it was
magical, sometimes sticky …. But the main thing I've learned
is that my capacity to enjoy others is much greater than I realised
and I have a lot to give"
"Tremendous
fun and everyone let go which was essential"
ABOUT COURSE LEADERSHIP:
"Very professional …… liberating…..brilliant….."
"Great to have so much laughter ! ……. Very caring for each individual"
"Clear - well-planned - encouraging spontaneity and participants' authenticity."
"Not afraid to touch vulnerability with tenderness"
"Excellent - compassionate and strong. Able to focus on the needs of individuals in the group as the occasion arose. A powerful woman."
"Wonderful, safe, nurturing and caring"
"No human being has taught me so much about true joy and happiness"
" I really enjoyed your dynamism and strength"
"I particularly appreciate the sensitivity with which Rachel listened to the group and how we were feeling and then tailored the elements of particular sessions to meet the needs of all the participants in the group"
"I found Rachel very warm, sensitive, encouraging and felt very safe in her groups"
"Rachel is inspired and utterly authentic, able to gently encourage massive risk-taking, enormously compassionate, flows with group dynamic wherever that leads. I feel privileged to have played with her in a sacred space".
"Rachel is an inspiring leader".
"I feel … very held and attended to. I had a sense of Rachel's long experience of clowning and being with groups. She is fun and holding".
"Thank you so much for such a wonderful week. You're such a special teacher and you've inspired me so much with your love, warmth and funniness (I know it's not a proper word!) …. I feel so energised "
"Most of all you see, you see us all - you find our letters and read each one out loud …. I always wondered if I would ever open up like that and really show the pain inside. And then I just stood in front of a group of people and allowed them to see me defenceless. And then I allowed myself to be looked after. Wet and soggy and sobbing and safe. I'm glad ….it's really uplifting working with you and a privilege. And great fun …. And finding some way to brighten people's lives with humour or to contact them through performance… Thanks for helping me to understand what love is"
A big thank you for your warmth and love and I am in awe of your talents and skills"
"Rachel is a very wise and insightful, caring woman with a big heart and tremendous enthusiasm, and I feel I'm leaving with a big yes to following the path of the clown"
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