Shift

Welcome to
"Shift: Facilitating Embodied Change"
- Level 1

A training program developed for Jewish women leaders looking for authentic transformation for themselves and their clients, Shift seeks to merge the wisdom of Polyvagal Theory with the art of Focusing to bring about lasting change that resonates from the inside out in the powerful moment known as the Felt Shift.

This is Level 1 of the Shift training series, which is the first step of a transformative, multi-level journey. Over the course of three levels, you will deepen your understanding, enhance your skills, and expand your ability to facilitate embodied change for yourself and your clients. Level 1 lays the foundation, setting you up for the profound work ahead.

How SHIFT will transform the way you guide, coach, support, and inspire change

As a leader, a mentor, or a healer you have an amazing array of tools at your disposal.

Unfortunately, you watch time and time again as clients struggle to implement those tools or start out strong only to fizzle out.

This training program provides the supercharge you need to maximize all of your skills and give your clients the real change you both seek.

Unlike traditional techniques which try to create change by shoehorning in new habits which conflict with existing ones, you will learn a new technique to guide clients to deep inner listening through which they will gain greater clarity into their needs and start to create shifts from the inside out.

Your clients will experience “Aha! moment” after “Aha! moment” as you guide them to their core challenges and hold space for them as they finally experience a positive shift in their bad habits, obsessions, and anxieties.

About the Training

At the heart of the Shift program is the fusion of two incredible frameworks: Polyvagal Theory and Focusing, to empower you, the Jewish female leader, with a toolkit that integrates mind, body, and soul. This transformative journey blends Torah wisdom with modern neuroscience into an approach that is practical, research-driven, and rooted in Mesorah.

The Wisdom of Polyvagal Theory

You’ll be guided into the world of Polyvagal Theory, a groundbreaking concept that beautifully intertwines neuroscience, psychology, and self-discovery. You’ll explore how our nervous system shapes our experiences and responses, and learn how to guide your clients toward a deeper connection with themselves.

The Gift of Focusing

You will embark on a path to self-awareness through Focusing, a gentle and soul-stirring practice that lays the foundation for inner transformation. Immerse yourself in the art of deep inner listening, guiding your clients to access their body’s innate wisdom and ignite their healing process.

The Felt Shift: Where Change Blossoms from Within

Be there to facilitate the moment when your clients experience the awe-inspiring phenomenon of the “Felt Shift.” It’s that “A-ha! moment” when their inner world aligns, and a profound shift cascades through their being, sparking authentic behavior change. This shift, tender and transformative, is the essence of our program.

A Mesorah of Compassionate Living

Learn powerful sources from Gedolim like R’ Chaim Friedlander zt”l – the Sifsei Chaim – and R’ Shlomo Hoffman zt”l that ground these ideas in Torah. You’ll be empowered seeing the concepts of compassion, connection, and regulation espoused by recent giants of the Mussar movement.

What You’ll Gain in "Shift" - Level 1

A Nurturing Space: Forge meaningful connections within a supportive community of like-minded Jewish women leaders, nurturing friendships and partnerships that support your ongoing growth.
Embodied Learning: Dive into experiential exercises that blend Polyvagal Theory and Focusing, empowering you to guide your clients with confidence and insight.
Transformative Tools: Equip yourself with a toolbox of practical techniques to facilitate meaningful, sustainable change in your clients’ lives.
Radiate Leadership: Embrace your role as a catalyst for transformation and empowerment, shaping the future for yourself and your clients.
Enhance Wisdom: Grow through the fusion of Torah and modern neuroscience in a feminine setting.

Here’s a Glimpse into What You’ll Learn

Session 1: Introduction to Polyvagal Theory & Focusing

Objectives:
- Introduction to Polyvagal Theory and its connection to the nervous system.
- Understanding the different Polyvagal states: Safe and Social, Fight/Flight, Freeze.
- Learning the concept of the “felt-sense” in Focusing and its role in deepening self-awareness.
Key Concepts:
- Polyvagal states and their impact on emotional and physical responses.
- The felt-sense as an embodied experience.
Outcome:
A foundational understanding of Polyvagal Theory, with the ability to begin noticing body sensations and initiating the Focusing process.

Session 2: Identifying and Understanding Polyvagal States

Objectives:
- Learning to identify personal Polyvagal states and recognizing shifts in state.
- Understanding how the autonomic nervous system influences emotional responses and behavior.
Key Concepts:
- Polyvagal states and how they manifest physically and emotionally.
- Techniques to identify and regulate these states.
Outcome:
The ability to track Polyvagal states in real-time, enhancing self-awareness and regulation.

Session 3: Focusing on the Felt-Sense

Objectives:
- Deepening the practice of Focusing by identifying and working with the felt-sense.
- Tuning into physical sensations as a pathway to emotional awareness.
Key Concepts:
- The felt-sense as an entry point to clarity and insight.
- The relationship between body sensations and emotional experiences.
Outcome:
Greater capacity to identify the felt-sense and use it to gain clarity on emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.

Session 4: Curiosity Toward Inner Experiences

Objectives:
- Cultivating curiosity and non-judgmental awareness of internal experiences (body sensations, emotions, memories, etc.).
- Understanding how curiosity can help shift the nervous system into a more regulated state.
Key Concepts:
- The role of curiosity in self-regulation and embodied change.
- Holding space for internal experiences without judgment.
Outcome:
The ability to approach inner experiences with curiosity, fostering greater regulation and personal growth.

Session 5: Holding Space for Another’s Focusing

Objectives:
- Learning to hold space for another person’s Focusing process.
- Developing skills for providing simple reflections and offering non-judgmental support.
Key Concepts:
- Holding space for another’s emotional experience.
- Reflective listening techniques that facilitate Focusing.
- The facilitator’s role in supporting the process.
Outcome:
The ability to hold space for another person’s Focusing session and offer reflections that support the process.

Session 6: Identifying Shifts in Polyvagal State During Focusing

Objectives:
- Learning to identify shifts in Polyvagal state during a Focusing session.
- Understanding the connection between the felt-sense and Polyvagal shifts.
Key Concepts:
- Tracking Polyvagal state shifts during Focusing.
- Recognizing signs of nervous system regulation or dysregulation during a session.
Outcome:
The ability to identify shifts in Polyvagal states within the context of Focusing and reflective listening.

Session 7: Entrances to Felt Meaning

Objectives:
- Exploring different “entrances” to felt-sensing, such as body sensations, emotions, images, memories, gestures, and body posture.
- Deepening awareness of how these different forms of experience lead to various Focusing processes.
Key Concepts:
- Body sensations, emotions, thoughts, memories, images, gestures, and body posture as forms of experiencing.
- How awareness of these entrances enhances Focusing and facilitates embodied change.
Outcome:
The ability to recognize and use different forms of experience as entry points for deeper Focusing.

Session 8: Working with Difficult Emotions and Memories

Objectives:
- Learning techniques to stay grounded and present when difficult emotions or memories arise during Focusing.
- Exploring how to approach and work through challenging emotional content safely.
Key Concepts:
- Strategies for managing difficult emotions and memories during a Focusing session.
- Keeping the nervous system regulated when encountering emotional overwhelm.
Outcome:
Greater confidence in working through difficult emotions and memories while staying grounded and present in the process.

Retreat (March 31st) – Deep Dive into Presence

Objectives:
- Fully immersing in the practice of presence, exploring what it means to be present with both your own experience and others’.
- Deepening the ability to hold space for others, enhancing awareness of shifts in Polyvagal states, emotional responses, and body sensations as a facilitator.
- Cultivating awareness of attention during a session and learning how this impacts the effectiveness of the work.
- Practicing staying fully present while guiding clients through difficult emotions and memories, reinforcing the ability to support their process with sensitivity and clarity.
Outcome:
A significantly deepened presence as a facilitator, strengthening the capacity to guide clients through emotional and somatic shifts with confidence and empathy.

Please Note:

This syllabus provides a clear structure for the learning journey, though content and flow may evolve based on the group’s unique needs and energy. Core concepts and objectives will remain intact, but adjustments may be made to best support growth and the collective experience throughout the course.

Transformational Shifts from Shift

The Shift allowed us an opportunity to "try out" the focusing world. Rena ran the sessions and practices experientially so we had the opportunity to experience our own personal Shifts, while learning methods to support our clients and communities. Everything from the resource materials, group energy, and practice opportunities provided an excellent environment to grow and develop in these skills. I will treasure the relationships I have made with the other amazing participants. I highly recommend this for anyone who cares about personal development and wholesome growth. This is not to mention, the incredible progress I have seen in my clients since I started integrating Focusing into my work. Thank you Rena!

Miriam C Therapist

"Joining Rena’s SHIFT program has been such a wonderful opportunity for me. Having previous experience with Focusing, I thought it would be a good review, and opportunity to get more practice. However, I learned so many new things throughout the program. Rena laid the foundation with important information and even within those first classes, I came to a better understanding of some of the concepts of Focusing. I loved learning the Torah sources, some of which blew me away! When it came to practicing Listening/Focusing, too, I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were nuances I hadn’t picked up on before. By joining SHIFT, I feel like I gained a much deeper understanding of the Focusing process, and a renewed patience to let the process unfold without rushing to find solutions in a cognitive manner. Profound insights, and internal wisdom and guidance emerge when you can allow yourself to slow down and tune in."

"I joined Rena's Focusing class and I'm so glad I did! It has been so special to be part of a group of frum women doing this deep work. I've learned to pause, listen to my thoughts and emotions, and find the truth of my felt sense. What I find most amazing is how when we are completely honest with how we're feeling, without judgment, then there is a shift, and we don't stay in the painful emotion forever. I also love how Rena brings in Torah sources to support the value of properly Focusing. I'm definitely not a master of it yet... But Rena keeps reminding me to be gentle and patient with this process. I highly recommend this workshop."

Sara Schwartz Coach

"Since joining the SHIFT program, I have become more aware of my senses and emotions than ever before. Whether I'm faced with a challenging situation or simply going about my daily activities, I'm more attuned to how I feel about what's happening around me. Surprisingly, I've also experienced another benefit from the program. I've struggled with yo-yo dieting in the past, but since joining SHIFT, I feel empowered and in control of my instincts. I have a newfound sense of confidence that I can face any challenge. In fact, when I feel the urge to eat, I have a tool that I can tap into. With this tool, I can fill myself up from the inside out. Rena, thank you for helping me connect with my inner strength!"

E. Gross

I'm seeing life in a total new way. This is where I am right now, and I know where I want to get to. I'm opening myself up to it, and in the exact moment, I'll get there. Hashem will make it happen. It was the key that integrated so much of my previous inner work. I exercised muscles of listening to others just for the sake of listening (I realized that so many times that's all someone needs). Interactive practices highlighted once again how human we all are. I'm touched by the beauty and purity of each group member. Each of us in our own place and pace, all yearning to grow and reach higher. It was a beautiful experience! Rena, your presence, what a gift! Your respect for each of us wherever we are at, your compassion, your desire to spread truth came across so strongly. You touched my life in a beautiful way. I wish and daven that you will be able to reach many more hearts. This is not the typical happily lived-ever-after type story. I'm just another human being in a process. On a journey. A work in progress. I don't want to come across as if this is the one-size-fits-all answer. Obviously, it's not. For me, at my exact place, it was just the right thing. It just reinforces again that Hashem has a right moment for everything, and when the time is right, He will make it come our way. Always.

Malky L.

I’m a therapist (mental health) who studied somatics before but had kind of drifted from it- this course was a great reminder of how to bring the body into the therapy session, and how to use it to deepen the work and provide a more thorough healing for my clients. I’m so glad I did it! The big and pleasant surprise for me in taking this course was learning about nervous system regulation in a very practical way, that is easy and interesting to engage clients in. Other times I tried to learn it I would get intimidated by all the science jargon and find it overwhelming, but Rena has a way of teaching it in easy, manageable ways that have been very helpful to both me and my clients! I also really liked Rena’s tying it into Torah and incorporating spiritual principles into the work- something I wouldn’t have been able to find anywhere else. I appreciated Rena’s hard work and availability in making sure we got what we needed from the course, as well.

I’ve tried many different modalities over the years on my journey of self-discovery in search of more inner peace. Taking this SHIFT course has opened up a whole new world of understanding of a deeper sense of healing. Understanding how much the feelings in my body impact my thoughts and actions has brought me to a new level of awareness. The path towards the seemingly ever elusive inner peace now feels that much more attainable.

"

Time and details:

- 8 Sessions – Live on Zoom
  MONDAYS 10 AM NY for 2.5 hours
  Starting February 3, 2025
  Dates: February 3, 10, 17, 24, March 3, 10, 17, 24
- 1 Retreat – Live on Zoom
  Monday, March 31st 10 AM NY for 5 hours
- 4 Private 30 minute sessions with Rena

Limited to 10 participants.
Price – $2000
Save $300 by registering before Monday, January 27th.

Be part of this unique opportunity to join a training with a community of like-minded Jewish female leaders that integrates cutting-edge science and Torah wisdom to facilitate embodied change in your clients. Level 1 is the first step in this transformative journey, and we invite you to unlock the power of Polyvagal-Informed Focusing with Shift.

Ready to join?

About your instructor, Rena Reiser

Rena Reiser is a Polyvagal-informed Focusing Trainer.

Rena trains women leaders and healers to facilitate embodied change in the lives of those around them.

In other words, Rena helps them understand how their clients’ autonomic nervous systems impact their behaviors and emotions and how to use the Focusing technique to explore and shift these behaviors effectively.

Rena has more than a decade of ongoing training including Focusing, Polyvagal Theory, Non-Violent Communication, and Inner Child/Parts work that she enriches with Torah sources which she applies to her own life and that of her clients.

Together they forge a uniquely empowering approach that allows our clients to shift their behaviors at their source in a compassionate and embodied way.

I'd love to answer your questions

This is a totally new world for me; is that ok?

Yes, we are all learners here, including me!

Are the classes recorded?

The teaching component of the sessions will be recorded and the recordings will only be made available to students who have reached out to me (Rena) ahead of the session to receive the session recording. The recording of each class will only be available for one week following that class, and is not to be shared outside of the group. Since this is a live, experiential training, full attendance of every session is required unless prior arrangements have been made with me (Rena).

Can I pay in installments?

Yes, please contact me (my info is on the bottom left of this webpage) and we’ll work out a plan together.

Can I speak to you before signing up?

Yes, I’d actually prefer that! Please contact me (my info is on the bottom left of this webpage) and we’ll find a time that works for both of us to speak.

Can I try it out first / get a refund if I don't like it?

I understand the risk in signing up for a training and then something about it not working out for you. What I offer is for you to reach out to me to discuss if my course and I are the right fit for you. We will have an open and honest conversation with each other. Then, if you decide to sign up, there are no refunds.

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Welcome to "Shift: Facilitating Embodied Change" - Level 1