Art of Feminine Presence™
Be Seen, Be Heard, Inspire Change
Teacher’s Manual
Level 1 Practices
Table of Contents
Message from Rachael Jayne Groover
AFP Class Format
1) Tune In
2) Check In
3) A Practice
4) Feminine Presence Meditation™ - Warm Up
5) Feminine Presence Meditation™ - Witnessed
6) Appreciations
7) Close
Teaching the Feminine Presence Meditation™
Challenges that may show up in the meditation
The 44 Practices
Bathing in Gratitude
Conscious Beauty
Energetic Presence – (a.k.a. “The Light Globe”)
Guided Meditation
Feeding our Longing to Be Seen
Guided Visualization:
Feminine Activation Points
Forgiving the Feminine
Healing the Heart and Yoni Split
Less is More
The Light Shadow
Radiant Glow
Receptive Body
Staying Open — Even When it Hurts
Stop Projecting
Sustain and Circulate Pleasure
Importance of Containment
Verbal Guidance
The Art of Following
Two Bodies Move as One
Unguarded Protection
The Vertical Core
Vocal Power
Walking with the Feminine
Watery Flow
The Womb Space
Head Bubble/Womb Space practice:
Additional practice:
Teacher Resources
Getting Started – Promotion, Sales, and Marketing
Sales Conversations
Rachael Jayne’s 10 Step Sales Process
STEP 3 - Mirroring:
STEP 4 - Overall Transformation:
STEP 5 - Transition Statement:
STEP 6 - Describe the Offer:
STEP 7 - Empower:
STEP 8 – Ask for the Sale (The Close)
STEP 9 – Follow Up
STEP 10 – Release Attachment
Leading with a Remarkable Marketing Message
AFP Matrix of Communication
Modality and Pain List
Problems and Solutions List
Urgent Wants and Needs List
The 3 Brand Promises:
Statements to acknowledge who this work is for
Statements to acknowledge who this is not for
5 benefit bullet points of your work
A one-sentence description when you need it.
“The New Generation” statement:
Statements to acknowledge skepticism and answer top 5 objections:
Statement of Difference: How are you Different
Modality and Pain List
Problems and Solutions List
Urgent Wants and Needs List
The 3 Brand Promises:
AFP Website
Sample Marketing E-mail #1
Sample Marketing E-mail #2
Email Marketing
Flyer
Referral Strategy
Describing the Classes
How to Find the Perfect Women for Your Classes
Networking Groups
Speaking Engagements
Other Ways to Find the Perfect Women for Your Classes
1. Intention and Visualization
2. Invite Your Perfect Women
3. Tell Networkers
4. Ask Your Higher Power
5. Online Communities
6. Testimonials
7. Create a Video or Send an AFP Video
Keeping Your Women
Sample E-mails
Shared Agreements email
Sample “End-of-series” E-mail
Payments/Finances
Tuition
Budget
Options to Receive Payment
Cancellation Policy
Fees to Groover Seminars, Inc.
Teacher’s License
Class & Presentation Structures
Sample for an Introduction to Art of Feminine Presence™
The 5-Week Series
Class Sample Time Frame
Size of Class
A Good Structure for Your First 5 Classes:
Workshops
Outline for Half-Day Art of Feminine Presence™ Workshop
Outline for One-Day Art of Feminine Presence™ Workshop
**For a Two-Day Workshop,
Facilitation Information
Facilitation Tips
The emotional/vibrational scale
Awareness is Key!
Why and when to use "Shared Agreements"
Using inclusive language and explanation of Yin and Yang energies
If someone is expressing a lot of emotion
Holding a Great Space for your Classes --
even when your own life isn't perfect
Your AFP Box: Basics to take to your events
Music Suggestions
Consent and Release Form
Feminine Presence Meditation™
Why We Do the Witnessed Feminine Presence Meditation™
Additional Information on Appreciations
Recommended Reading List
Inspiration
Feelings
Extra Income Opportunities
Offer Private VIP Coaching:
Tips for Marketing a class out of town
How to set up a one day with multiple team teachers
Working with Teenagers
Exercises that work
Why we do not have teens do the witnessed meditation
Working with Men
Additional Groover Seminars, Inc. Programs
Acknowledgments
Message from Rachael Jayne Groover
Creator of Art of Feminine Presence™
I am excited and grateful to start this new phase of our journey together. Teaching this process has kept me accountable to becoming more present, joyful, radiant,grounded, and emotionally and energetically strong. After all, if people are looking to you as the “Feminine Presence” woman, it disciplines you to make sure you are an example of that. Being a teacher of this process has encouraged me to walk my talk in the best possible way, and now it’s your turn—to be inspired into your next level of feminine presence. I’m grateful because I know that you saying, “Yes!” to this opportunity is not a small thing. Thank you for your trust in your own guidance and in me.
Why I Decided to Train Teachers
I have studied and taught Feminine Spirituality and Leadership for many years, mostly over the phone and Internet. I wanted to teach an in-person class here in Fort Collins, in part so I would have the opportunity to practice this work myself, several times a week. Being new to Fort Collins and not knowing anybody, I thought it would be a great way to connect with some spiritually grounded women. I started my first series of classes in June 2009 with a group of 5 women. In just 6 short months, the community grew to 35 women—most of them participating in classes week after week. One year later, all five that started in June were still in class with me every Tuesday night. With 3 full classes per week, and women traveling over an hour in some cases to get to those classes, I considered that clear guidance to expand this work. Women need this, and women want this.
I have structured the classes in a way that facilitates a high repeat rate, with very few “no shows,” and a tuition fee that is achievable for most women, and is also worth my while. I have discovered an effective way to promote this work, and I believe I can teach this business model to other women who are spiritually grounded, physically and energetically aware, and who have good leadership skills. The process really stands on its own merit and is not just about the teacher. Women like you can teach this, and teach it well.
This Manual contains information to help make your classes a success. It is my intention to be with you every step of the way as you make your classes and wider spiritual teaching a reality. I want to stay in close contact, so please continue to check in and let me know if I can serve you in any way. It’s an honor to be with you as we take another giant leap forward.
Much love,
Rachael Jayne Groover
AFP Class Format
1) Tune In
2) Check In
3) A Practice
4) Feminine Presence Meditation™ - Warm up
5) Feminine Presence Meditation™– Witnessed
6) Appreciations
7) Close
The classes consist of 7 components or segments, as described below.
The segments include tips on how to lead each component of the class and the challenges to look out for.
1) Tune In
The class begins on time with silence for approximately 2-3 minutes. The teacher lights a candle in the center of the circle, then briefly invites the participants to close their eyes and use this time to come to the present moment as much as possible and tune in with their physical, energetic and emotional state. Invite them to tune in to how they are really feeling, underneath the surface emotions. Then, given how they are feeling, is there anything they want to intend for the class? Some weeks you may feel intuitively that you need a longer check in. Trust that. It takes time for people to settle into their bodies and really feel what is going on. The tune in prepares them for the group check in.
2) Check In
Each participant (including the teacher)has 2-5 minutes to share aloud with the group their answers to these 3 questions in this order.
1. How am I authentically feeling in this moment?
2. Given how I am feeling, is there anything I am wanting for this class?
3. Is there anything that I have felt shift in my inner or outer experience
this week from participating in these classes? Any “brags” or “wins”?
Often women will jump into their story of what happened during the week. A little “story” is ok because it creates connection between the women, but not encouraged. Keep inviting them to start with how they are feeling and their desires before jumping into their story. If someone completes their check in and forgot to share any feeling words, the teacher can gently ask them “. . . and how are you feeling tonight?” Some women don’t know the difference between feeling words and describing what they did or what happened to them. The teacher may need to articulate the difference from time to time. At the end of this manual there is a list of feeling words that you can printout to use as a resource for the class.
During each check in the other participants only listen. This is not time to give advice, try to make someone feel better, or to make any comments that what they are feeling is either great or unfortunate. Encourage them to nod and make short verbal cues that help the person feel heard, of course. This is a practice for all in the group to realize that no emotion is inherently better than any other—some just feel better. If someone feels deeply inspired to share something with another participant, they must ask for permission first, and make sure that permission is given before proceeding. One of your roles as a teacher is to make sure the contrary doesn’t happen on your watch.
The teacher may add comments or suggestions to the person checking in, but they should be kept to the realm of helping them clarify theirdesires for the class. Don’t go into “advice giving” mode at this time.
3) A Practice
Art of Feminine Presence™ is 44 unique practices that take 20-30 minutes each to teach and experience. These include:
- Physical movements that cultivate feminine energy.
- Body awareness practices that help women “be at home” in their bodies—no matter what stress is occurring around or within them.
- Energetic practices that spark an instant expansion of a woman’s personal presence and radiance.
- Deep questioning of how we relate to our femininity, sensuality, and sexuality. These 44 practices are outlined in depth in the next segment of this manual. These practices have been inspired by a range of modalities and teachers as well as my own personal experience. To read about these influences you can refer to the Acknowledgements section on page 98.
4) Feminine Presence Meditation™ - Warm Up
Most of the time you will ask the participants to start their meditation standing up, but occasionally invite them to start lying down, sitting, or any way that calls them. Once you have an experienced group, you can invite them to start the Warm Up any way they feel called to each week.
Feel free to read the primary focuses of the meditation starting on page 18. You'll often need to remind your students why we do this.
Prepare 7-10 minutes of music for the meditation before the class.
Here are some words that you can share before you start the music.
“Take a moment to close your eyes to feel your feet on the floor. Soften your knees. They should always be slightly bent so you can isolate your pelvis. Start to put more attention on the lower half of your body. Imagine sending energy down your legs and into the ground as if your legs are two tree trunks. Imagine there is the darkest, richest, most fertile soil underneath this floor and you have roots coming out from under your feet that are sinking down into that soil. Send the energy roots down into the ground at least 10 feet deep.
Now, bring attention to your “Womb Space.” This is about 3 inches below the navel and back inside the body. Imagine something suspendedthere. Maybe it’s a point of light, or lotus flower, or a crystal there. It might be a candle or light bulb. As you breathe, keep sending more and more attention to your Womb Space.
Once you feel present to your Womb Space, start tilting and tucking the pelvis very slowly.
Your upper body should be soft and relaxed. Keep your jaw and face very relaxed. Let your jaw hang open ever so slightly so you can breathe out your mouth. Feel the softness of your breath caress your lips. Keep your neck long at the back, short at the front, as if you are slightly looking down towards your “Womb Space.”
Start the music. For beginners you will need to give more guidance throughout the music. For an experienced class, you will not need to share much out loud. Here are some examples of phrases I share during the 7-10 minute warm up:
“Keep dropping your attention a little further down and back in your pelvis than you might expect. Start to feel the energy move up from your Womb Space to feed and open your heart.” “Stay grounded in your legs. Keep softening your shoulders, neck, and face. Let go of any tension in your jaw.” “How much pleasure will you allow yourself to feel? How much will you allow yourself to enjoy the simplest of movement?”
During the meditation, the teacher will, at times, be meditating themselves, or with soft eyes looking around the room to see if anyone needs guidance. The guidance that the teacher can give will be in the form of a gentle whisper or occasionally, a hand on the back of their lower back guiding their attention to stay low in their body. When you touch a part of the body — yours or someone else’s — your attention goes there. When your attention goes to a place in the body, energy follows and flows there. Therefore, if the teacher feels like the participant needs help grounding, they can touch their feet to the floor. If the participant needs help coming back to their Womb Space or sending more energy there, youcan touch them on the lower back and lower belly, at the height of the center point of the pelvis. If the participant needs help softening the shoulders, youcan gently put yourhands on their shoulders.
If you are drawn to gently touch along the core of their torso, be sure to touch their back first, as it feels safer to them to receive touch on the back first before the front.
The most important thing to look for is if someone is going too fast. Remind them to slow down and move “underneath the beat.”
If someone is expressing a lot of emotion let them have that. Don’t go over and touch them or comfort them. You can comfort them and check in with them after the meditation is complete. The only thing you need to make sure of if there is a lot of emotion moving, is that they stay grounded. To help them stay grounded, you might send them your attention from across the room as you ground in your body, or if they really need it, go over and put your hands on their feet, or whisper, “keep feeling the emotion, but stay grounded, stay in your body.”
When the music stops, remind the participants to ground the energy through their legs, stay connected to their Womb Space, and feel the openness in their heart. Chime a bell to signal the end of the Warm Up. At that time everyone can open their eyes.
5) Feminine Presence Meditation™ - Witnessed
The Feminine Presence Meditation™ that is first done alone with no witnessing is then practiced in front of the other women.
You can read this aloud at some point:
“A powerful, feminine woman is comfortable with attention directed towards her. Many women are starving for healthy attention. This is why many of the practicesin Art of Feminine Presence™are witnessed by another woman or the entire group in a safe and supportive way. This challenges many women at first, but once they discover the ways to let go of self-consciousness, it is the most healing and empowering part of the class.”
You can refer to the document, "Why we do the meditation witnessed" in the Teachers’ Resources section.
The group sits facing the area where the meditations will take place. Everyone together tunes in to who is to go first. Each waits to follow the impulse of what wants to organically happen. When one woman moves in front of the group all of everyone’s attention is on her. She closes her eyes and moves into the same meditative practice that she practiced alone moments earlier.
When witnessing a woman’s meditation, we practice seeing how the energy is moving or not moving in her body—without judgment. Often, a particular quality of the ‘feminine’ is present in a woman’s meditation. Sometimes those witnessing receive a beautiful reminder for their own lives.
In the first two weeks of an all new group, the teacher meditates first and keeps the movement minimal, focusing on a visible tilting and tucking motion, with no arm movement and the hands resting gently on her womb space. If there is a new group but you have one or 2 existing students, ask them to go first. Usually the teacher will meditate last. This allows your meditation to be a little shorter if need be given the time schedule. It also helps ground the series of meditations. Having the teacher go last makes it less likely participants will try and copy you by being further along than they really are.