The Art of Presence: Yours to Step Into

Experiment with presence. Discover the natural charisma already available to you — in any conversation, any connection. Attunement, ease with self, humility, generosity, attentiveness, deep listening, connection ..... all words that describe my experience of people, whose presence I deeply appreciate. If, like me, you value the possibility of, at least sometimes, contributing to this quality of engagement yourself, then this is the workshop for you. Think of the shift when someone truly listens to you, or when you find yourself fully at ease in a room, speaking and being heard without effort. This workshop plays with recreating that, on purpose. Through creative and inspiring exercises, we experiment with the experience of "Presence." Practising, we remember the feeling of giving and receiving undivided attention, and listening and speaking from our true and grounded selves. Through the workshop experience, we gather insights, individually and together. Knowing how we can step into our natural charisma, we are in a position to make conversations a more enriching and vivid experience for others, and for ourselves too. This workshop welcomes anyone curious about how presence shapes their conversations — no experience necessary. Expect a gentle mix of exercises, reflection and conversation, in a relaxed and supportive group. (A note regarding the photo above: Dogs model undivided and authentic attention, exquisitely. Surely, "presence" needs no further definition than looking into those eyes! Photo credit: jum.jpeg on Unsplash) Facilitator: Maria King, Guidance Counsellor - Adults Maria is an Adult Guidance Counsellor, whose passion is to accompany adults in discovering their unique and creative potential. She has over twenty years’ experience of facilitating groups and individuals to articulate what it is that brings them alive. The "Let's Pause and Reflect Together" workshops are designed to be both inspiring and enjoyable. Maria facilitates using a creative groupwork approach, with exercises carefully chosen to give primacy to the participants' wisdom and ability to find our own answers in a respectful, supportive and welcoming atmosphere. The workshops are participative and different levels of respectful engagement are welcome. If you feel tentative about speaking up in a group, you do not need to worry. Genuine and quiet participation is equally valued. (© Maria King, August 28th, 2026) Comments from previous participants at Maria's online and in-person workshops: "Maria is a skilled facilitator who always created a warm, inclusive environment for her online workshops. She obviously put a lot of work into choosing thought provoking topics and resources, providing a variety of modalities for exploration of the ideas generated. Group discussions were well moderated and she held space for all participants well." "I absolutely recommend Maria's workshops. This is my second one facilitated by Maria and I am very impressed by the way she conducts them. Her lovely warm demeanour creates a safe and nurturing space. The other participants are all so respectful and helpful. There is such a beautiful energy in the room and I attribute this to Maria. Also I have gained beneficial insights into myself that I wasn't expecting. There was also good fun throughout." (From Longing to Living workshop) "I always find Maria very calm, relaxing. She listens but also offers some very insightful ideas and insights to help look at issues in different ways." (From Longing to Living Workshop) "The workshop was incredibly helpful for me. It revealed what I need to do step by step and also revealed what my fears are and what I need to do to help consider them on my journey." "I loved the insights that I learned from the creative exercises. I am not naturally creative and would over analyse. The exercises are timed so that I did not have time to over-think it. The variety of exercises and the interaction with others was a great learning for me." "Any topic you cover...it's always worthwhile attending your workshops, Maria."