"Love is the Core of Personal Life" - Reflections on the Money, Work, and Love Workshop

In the past few days, I attended a workshop led by Teacher Chou Ting Wen for the first time. Although the workshop was titled "Money, Work, and Love," I realized that these three elements are interconnected and deeply intertwined.

The concluding message was that "Love is the core of personal life." When love flows, the flow of work and money becomes more active as well. The workshop participants shared their stories and then explored their relationships to resolve entanglements. Their sadness, regret, and pain gradually transformed into joy as they uncovered the roots of their life’s difficulties. After the session, participants felt more empowered, smiled more easily, and were more willing to help others. It was truly a beautiful sight. Beyond discovering Teacher Chou's remarkable empathy and his ability to articulate long-hidden thoughts for the participants, I also felt that Teacher Chou himself had achieved mind-body-spirit reconciliation. This made family constellation not just a learned skill, but a flow of love. I believe this is a hallmark of an excellent facilitator. Teacher Chou did not rely on flashy techniques or employ grand gestures to demonstrate his expertise. Instead, like a seasoned martial arts master, he seamlessly integrated years of practice into his being, aligning his beliefs and characteristics into one.

Everyone has their own unique qualities. Teacher Chou’s approach as a facilitator revealed a sense of "freedom" and "respect" within the family constellation process, inspiring me to strive towards being a facilitator who embodies my own individuality. I believe this journey will involve many personal reconciliations. Additionally, during this course, I began experimenting with different ways to take field notes for family constellations. For someone who has done field research for a long time, this "on-site" method and using "movement as narration" presented a fascinating challenge. As reminders for my own learning, I also noted many of Teacher Chou's “formless techniques”, which surpass conventional structured techniques. Although I did not actively participate in the constellation, I represented others three times—once as a deceased person and once as a prop. Through silent observation and internal constellation work, I gained clarity about the sources of pain for myself, my family, and friends. I even discovered the cause of my two-week-long back pain. In daily life, I began speaking aloud to myself while driving alone, clearly conveying important concepts, and started reconciling with my father and those who had hurt me or whom I had hurt. In summary, this was a truly enriching journey for my mind, body, and spirit. Lastly, I would like to recommend a good book, "Love and Reconciliation". The day before the family constellation, I finished reading Teacher Chou Ting Wen’s "Love and Reconciliation" for the second time. This deepened my experience in the workshop, leading to frequent epiphanies as Teacher Chou brought the book's concepts to life. This process of transforming theoretical knowledge into practical experience showcased the book’s strengths, even though this description might reverse the typical sequence of theory and practice. The book distills years of case work into theoretical essence, demonstrating Teacher Chou’s phenomenological expertise. Overall, this book provides a preliminary introduction to the techniques and concepts of family constellations, making it an excellent foundational text. The book's friendly writing style and relatable case studies allow readers to connect with their own life experiences immediately. I recommend reading this book before attending Teacher Chou’s family constellation workshops to greatly enhance the learning experience.

By: Hsu Min-Tao, Kaohsiung Medical University