“I’m an introvert, not a performer. In college speech class I threw up after every speech. What Relational Presence training does is change public speaking from a performance event to a relationship event. I know a lot about relationships and very little about performing."

Nancy Brown, Psychotherapist

“Through Relational Presence I confronted and broke through my fear of speaking up and being seen. The impact was like someone unplugged me and my flow of communication finally began pouring out.”

Agnes Leonard, Counselor

“For the first time in my life it’s easy for me in front of groups. There’s no anxiety about it; everything just falls into place naturally through attention to Relational Presence."

Steve Mackewicz, Technology Support Analyst

“In my talks I used to sweat bullets and be over-prepared. Now I speak into eyes and feel comfortable since I am able to think on my feet. Speaking with Relational Presence has been a lot more fun, and good for business.”

Chuck Root, Founder, Double Eagle Financial, Registered Investment Advisors

“Even with considerable practice public speaking, I had remained particularly afraid of impromptu speaking. The practice of Relational Presence has brought a wonderful sense of calm over me, and the opportunity to be 'in the moment' has been truly amazing, gratifying and exhilarating.”

Nancy Dakin, Environmental Planner

“Whether I’m at a social gathering or a work event I always remember to breathe and be in Relational Presence with people. This dissolves my habitual feeling of being inhibited and has opened my heart, along with many doors.”

Joan Simon, Office Manager

Introduction to Relational Presence
Home Study Program

By Lee Glickstein

The material in this program is copyrighted and may not be duplicated without permission, with the exception of printing copies for personal use. © 2009 Speaking Circles International. All rights reserved.

Relational Presence: The Intersection of Professional and Spiritual Development

How to Dissolve Self-Consciousness and Step into Your Personal Power

Relational Presence is the capacity to truly and fully be with one person at a time, whether you are with one person or with a group of any size, and whether you are listening or speaking. As you develop this “muscle” of presence through practice, you:

• Gain an ever-expanding capacity to respond creatively to conditions that present themselves in every aspect of your life, including speaking with ease and power to groups.

• Stand up for yourself and speak your truth when it counts, clearly and without self-consciousness.

• Get comfortable with silence.

• Expand your leadership presence.

• Develop your natural magnetism and influence.

• Have more playfulness and pleasure in your life and be more spontaneous and fun to be with.

• Be your gift to the world.

These are all natural outgrowths of accessing and nurturing a simple quality of being that you already have but have likely lost touch with to some extent. We call this quality Relational Presence(RP). RP is a very specific texture of being, or sense of mind, that I stumbled upon in my extensive work healing stage fright over the past 20 years. It is a place to come home to, familiar as an old friend but surprisingly potent and transformational.

Our first step is for me to guide you to an experience of RP, for once you get wind of its unique texture, even for a moment, you can call it back, isolate it, and develop it like a muscle at the gym. This is the muscle of personal power in the world, and unlike the “no pain no gain” mindset of some physical exercise, after the initial orientation this muscle is pure pleasure to build.

The first step in building this Relational Presence muscle requires that we come to terms with our own self-consciousness.

First Exercise: Facing Yourself in the Mirror

Find a hand mirror, sit down, and listen to this sound file:

Click on the triangular button to play, the double-bar button to pause, and the square button to stop. The slider on the upper left will adjust volume, and the lower slider is useful to repeat any portion of the instructions.

The next exercises to follow will be posted here in the coming months - you are welcome to subscribe to Lee's newsletter on the home page in order to receive announcements of future updates.