If you are interested in creating a workshop with Peter Ralston in your area, please take a look at the basic considerations below. There are two kinds of Cheng Hsin workshops; those concerned with martial arts and those concerned with ontology and consciousness. To see if Ralston is available, check his current schedule.

Ground Work

Usually, at least 15 participants are needed to do a workshop. If you have a good idea that you can enroll this many people as a base, then a workshop is possible. Talk to people, don’t guess. Make sure they are committed to putting down money, and will set aside the time to do the workshop as scheduled. Once the preliminary work has been done so that you know you can create a workshop, then contact Peter Ralston to discuss feasibility.

Location

One of the first things you need to do is to find a location that is suitable for the kind of workshop that we’ll be doing.

General Requirements

For a T’ui Shou Workshop we need more space and mats; no staff is needed other than Ralston. He needs a chair and table, and he prefers a chalkboard. The Principles of an Effortlessly Effective Body-Being workshop is the same but we don’t need mats, although a carpeted floor is preferred. Workshops like The Principles of Effective Interaction or Transforming Our Experience of Relationship need enough space for all of the participants to move around, chalkboard, chairs for the participants and Ralston, music stand, some supplies and at least one extra staff member. The Empowering Transformation Workshop (ETW) needs chairs, lots of supplies, several staff, two chalkboards, strict control over the environment, preferably a riser (small stage), music stand, etc. A Contemplation Intensive requires absolute privacy or isolation (away from the city is best) a cook, a kitchen that can be closed off from the contemplation room, many supplies, staff, enough space to sit and sleep everyone, a private room for Ralston, a tape recorder.

You will need some time before the workshop begins to prepare the room. For example, for a weekend workshops you will need to reserve the space from Friday afternoon to late Sunday night.

The size of the room will depend on the kind of workshop and the amount of people in the workshop. For example, you will need a room approximately 20′ x 30′ for 20-30 people seated, or 15-18 people moving. A room approximately 30′ x 40′ will accommodate 40-60 people seated, or 25-35 people moving. There should be enough room for people to move around during exercises.

We prefer the floors be carpeted for most workshops. Even in t’ui shou workshops there are times of sitting during lectures and diads.

Restrooms need to be readily accessible for minimal disruption during the workshop.

We will need privacy from outside distractions. The room will need to be closed off to the outside. If it is an ontological workshop we need a very quiet space with signs saying “do not disturb,” and no access from the outside. You will need to clear the room itself of as many distractions as possible. The room needs to be closed off from the public.

During meal break there should be places nearby for people to get some food.

Depending on the needs of the workshop you may need blackboard(s), chalk, erasers, a chair and table for Peter, flowers for Peter, music stand, chairs for the participants, perhaps pencils and paper for the participants, easels, and other supplies (a list will be sent of supplies for your specific workshop).

Excellence

A few words on excellence. Participants get a chance to immerse themselves in the work of Cheng Hsin and open up to the possibility of directly experiencing what the workshop is about (and it will be about their own being in one way or another). For this to occur you have to give yourself to the workshop completely. Everything from the workshop space, and the consciousness of the environment created to do the workshop, to the communications you have at any time with participants should contribute to a high level of excellence and purpose.