Central theme:

Responsibility

Often the word “responsibility” has a heavier connotation. It could even sound frightening.

But, in fact, assuming responsibility is fundamental for healing and transforming our lives. By taking responsibility we free ourselves from anything or anyone who may have influenced us excessively in the past and assume the power we have to be who we are.

In this way we can create our own reality, we are able to set healthy limits and respect the limits of others.

Two examples of activities:

1) Non-violent communication

We arrive at the circle and caress the dogs for a long time.

We pick a person from the circle and say one good thing to her/him. This person picks another person and says a good thing to her/him, and so on, until everyone has spoken and received a good word. Then we evaluate in the circle.

Now each one chooses to partner with another person for the next round, which consist of giving contradictory commands to their partner; that is, different expressions from the rational / emotional, and with this impossible to be performed in a satisfactory way (“double bind”).

The partner tries, but cannot. The one who asks or gives order remains stubborn in his request, and this creates a discomfort and feeling of powerlessness in the one who tries to satisfactorily accomplish what has been asked of him.

Changing roles.

Then we reflect in the group, how we feel in each situation, and after this we can approach the effects of messages that contain differences between rational expression (words, writing) and emotional expression (gestures, facial expression).

2) Creativity and transformation.

“I was a caterpillar and I became a butterfly.”

Everyone is standing in the circle, and we watch the dogs, what they do, how they move, etc.

Then we ask the participants to move around in the space, very close to the ground, and to feel the perspective “what is it like to look at the world and other beings from the bottom up”.

The idea is to have a “body sensation,” to feel more compressed, or “trapped.” Feel your body small, tight, compressed… walk through space with this feeling of “tight” (it is an embodied representation of a structure that holds you together – physical metaphor). You move through space until you find a place where you feel comfortable and safe. There you close yourself in a cocoon, as the caterpillar closes before turning into a butterfly. Close your eyes and you will begin to feel and hear the beat of your heart. Whilst you are in the cocoon, release to the earth everything that is weighing on the heart.

Then, when you feel the impulse, the heart will speak: “Open yourself, transform yourself, open the shell, and break the shell! (This takes a long time, while Evelyn speaks, or we make some sound). When you feel ready, you will each break the shell of your cocoon and release a sound, and move through the space like a butterfly: newborn, light and beautiful.

Again the participants form the circle and close the activity with a reflective conversation: “what was the sensation of the first being, what the sensation of the cocoon was and then what was the sensation of the butterfly?”.

The fundamental reflection is: “How can I transform my reality?”