This group - work session is all about understanding ourselves and experiencing nurturing moments.
1 Get the group buzzing with some starter type questions or a Blob Tool from one of my books.
1 Get the group buzzing with some starter type questions or a Blob Tool from one of my books.
Some activity to get everyone contributing. Easy and fun.
Starting into deeper things too quickly is not recommended.
2 Use toilet roll paper or a clothesline to make a big ‘kiss’/ ‘cross' shape in the centre of the room.
Ask some volunteers to do this – participation is a growth activity.
3 Introduce H.A.L.T. = Hungry Angry Lonely Tired.
(This is often used to help alcoholics and drug dependent beautiful humans, & me & you, to become more self-aware.)
Basically, if we are one of those Hungry Angry Lonely Tired, all of us are at risk of slipping into behaviour which is not healthy for others or self.
Explain how we all can be feeling these without clocking the feelings but be irritable, snappy, sulky and other ‘not so whole’ behaviours especially with those we love.
At the same time place down A4 sheets of paper in the cross on the floor, see illustration.
4 Ask all to quietly consider which one is when they feel most vulnerable/irritable/nasty?
Then on ‘go’ everyone in the room walks and stands in one of the sections.
If the group can do this without talking – in silence,
it makes it more powerful.
Allow moments for them to feel and think as they stand there.
5 Still standing – ask all to say why they chose this one and give an example.
Start with a human who will take risks in sharing vulnerability, model openness and authenticity =You.
6 Time to sit down and further reflections about becoming more and more sensitive about ‘self’
and from that learning becoming the sort of human we want to be.
(Not just being, but ‘becoming’).
This could be done in twos and threes around the room.
Small numbers help to create more intimacy.
7 After a coffee break, all my words are just a guide – not gospel,
place a shredder in the centre of the cross in the middle of the floor space and
give out a pen and an envelope each.
Ask all to write three of their qualities/positives/gifts on the outside of the envelope –
all which are known to others.
Ask all to write three of their weaknesses/vulnerabilities/failures, known only to themselves, inside the envelope and seal it.
This can be a great time for some beautiful appropriate music to be bursting out of the player.
8 With more music playing each human is asked to come one at a time and shred their envelope as an offering to God of ourselves with strengths and weaknesses – our beautiful imperfection.
9 END:: This is a ‘Group Experience so reflection is part of the expanding of it – the learning from it.
You will know the rightness to be silent or a discussion reflecting on the experience.
10 A good piece of practice is, next time you meet as a group, or as you meet 121 -
ask each one what their experience was like.
Their feelings?
Their reflections.
An experiential exercise like this can be much more of a developmental experience if opportunities taken to reflect afterwards
Pip Wilson
www.pipwilson.com
