LEVEL 1: DAY 3

 

The cat sitting in circle.

OPENING CIRCLE

Chief Justice David Roberts: "Reconciliation is impossible without coming from a broken place."

Hector: "The healing must start in the wound."

Nadine led us in a grounding exercise: first, rubbing hands together; then breathing; then a bilateral self-massage, right hand massaging left shoulder, then moving diagonally down across the front of the body to the right hip, and down the right thigh to the knee. We then did another bilateral massage, this time beginning with the left hand massaging the right shoulder, and so on. We repeated the entire exercise three times. Thank you, Nadine!

TRUST WORK

Protector. Everyone is scattered about the room. Then they are instructed to identify one person who scares them (without telling that person or anyone else). People move about the room, trying to stay as far away from the person they fear as possible. After a while, everyone is instructed to identify a protector, again without telling anyone. The goal is to keep your protector between you and your "enemy" at all times. After another while, the Joker calls "Freeze!" and asks everyone to observe their position relative to others. How successful were they in keeping their protector between them and their enemy?

Catch Me. Nine people assemble at the far side of the room. One person is the "backstop." They stand facing the opposite end of the room. Four people line up perpendicular to the backstop - four on each side, shoulder to shoulder. The two lines extend outward from the backstop toward the opposite side of the room. Each person in a line of four is directly facing someone on the opposite side. The people on both sides extend their arms outward toward one another, turning their hands so that their palms are facing the opposite side of the room. Their distance from each other is such that their fingertips are just able to touch the fingertips of the person opposite them. The function of the hands is to serve as a baffle that will gently let the runner know they have reached their target. Important: The Joker tests the baffles as many times as necessary to ensure that they offer no resistance to the runner. Then: When someone on the opposite side of the room (a runner) declares that they are ready, they stand facing the opening formed by the "catcher's mitt" across the room. The Joker stands behind them, gently takes them by the shoulders, and asks again if they are ready. When they say "yes," the Joker tells them to "aim." Then: "Close your eyes." Then: "3-2-1-go!" With hands at sides or across their chest, the runner moves as quickly as they dare, straight across the room, to where they imagine the opening is. The "mitt" observes the runner keenly, and continuously adjusts position as necessary in order to safely catch the runner. There is great excitement during this exercise, ending in relief, and a sense of accomplishment when the runner has safely completed their journey.

IMAGE WORK (conintued)