Implementation Day 4

Day 4 - Sunday February 22

Written by the Ukrainian team! 🇺🇦

OSHO-based meditation techniques

The day started with a short introduction where we received instructions and learned how the meditation works and what each stage is about. After that, we began to gently activate and awaken our bodies through different tapping movements and a light warm-up. Then we followed a one-hour OSHO meditation guided by special sounds: 15 minutes of shaking our bodies, 15 minutes of free dancing, 15 minutes of silent meditation and finally 15 minutes of deep relaxation. We also had our eyes closed in order not to think of how we are perceived by others and in turn just move the way we want. While from a third perpective it appears unusual but is deeply relaxing and recharging experience.

Expressive Paint using music and dance

For the second activity, large sheets of paper and paint were placed on the floor, and we created artworks using only our feet. This was based on learnings that our feet are connected to different parts of our body, so working with them can stimulate the whole system and increase body awareness. At first, drawing with feet felt strange and unfamiliar for most participants, but in the end, many people really enjoyed it. We were listening to music, so we were dancing while painting. It was fun and creative, surprisingly relaxing.

Active listening and support

This activity began with the participants expressing their opinions on what "active listening" is. We figured out that it can be manifested through gestures, nodding, and asking follow-up questions after someone shares a story.

The participants were then invited to take part in an active listening exercise involving two people talking. The first person (person A) shares a story about a time when they did something they were afraid of and eventually succeeded. The partner (person B), acting as the active listener, had to listen carefully to the story and could only ask additional questions after (and only after) the first person had finished speaking, in order to show genuine interest in the information they had been given. After that, they changed roles, and the second person told their story. In the end, each participant had to retell their partner's story.

The goal of the exercise was to demonstrate the importance of active listening skills for a smooth and efficient conversation. It is important not to interrupt the speaker, to let them finish their story completely before asking questions, and at the same time to stay involved and interested by clarifying details and asking follow-up questions.

The second phase of the activity involves blindfolds, where, pairs of participants have to walk around the room (or outside) while either telling a story, or directly helping the other interact with materials around the room. This exercise highlighted how important trust is. Some participants found it difficult to trust their partner and not be afraid while walking without seeing anything in the beginning, while others, on the contrary, struggled with the responsibility they had to take when guiding their partner, since they had to make sure that their partner did not hurt themselves or anyone else. Of course, both aspects are valid, and focuses on the concepts of control, lack of control and everything in between.

Art Therapy, the past, present and the future

In this activity, participants were asked to divide a sheet of paper into three sections: our past, present, and future. The task was to draw something that represented each of these periods in our lives. After completing the drawings and discussing them in groups, we talked about how important it is to feel free and safe to express ourselves through art—without fear of being judged or of doing it "the wrong way."

This activity allowed us to immerse ourselves in our own experiences—past, present, and future. We could transfer our anxieties, thoughts, and dreams onto paper and then reflect on them together. Activities like this are important, especially with youth in each of the countries, due to the current issues in art classes in formal education, where teachers often do not allow students to draw in an "incorrect" way.