Christina’s workshop on well being helped us to achieve more self-awareness

Christina, our ESC volunteer from Belarus, welcomed us with candle light and relaxing music. This atmosphere was what we needed at the end of the day. We could relax and feel really connected with our inner selves. Our evening workshop on well being couldn’t have a better start.

First, we talked about emotions and feelings. What is important to know? There are five basic emotions, happiness, anger, fear, disgust and sadness. None of them is wrong, because we’ve needed each to survive since the dawn of time. Then, Christina gave us a useful chart that helped us to think about all the different feelings we can have. We were encouraged to try to assess how we felt at that very moment. 

During the second part, paintbrushes in our hands, we drew a circle. Then, we painted a tree in the circle. Each of us tried to represent their feelings.

We couldn’t make sketches or use a pencil. We had acrylic paint and watercolour. This, as Christina explained later, let us be more free and spontaneous while drawing. This, as Christina explained later, let us be more free and spontaneous while drawing.Antonia wasn’t so sure that she could transform her feelings and emotions in the shape of a tree, but she did her best!

After this first stage, we could try to change our tree, and make it become of the colour and shape that we preferred. The idea was to represent how we wished to feel, what our emotional goal was.

After the workshop, we all achieved more self-awareness and felt far more relaxed. Some of us felt tired and worn out before starting, but after the workshop we all felt better.