closings

Closing Guided Imagery

eamaya1 Guided Reflections, Prayers and Meditations ,

Opening: Close your eyes. Take a restful posture and a deep breath. Let go of any tension which you may be feeling. It is important that your mind be quiet, restful and peaceful… allow images and feelings to come freely…During this meditation we will look back on some important feelings and themes from the past days.

In this guided imagery, I am going to invite you to reflect on various themes, various memories. We will reflect on these individually now and communally later.

Challenge: Can you recall an experience when your heart went out to another person? A child rejected by his peers… a lonely old woman… a disabled beggar… a desperate addict… a scene of dehumanizing poverty? What did you feel at that moment? Does this scene continue to haunt you? Have you prayed about it? Has it remained in your memory?

Loneliness: When did you feel lonely? Did you miss your family? Was there a friend you longed for? Were there birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations, or deaths which accentuated your distance from what you know as “home”? When did you feel alone?

Fear: What made you fearful? What kept you awake at night and occupied your mind during the day? A particular class or relationship… conflict in community… an issue in your family or at home… something that happened over the last four months—or may happen in the future? Did you share these fears with another person, your community, or with God?

Peace: When did you feel peace? Think of a time when you experienced consolation—a feeling that: “Yes, this is the right place for me to be right now. There is no other place I would rather be in the world.”

Anger: What made you angry? An absurd situation… an argument which escalated… a strained relationship… a rude stranger? Perhaps you perceived an injustice—was it an injustice to you or to another person? When were you angry? Do you tend to keep your anger interior, or do you express it? When did you lash out at an innocent bystander or talk viciously about another person? Were you aware of this violence?

Anxiousness: When did you feel stress? How did it manifest itself? Physical tension… restlessness… obsessing… preoccupations during prayer? Was this resolved or does it remain unresolved? When were you stressed? What could this anxiety teach you about yourself?

Joy: Remember a time when you felt joy? What were the circumstances? Did you feel gratitude? How frequently do you feel content to this degree? Most days… occasionally… rarely? When did you experience joy?

Sorrow: Was there an occasion when you felt sorrow? Perhaps you hurt someone or were hurt by someone… Perhaps someone you knew was treated cruelly? How did you respond to this sadness? By journaling… walking alone… thinking… praying? When were you sad?

Friendship: Is there a person here you can call your friend? How has the friendship developed? What qualities do you find about that person? Have you become a closer friend with God? With yourself?

Courage: Can you remember a time when you acted courageously? When you stood up for another person or an important value? Perhaps, there was a courageous position to take but you realized that it wasn’t your stand to make? Were you able to step back?

Humor: What memory of our time together has brought you a good laugh? Were you able to laugh at yourself? When were you laughing?

Adventure: What types of adventure attracted you and brought you to this place? As days became more routine, did you still find “newness,” or did you resign yourself to the tedium? Did you wait for the excursions and breaks to find adventure, or were you able to find excitement in your everyday experience?

Love: Have you experienced a deepening of love and appreciation for another person… for a group of people… for God… for yourself… or life itself? How have others shown their love for you?

Closing: Take a moment to sit with these memories… Now open your eyes… with your imagination fresh with a spirit of gratitude… Spend a half hour in quiet considering these questions. Feel free to journal. We will have the opportunity to share some of these experiences as a community later today.

Adapted from closing reflection with Casa de Solidaridad, 2003

Tips for Sharing Your Story

eamaya1 Facilitation Tips ,

Sometimes it is difficult to share the experiences we have had with friends and family who may have never done anything similar. It is important to share what you witnessed with those closest to you. Here are some ideas on how to begin:

  • Be genuine. Be true to your ideals and your experience.
  • Reflect on where your listener is coming from. Ask yourself: “Has this person ever had an experience like I have before? What is my relationship with this person?”
  • Ask yourself: Are my parents/friends/coworkers ready to hear what I have to say? Don’t judge!
  • Be prepared that some people will need you to tell them the essence of your story in just a few minutes. Continue reading →

Immersion Closing Reflection Ideas

eamaya1 Facilitation Tips, Guided Reflections ,

It is important to bring some sort of closure to your time at the immersion site. This is a time to look back at the whole week and honor the shared experience of your group, the bonding, the insight, the growth and laughter. It is a time to appreciate with gratitude the community that has been built. Yet, it is also a time to challenge the group with the question “Now what?” On the journey home seize every opportunity together to develop some concrete action steps. Brainstorm possible action plan ideas for both individuals and the group. How will your actions, behaviors, and decisions going to be different now?

Be sure to take some time before the trip to plan out a closing activity and bring whatever materials you may need. Some possible activities for this closing reflection include:

  • Letters to Self: Hand out letters to self and have them read them silently. You might also hand back their applications for them to look at.
  • Letter to Next Year’s Participants: What do you want to share with the group that will be at this site next year?
  • Affirmation Letters: Writing affirmation letters to each other. You could also have brown paper bags that you use throughout the week to share notes. Another option is having people write in each other’s journals.
  • Circle of Gratitude: Have each person sit in the circle and everyone placing a hand on them verbally say something they are grateful for about this person or something they will never forget about them. Note that this activity can take quite a while. Be sure to give clear instructions of how much time you have for it so people keep their comments brief.
  • Guardian Angel: Reveal the guardian angels if you chose angels for the week.
  • New Truths/Myths Uncovered: Sharing new truths that were discovered (about self or world) and also myths that were uncovered.
  • Judge – Act – Evaluate – Celebrate: See reflection book for details
  • Begin, Stop, Continue: Share these questions from the 8th Day Center for Justice with your group. See reflection book for details.
  • Guided Reflection: Go back to the very beginning of your experience together from the day they applied to go on an immersion trip. Walk them through each of the moments
    asking them to remember what they felt and experienced.
  • Blessing of Compassion: Have each person pair up with someone. Adapt the blessing to be specific for what happened on your immersion trip. See reflection book for details.
  • Bring Change Back Home: On the van or plane ride home brainstorm together all the ways that you will bring what you have learned back home. The longer the list the better
    and dream big! Be sure to have someone record all of your ideas to return to later.
  • Top 10 List: Record the top 10 moments or new things learned.
  • Take off Your Shoes: Just as many of you were asked to take off your shoes as you entered into a new place and experience do the same as you enter back into the familiar. Enter back home with the same curiosity and openness that you left.
  • Blessing from Hosts: Ask the hosts or people you have worked with for the week to send you forth in a special way giving you a blessing to go and share the story and experience you had with them.

Returning Home Conversation Starters: Be sure to talk about some of the reverse culture shock that participants may experience going back home especially if it is over winter break.
Brainstorm some ways you will continue to support each other and stay connected during this time and when life gets busy.

  • For what are you most grateful?
  • What have you learned that you hope never to forget?
  • What expectations do you have about coming back home to your friends? Family? DePaul? Chicago?
  • What are your hopes and fears for coming back home?
  • Who is the first person you are going to talk to about this?
  • Who do you think is someone in your life who is going to understand or will be open to trying to understand this experience?
  • What will you do if no one seems to want to listen to your stories?
  • What is the first thing you are going to do when you get back?
  • How are you feeling about re-entering the regular routine again?