Goals:
*Encourage self-care and spiritual sustainability
*Help participants reflect on techniques they already use;
*To visualize resiliency strategies for long-term sustainability;
*Increase participant’s awareness of what balances them and the resources they already possess
Materials:
Colored Markers
Large drawing/butcher paper 1 per person
Time:
1 hour- 1hour & 30 minutes
Hand out one piece of paper per participant. Have markers scattered and available around the room. Encourage everyone to find a comfortable place on the floor or at a table where they will have room to draw.
Invite participants to close their eyes or hold a soft gaze at the floor. Say: Imagine yourself as a tree. What kind of tree would you be? Where can you find this tree growing well? What is the environment like around the tree? For example, what would the tree see, hear, and feel around them? What characteristics of that tree remind you of yourself?
Now that you have an image of yourself as a tree in your imagination, beginning with the roots of the tree, draw the roots in the place that you imagine it growing well. Include in the roots a representation of the things that ground you, that help you to feel connected and secure. The people, places and practices that sustain you and nurture your growth. For example; it could be family, friends, faith practices, special places, food, etc.
Now moving up to the trunk, draw the trunk to represent your core values, those beliefs and principles that center and balance you. For example, that we are all created in the image of God. Also, include the things that have marked you, the unique experiences that you’ve lived through, both positive and difficult that have left an imprint on your life, that have shaped you. For example, it could be your parent’s divorce, civil unrest or violence in your village.
After you have made the trunk, now draw branches and leaves to represent your hopes and dreams for your life and for the world. You can use words or images or both.
Finally, add fruit to represent the unique contributions you are making to the world. What gifts and skills do you share with those around you or that you could develop to share with your community, fellow peacemakers, and the world?
Allow a few more minutes to put finishing touches on their trees.
Invite the participants to form pairs to share as much or as little as they would like about their trees, the process and what came up for them as they made their resiliency tree.
Take turns sharing, 3 minutes per participant
Gather the group back together to elicit self-care strategies and key resources they can share with each other to sustain their spiritual growth.
Adapted by Mylinda Baits
