Group Activities!

Here is a list of ideas that I have employed at various times in a mental health setting for groups of adults, children, and teens.

1.  Balanced Ecosystem:-

Discussion: A balanced system is one in which each part plays a role by contributing and taking something so the system can sustain itself.  The same is true within one person, within a family, or within a society. 

Activity: Draw an ecosystem that is familiar to you, such as a beach, forest, ocean, or jungle.  Depict parts of the ecosystem that give and take from each other, such as the water that nourishes animals, and replenishes itself with the rain.  Animals eat plants and also fertilize soil.  Soil receives nutrients from fallen leaves and generates new plant growth.  How does it feel when a system is in balance?  How can other systems keep their balance?

2.  I Will Survive!:-

Discussion: Read the lyrics to the song, "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor.  What is a part of your life that you would like to say good-bye to?  In what way are you a Survivor?

Activity: Play the song while participants stand in a circle.  Sing the song aloud together, adding gestures and movements to send those negative aspects of your life "out the door!"

3.  Call Waiting :-
(adapted from theatre game we played at the West Virginia University Theatre Department)

Pick three contrasting people in your lives that bring out different sides of your personality, such as a romantic interest, a parent, a best friend, a sibling, a teacher or supervisor, or an ex-partner.  Pretend you get a phone call from the first person on your list and begin talking with them about imaginary or real subject matter.  Imagine that you get a phone call from the second person on your list that "beeps in" while you are talking, and you place the first person on hold while you answer the second person's call.  Talk with the second person briefly, then end the conversation and return to the call with the first person.  Then imagine the third person "beeps in" and you again talk to them briefly before ending that conversation and returning to the first person.  End the call with the first person and hang up.  Discuss how the person's body language, voice, attitude, and demeanor changed as they spoke with the different people in their lives. 

4.  Group Journey:-

Facilitator plays relaxing music, such as Native American flute or harp music.  Participants sit comfortably in their chairs with their eyes closed or gazing downward at the floor.  Participants are encouraged to imagine a scene that is relaxing, safe, comforting, and beautiful.  After several minutes, one at a time, each person invites the group to their scene by describing it in second person; for example, "You are lying on soft sand under a warm sun with the sound of waves in the background.  A group of dolphins swim by and you can hear sea gulls passing overhead."  When the first person is finished sharing their scene in as much detail as possible, the next person shares their scene; for example, "You are climbing up a mountain at night under the moon.  The sound of leaves crunches under your feet.  Your heart beats with the feeling of excitement and beauty.  A wolf passes by and looks you in the eye before continuing walking across your path."  When everyone has shared, the facilitator invites anyone to share any feelings that have come up before closing the meditation.  The facilitator encourages everyone to slowly come "back into the room," wiggle fingers and toes, and slowly open their eyes.  Discuss favorite images or scenes that peers described in the group.

5.  Mirroring Sequence:-

Sitting in a circle, the group will mirror the exact movements of each person in the group for 60 seconds.  When it is someone's turn, that person can lead various movements, such as facial expressions, clapping, or standing up, or they can simply sit normally, but the group will attempt to mimic exactly the way the person is sitting or moving, including small movements of feet, fingers, or facial expressions.  When everyone has had a turn to lead, the group divides into pairs sitting facing each other, selecting Partner A and Partner B.  Partner A will lead slow movements with the hands and Partner B will mirror the movements as closely as possible.  Next, Partner B will lead and Partner A will follow.  Notice that the leader has to move slowly so that their partner will be able to follow closely.  If there is time, members can try also limit movements to the legs and feet or to the face. (Mimicking funny faces in slow motion is truly hysterical.)  Each person can also rate their partner as a leader and as a follower on a score of one to ten.  Finally, each partnership will perform for the group without telling the group who is leading or following, and the group will try to guess who was leading or following.  Discussion: Is it easier for you to lead or follow?  Why?

6.  Protect Your Treasures:-

On a blank piece of paper, draw a treasure box that is filled with aspects of your being that are precious, including your Love, your Beauty, your Beliefs, your Dignity or Pride, and your Sexuality.  Draw a boundary around your treasures with various characters outside the boundary who can determine who is trustworthy for you to share your treasures with.  Pick protective characters who are strong, wise, and discerning to help ward off anyone who may try to steal your treasures.

7.  The Red Shoes:-
(from the book, Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes)

Copy and read together with the group the story of "The Red Shoes."  (A copy can be found on Dr. Catherine Shafer's blog on Child Development.) Why did the girl become so obsessed with the red shoes?  What was she really longing for?  What could she have done differently at any point in the story to avoid the tragedy at the end?  For example, could she have told the old woman at the start of the story, "Thanks but no thanks, I'm fine on my own!"?   Or could she have made another pair of red shoes for herself that brought you the same joy as the ones she lost in the beginning of the story?  Or could she have run away from the old woman and gone back to the forest?   Depict how you would have avoided the bad ending of the story through artwork and share with the group. 

8.  Labyrinth Meditation:-

Print different labyrinth designs for each person in the group (A google image search will have hundreds of them.)  Each person gets one of the sheets to trace with their finger or the back of a pen or pencil.  Participants are encouraged go as slowly as possible, to sit erect in their chairs, and to breathe deeply in and out, since the labyrinth is a way to practice staying calm and focused through the twists and turns that life brings.  When you reach the center of the labyrinth, trace your path back to the entrance of the labyrinth and repeat until the time is up.  The facilitator can allow five minutes for each labyrinth.  After five minutes, group members can write on a separate piece of paper any thoughts or feelings that came up with that design, including feelings of impatience or relaxation.  Participants pass their papers to the right and repeat the same process with the next design for five minutes, again recording thoughts and feelings between each one.  Finish and discuss.  What was challenging about this activity?  What was enjoyable about it?  Did you prefer the more complex or simple designs? 

9.  Stars in the Night:-

Discuss quote by Stephenie Meyer, "Without the dark, we'd never see the stars."  What are some of the gifts of the dark times in your life?  Paint, color, or draw a night scene with brilliant stars and use words and images in the picture to represent what gifts you have found in the darkness.

10.  Covered and Uncovered:-

Using large pieces of cloth or extra clothing, such as a sweater or jacket, participants are invited to cover parts of their body in a way that increases a feeling of safety, protection, or containment, such as wrapping it around their shoulders, around their waist or hips, or over their heads or face.  Notice how it feels to be hidden or covered from others.  Without bumping into anyone, try walking around the room with your covering, while experimenting with covering different parts of your body.  What felt the most comfortable to you?  What did it feel like?  Next, try uncovering yourself with the cloth in your own timing, such as "flashing" little glimpses of the hidden parts, opening and closing the fabric like wings, or completely discarding the cloth and walking around the room without the covering.  What did it feel like to reveal yourself?  When do you feel safe to reveal yourself to others?  What is the hardest thing for you to reveal to others? 

Group Activities!

Have an art-therapy session. Art therapists work with people recovering from grief, illness, emotional problems and injuries. Hire an art therapist willing to do a brief, inexpensive presentation, or check around for student interns looking for experience in art therapy.

Here is a list of ideas that I have employed at various times in a mental health setting for groups of adults, children, and teens. 

Have an art-therapy session. Art therapists work with people recovering from grief, illness, emotional problems and injuries. Hire an art therapist willing to do a brief, inexpensive presentation, or check around for student interns looking for experience in art therapy.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/way_5407011_support-group-activity-ideas.html

Have an art-therapy session. Art therapists work with people recovering from grief, illness, emotional problems and injuries. Hire an art therapist willing to do a brief, inexpensive presentation, or check around for student interns looking for experience in art therapy.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/way_5407011_support-group-activity-ideas.htmHave an art-therapy session. Art therapists work with people recovering from grief, illness, emotional problems and injuries. Hire an art therapist willing to do a brief, inexpensive presentation, or check around for student interns looking for experience in art therapyHere is a list of ideas that I have employed at various times in a mental health setting for groups of adults, children, and teens.

Have an art-therapy session. Art therapists work with people recovering from grief, illness, emotional problems and injuries. Hire an art therapist willing to do a brief, inexpensive presentation, or check around for student interns looking for experience in art therapy.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/way_5407011_support-group-activity-ideas.html

1.  Dream Circle:-

Discussion: Imagery and symbols are a language that can help us to explore feelings in a different way.  When we think about about dream images, we can create meaning that is useful to the dreamer. 

Activity: One person from the group shares a dream that they had recently or a dream that has a recurring theme.  The person shares as much detail as possible without making any self-deprecating comments about it or leaving out any embarrassing parts.  (If the dreamer does not feel comfortable sharing a dream in its entirety, they are encouraged to select a different dream.)  One at a time, each person in the group asks refining questions about the dream, such as, "What were you feeling when that happened?" or "Did anything in your dream remind you of something from real life?" or "Who else was with you in the scene?"  After collecting as much information as possible, group members and the facilitator can offer interpretations of the dream, such as "I think your dream is trying to tell you that you are afraid of losing your relationship," or "I think your dream is warning you about what will happen if you relapse."  After everyone has had a chance to share their interpretations, the dreamer is given the final word on what the dream means to her by sharing her interpretation of her own dream.  Repeat for anyone else who has had a dream they would like to share in the group.

2.  The Guest House:-

Read the poem, The Guest House by Rumi.  Draw, color, or paint a Guest House on a piece of paper, inviting six feelings to enter and stay.  Depict words or objects in each room to care for each of the feelings, such as a tissue box in the room for Sadness, a punching bag in the room for Anger, or a cross in the room for Fear. 

3.  Body Talk:-

Cut a large paper roll into long pieces for each person to lay on.  Group members assist each other with tracing the silhouette of each person laying on their paper. Each person draws or paints words or glues magazine images on or around their silhouette that include positive messages or qualities for each of their body parts, such as "Good Listener" next to the ears or "Energetic" next to the feet.  Participants are encouraged to also include messages that the body parts may want to communicate back to the person; for example, the lungs may say, "Stop smoking" or the stomach may communicate words or images about wanting to be more calm and relaxed or confident. 

4.  Dance Prayers:-

Facilitator plays slow, rhythmic music and leads a warm up for participants to move different parts of the body, starting with the head and moving downward to the shoulders, arms, hands, torso, legs and feet.  Going around the circle one at at time, each participant will lead the group in a gesture or movement that expresses a positive affirmation.  Each person will share a unique expression for the same phrase until everyone has had a turn leading.  The group will follow the leader's movement, repeating the gesture several times if it seems appropriate to fully appreciate the feeling in the movement.  Then each person will lead a movement or gesture for the next phrase.  The facilitator can provide the positive affirmations, such as "I believe in myself," "I can handle this," "I am loved," and "Everything will be alright," or group members can create their own phrases to express. 

5.  The Joy of Giving:-

Take three sheets of paper and think about what gifts you would like to give to yourself, to someone you love, and to a stranger. Draw or color your perfect gift for each person on one of the sheets of paper.  When you are finished coloring the gifts with as much detail as possible, fold up the papers and draw wrapping paper, ribbons, and a bow on the paper as if it is a wrapped gift.  Open and share with the group. 

Support Group Activities!

Support groups provide encouragement and understanding for people dealing with similar issues. Support groups may consist of cancer patients, stroke victims and people with mental health problems, attention deficits or addictions. Whatever issue you're struggling with, the group activities can enhance the healing experience. 

Here is a list of ideas that I have employed at various times in a mental health setting for groups of adults, children, and teens.

Support groups provide encouragement and understanding for people dealing with similar issues. Support groups may consist of cancer patients, stroke victims and people with mental health problems, attention deficits or addictions. Whatever issue you're struggling with, the group activities can enhance the healing experience.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/way_5407011_support-group-activity-ideas.html

1.  Stuck and Unstuck:-
(adapted from an exercise in The Moving Center by Gay and Kathleen Hendricks)

With selected music in the background, participants stand in a circle and warm up by moving each part of the body in creative movements, starting with the head and moving down through the arms, torso, legs, and feet.  One at a time, participants go to the center of the circle and start by moving freely.  The participant then slows down until he is stuck in one body position, which can represent a way that he feels "stuck," such as stuck in self-doubt, hopelessness, stress, or neediness.  He stays in the stuck position until he can devise a way to "unstick" himself, either by making certain vocal sounds, saying a powerful phrase, shaking free, or breathing deeply into the position until it releases.  Repeat for each person and discuss.

2.  Poetry Grid:-

Each person in the group comes up with five to ten words that everyone writes down on a blank piece of paper.  On lined paper, participants write 5 to 10 sentences using the words that were spoken, adding filler words if needed.  Share the sentences and take the best line from each participant and arrange them on one piece of paper to make a group poem. (This activity often produces astounding creativity and provocative lines of poetry.)

3.  I Feel ___ Like A :-______.

Each person writes "I feel ____ like a ____," filling in the blanks; for example, "I feel grumpy like a turtle that fell into a sewer."  Draw, color, or paint the images associated with the feeling below the sentence, using as much color and detail as possible.

4.  Chariots of Fire Ritual:-

Each person gets four pieces of paper.  On one paper, each person writes their goal for their lives, such as "success," "sobriety," or "happiness."  On the three other pieces of paper, each person writes an obstacle to reaching their goal, such as "Conflicts with my children," "boredom," or "negative thinking."  Create an obstacle course in the room with chairs and tables.  The "obstacle" sheets are placed on the chairs and tables on the obstacle course, and the "goal" sheet is placed at the finish line.  The participant can read aloud what has been written on each sheet as they are being placed.  As participants go through the obstacle course, they can either rip up each of the obstacles on the pieces of paper, push aside the chairs on which they are placed, or crawl around or under the obstacles to reach the finish line.  The group stands behind the finish line shouting encouragement and cheering for each person when they reach the finish.  The process is repeated for each person.  Play "The Chariots of Fire" in the background for a dramatic effect!

5.  Bardic Circle:-

Sitting in a circle, everyone takes turn sharing something with the group, such as performing a song, a dance, a poem, a joke, or an interesting fact,  or teaching a new skill.  Everyone is encouraged to be supportive and attentive when others share. 

6.  Drum Your Family:-

Percussion instruments are placed in the center of the room (which can also include "homemade" instruments like a pen with a plastic cup or rattling keys!)  Each participant describes the people that live in the home with them, such as family members or roommates, and selects an instrument to represent that person.  The participant plays the instrument in a way that represents that family member's qualities, such as loud, soft, fast, slow, easy-going or rigid.  The participant selects someone in the group to play that instrument according to the participant's specifications.  The participant continues to assign instruments to group members to represent each family member in their home.  When all the parts have been assigned, the group members play their instruments together in the way that the participant has demonstrated, and the participant listens until she directs them to stop playing.  Discuss how the family sounded - were some family members more aligned and others more dissonant?  Repeat for each participant.

7.  Personal Mythology:-

Create a story using the following form: "Once upon a time there was a _____ named _____.  It was very _____, _____, and _____.  It lived in _____ with ______.  Every day it would _____.  It's favorite thing about its life was _____.  It's least favorite thing was _____.  More than anything, it wanted _____.  The only problem was that _____.  One day, it was _____, when suddenly _____."  Continue the story to completion and write, "The End."  Discuss if and how the main character solved its problem.  

8.  Yes, No, I Don't Know :
(adapted from an exercise from Gabrielle Roth)

Participants partner in pairs facing each other, and decide which partner will be A or B.  Partner A starts by saying "Yes" and Partner B says "No."  When the facilitator says "Go," each pair will have about 30 seconds to say "Yes" and "No" to each other in a dialogue with varying moods, attitudes and intensity.  Repeat with Partner A saying "No" and Partner B saying "Yes" for thirty seconds.  Notice if it was easier to say "Yes" or "No" in the dialogues.  Next, Partner A will ask five questions to Partner B, to which Partner B can only answer "Yes."  The questions can be silly or serious.  Repeat with Partner B asking Partner A five questions, to which Partner A can only answer "Yes."  What was it like to accept everything someone asks?  Next, Partner A will ask five questions to Partner B, but Partner B can only answer "No."  Repeat with Partner B asking Partner A.  What was it like to reject everything someone asks?  Finally, Partner A will ask five questions to Partner B, but Partner B can only answer "I don't know."  Repeat with Partner B asking Partner A.  What was it like to be in a state of unknowing?

9.  Coloring Meditation:-

Trace objects in the room onto a piece of paper with a pencil, such as tissue boxes, cups, or plastic containers.  Make an interesting design with the overlapping shapes.  Alternatively, make designs by scribbling on a piece of paper in varying shapes and patterns.  Color with markers, colored pencils, or crayons.  Facilitator can play relaxing music in the background as participants are coloring.  Discussion: How did this activity affect your mood? 

10.  Empty the Jug:-

Discussion: If feelings are kept bottled up, they build up and overflow. 

Activity: Draw a large bottle or jug on your paper.  Draw two lines across its center to make three layers in the jug.  In the top layer, write three lines describing feelings you feel right now and the reason, such as "Tired because I didn't sleep well last night," or "Nervous because I'm with people I don't know."  In the middle layer, write three lines describing feelings you had in the past and the reason, such as "Sad when my dog died," or "Mad when my mother kicked me out of the house."  In the bottom layer, imagine you are peering into the depths of your heart without really knowing what is there, so you will try to guess by writing three lines like "Maybe I feel mad because I have no friends" or "Maybe I feel scared because I'm getting old."  Try to surprise yourself and write something you didn't expect.  Participants are not required to share their bottom layer if it will help them to take more risks in their writing. 

5 Ways to Create a Peace of Art!

A few projects/exercises you can try on your own:

1. Make an Illustration Inside a Heart:-

Use a heart as a pattern (enlarge and print the image with this post, if you like), and fill in the different parts of the heart with images and designs related to the emotions you are feeling right now.

2. Draw or Paint a Mountain and a Valley:-

Let the mountain represent times you were happy, and the valley those times when you were sad. Include specific images related to those events.

3. Make a Mandala:-

Mandala is a Sanskrit word that can be loosely translated to mean “circle.” Versions of mandalas are found in many religious traditions, including Hindu, Buddhist, and Native American. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be used to help focus attention, as a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation.  One analogy would be to consider the making of a mandala to be the artistic equivalent of walking a labyrinth. We’ll definitely need to explore mandalas at greater length in a future post. In the meantime, here’s a link to some mandala patterns that may be helpful.

4. Make a Drawing or Painting Related to a Quote You Like:-

Using one of the quotes we posted earlier about Resilience and the Triumph of the Human Spirit or another quotation that you particularly like, take the words of wisdom from someone you admire and turn them into something visually inspiring.

5. Work Collaboratively:-

Everything is better when it is shared with a friend or loved one. Get together with a partner and collaborate on one of the above ideas or another project that will provide comfort.

Group Activities!

Here is a list of ideas that I have employed at various times in a mental health setting for groups of adults, children, and teens.

1.  Fill in the Story:-

Find and print pictures of scenes from plays, movies or tv shows in which there are several characters pictured together in the middle of the story (not posing for the camera and smiling).  Each participant chooses a picture and writes the following:

Names and ages for everyone in the picture.

Name of the main character

Main character' greatest wish, greatest fear, best quality and worst quality

Setting of the scene

Background to the scene: what has happened before the moment pictured?

Write the conclusion of the story and draw, color, or paint the final scene of the story.

2.  Ants and Tigers:-

Discussion: What are the qualities of ants? (i.e. small, teamwork, defined roles, coordination)  What are the qualities of tigers? (i.e. solitary, acts on its own impulse, big and powerful)  Are there times it is better to be like an ant? A tiger?  Are there times it is worse to be like an ant?  A tiger?  Divide your paper in half, and label one side "Ants" and one side "Tiger."   On the ant side, draw yourself as an ant in a situation in which you remember that you behaved like an ant.  On the tiger side, draw yourself as a tiger in a situation in which you remember that you behaved like a tiger.  (Few people feel confident in their ability to draw tigers.  Encourage participants to take risks, use their erasers, and be nonjudgmental of their work.)

3.  Four Elements Of You:-

Discussion: Passion gives us the will to live and gives shape to our lives. 

Fold your paper into four sections.  Label each section, The Earth of Me, The Air of Me, The Fire of Me, and The Water of Me.  Use image and color to express your passion in life as symbolized by the four elements. 

4.  Tank of Gas:-

Discussion: Even with great talents, someone with low self-esteem can't get very far.  It would be like having a nice car without any gas.  On the other hand, some people who have physical limitations have achieved great things due to their self-confidence.

Make two columns on a piece of paper.  On one column, list the areas of your life that you feel confident about, and on the other column, list the areas of life that you feel insecure about; i.e. academics, work, appearance, creativity, making friends, etc.  Count the number of items listed in each column and write the total at the bottom of each list.  Subtract the Insecure total from the Confident total: that is how much gas you have left in your tank.  On another piece of paper, make a visual affirmation of your ability to improve your confidence and self-acceptance in areas of your life that you are currently insecure about.

5.  God Grant Me the Serenity:-

Discuss the quote, God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can't change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. 

Make two lists, "The things I can change" and "The things I can't change."  On each side, list the things you can and can't change in your life.  On another sheet of paper, draw how your life would look after you successfuly changed the things on your list, "The things I can change." 

6.  Gratitude and Wishes:-

Draw, paint, or color a tree, including its roots and branches, by creating intricate patterns that become more complex as they get farther from the tree's trunk.  Add words or glue pieces of paper shaped like rocks in the soil at the roots to represent things you are grateful for in your life.  Add words or glue pieces of paper shaped like leaves in the branches to represent things you wish for in life.  Discussion: Why is gratitude at our roots and our wishes in our branches?

7.  Holistic Health:-

Discussion: What is a healthy mind? A healthy heart? A healthy body?  A healthy spirit?

Divide your paper diagonally into four triangles.  Fill each triangle with color, words, and images that represent what a healthy mind, heart, body, and spirit is for you. 

8.  How Does This Serve Me?:-

Write down a common emotional difficulty you have in life, such as depression or anger.  Make a list of ways that feeling is serving you in your life.  For example "Depression serves to express my grief, protect me from failure, gets me attention, and makes people leave me alone."  "Anger allows me to feel powerful and in control."  Make another list of some alternative ways of getting those needs met.

Fold a large paper into three sections.  Using magazine images, make a collage for each section, entitled, "My feeling," "How it serves me," and "Alternatives."   

9.  Daily Schedule:-

Make a schedule of your daily routine.  Add into your schedule one activity to improve each of the following: mental health, emotional health, physical health, and spiritual health.  For example, "On my walk to school, I will try to think positive about my day." "I will spend a few moments in prayer or meditation before I go to sleep."  "I will do some yoga while I watch tv at night."  Decorate your schedule with markers, designs, and glitter so it looks attractive to you.  Take it home and tape it someplace you will see it daily.

10.  Spirit:-

Identify a spiritual power that you believe in, and write it in the middle of your paper using special lettering, i.e. God, Spirit, Nature, Love, etc.  Using color and image, depict six qualities of the spiritual power in a circle around the word, such as "All-knowing," "Healing," or "Unconditional Love."  Add a border and background color to tie the images together.

7 Tips for Mind-Body Balance!

One of the guiding principles of mind-body medicine is the interconnection of all things, including the mind, the body, and the environment in which we live. Each of us is an inseparable part of an infinite field of intelligence, and in this very moment, with every breath, we are exchanging millions of atoms with the universe.

From this holistic perspective, health isn’t merely the absence of disease or symptoms; it is a state of optimal well being, vitality, and wholeness.  We are healthy when we’re able to fully digest everything we take in, extracting what is nourishing and eliminating whatever doesn’t serve us. This includes our food, our relationships, our jobs, and all our life experiences. Illness, in contrast, develops when there is a disruption ― a blockage in the flow of energy and information in our body mind. Symptoms and sickness are the body’s signal that we need to restore balance, eliminate whatever is causing the blockages, and reestablish the healthy flow of intelligence.

The Mind-Body Connection:- 

Since the body and mind are inextricably connected, every time we have a thought, we set off a cascade of cellular reactions in our nervous system that influence all the molecules in our body. Our cells are constantly observing our thoughts and being changed by them.

Each day at the Chopra Center, we see guests who reinforce our view that our thoughts and choices and experiences influence our tendency to be healthy or become ill. A man in a toxic work environment has incapacitating headaches that don’t respond to multiple medications. A woman decides she will no longer accept her boyfriend’s demeaning behavior, and her debilitating panic attacks “mysteriously” subside.

Of course, this is not to say that all illnesses are “caused” by our thoughts. The relationship between the mind and body is complex, and sometimes things happen at a physical level for which we don’t have a plausible explanation. We have to acknowledge that we may have an inherent tendency for health or imbalance, and in some cases, genetic inheritance is the major factor underlying an illness. At the same time, we have amazing potential to heal and transform ourselves through our thoughts, perceptions, and choices. The body is a magnificent network of intelligence, capable of far more than current medical science can explain.

Cultivating Balance

Establishing a healthy dialogue between our thoughts and our molecules helps us shift from imbalance to balance. And when we’re in an optimal state of dynamic balance, we naturally tend to listen to our body with love and reverence and make choices that support balance, happiness, and well being. The following seven mind-body prescriptions will help you create this positive feedback loop:

1:-Take time each day to quiet your mind and meditate:-
Meditation is one of the most powerful tools for restoring balance to our mind and body. In meditation, you experience a state of restful awareness in which your body is resting deeply while your mind is awake though quiet. In the silence of awareness, the mind lets go of old patterns of thinking and feeling and learns to heal itself. Scientific research on meditation is accelerating with the growing awareness of meditation’s numerous benefits, including a decrease in hypertension, heart disease, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and addictive behaviors.

2:-Each day eat a healthy diet that includes the six Ayurvedic tastes and a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables:-

Next to breathing, eating is our most vital bodily function. To create a healthy body and mind, our food must be nourishing. Ideal nutrition comes from consuming a variety of foods that are appropriately prepared and eaten with awareness.
A simple way to make sure that you are getting a balanced diet is to include the six tastes (sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter, and astringent) in each meal. The typical American diet tends to be dominated by the sweet, sour, and salty tastes (the main flavors of a hamburger). We do need these tastes, but they can lower metabolism especially if eaten in excess.

The pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes, on the other hand, are anti-inflammatory and increase metabolism. These tastes are found in food such as radishes, ginger, mustard, peppers, spinach, mushrooms, tea, lentils lettuce

In addition to including the six tastes in each meal, focus on eating a variety of fresh and freshly prepared foods, while eliminating or at least limiting items that are canned, frozen, microwaved, or highly processed. These are “dead” foods that weaken health and accelerate aging.

3:-Move your body: Engage in daily exercise.

Regular exercise offers incredible benefits for your body and mind. Drs. William Evans and Irwin Rosenberg from Tufts University have documented the powerful effect of exercise on many of the bio markers of aging, including muscle mass, strength, aerobic capacity, bone density, and cholesterol.
Not only does exercise keep the body young, but it also keeps the mind vital and promotes emotional well being.
A complete fitness program includes exercises to develop flexibility, cardiovascular conditioning, and strength training.Strength training.Find an aerobic activity that you enjoy and will be able to three to four times each week for twenty to thirty minutes. After your body is warmed up, spend five to ten minutes stretching. Be sure to include strength training in your program to systematically exercise the major muscle groups of your body. The key is to start off slowly, find physical activities you like, and do them regularly. You will be surprised how quickly you increase your endurance and enthusiasm for moving and breathing.

4:-Take time for restful sleep:-

Restful sleep is essential key to having health and vital energy. When you're well-rested, you can approach stressful situations more calmly, yet sleep is so often neglected or under
emphasized. There is even a tendency for people to boast about how little sleep they can get by on. In reality, over time, inadequate sleep disrupts the body’s innate balance, weakens our immune system, contributes to weight gain and depression, and speeds up the aging process.
Human beings generally need between six and eight hours of restful sleep each night. Restful sleep means that you’re not using pharmaceuticals or alcohol to get to sleep but that you’re drifting off easily once you turn off the light and are sleeping soundly through the night. If you feel energetic and vibrant when you wake up, you had a night of restful sleep. If you feel tired and unenthusiastic, you haven’t had restful sleep.You can get the highest quality sleep by keeping your sleep cycles in tune with the rhythms of the universe, known as circadian rhythms. At the Chopra Center, we find that if people can commit to a consistent sleep ritual, they can usually retrain their mind to experience healthy sleep patterns.

5:-Release emotional toxins:-

Many of us harbor emotional toxicity in the form of unprocessed anger, hurt or disappointment. This unprocessed residue from the past contributes to toxicity in our body and needs to be eliminated. You can begin by asking yourself, “What am I holding onto from the past that is no longer serving me in the present?”
Once you have identified what you want to release, spend some time journaling about how your life will be different when you change. Then you can do a specific releasing ritual that declares to yourself and to the world that you are letting go of whatever it is you’ve been holding on to. If you need more help in this area, consider attending the Healing the Heart workshop at the Chopra Center. In a nurturing, supportive environment, you will be guided intensive, loving process to release emotional pain and then fill the newly created space in your heart with love and self-nurturing behaviors.

6:-Cultivate loving relationships.

Enjoy a good belly-laugh at least once a day.
From the scientific perspective, laughter is an elegant mind-body phenomenon that reduces the production of stress hormones and boosts the immune system. Researchers in Japan found that people with rheumatoid arthritis who watched “rakugo” or comic storytelling experienced a significant decrease in their pain and stress hormone levels as well as an increase in two immune-enhancing

Group Activities!

Here is a list of ideas that I have employed at various times in a mental health setting for groups of adults, children, and teens.

1.:- Lifeline:-
 (adapted from a standard Expressive Therapies activity I learned at Lesley University)

On a piece of paper, make two points on the opposite ends of the paper, one labeled "birth" and the other labeled "now."  Draw a line between the two points.  Identify at least three high points and three low points in your life and graph them according to your age (horizontally) and according to the feelings in the experience (vertically).  Low points will be below your lifeline and high points will be above your lifeline.  Connect the points with lines making a zig-zag line.  Share the events with the group and the group responds with cheers, applause, and praise on the high points and boos and words of encouragement at the low points.  If participant doesn't feel comfortable sharing details of their lives, they can simply say, "Age 6, high point." 

2:-  Inside - Outside Bags/ Boxes:-
 (standard Expressive Therapies activity used at Lesley University)

Decorate a bag or box with images and words on the outside to represent the qualities you show to the world.  Decorate the inside of the bag or box with images and words that represent the inner qualities that are hidden to most people. 

3.:- Feeling Code Collage:- 
 (learned from my art therapy supervisor, Susan La Mantia)

Take one sheet of paper and draw and color an image to represent various feelings, such as happy, sad, mad, scared, embarrassment, love, peace, crazy, bored, etc.  Label each image with the feeling.  Participants can also choose feelings to add to the list.   Encourage participants to use creativity; i.e. "happy" might first make you think of a smiley face, but it could also be like a purple and green spiral or a puppy.  On a second sheet of paper, use the feeling code to make another drawing in which the images can be made bigger, smaller, repeated, overlapped, or arranged in a unique relationship to other images.  Title the new drawing and discuss. 

4:- Cooling My Hot Spots:-

Using a pre-printed picture of a human silhouette, use color and image to represent feelings of anger or emotional pain on the place of the body associated with the feelings, i.e. black pit in the stomach, red squiggles on the fists wanting to punch, etc.  Draw a cooling image and phrase beside each of the hot spots, i.e. a waterfall with the words, "Let go," or music notes with the words, "Don't let other people get you down."

5:-  Three Animals:- 
  (adapted from a game I used to play with friends - I have no idea where we learned it from.)

On a sheet of paper, write the name of your favorite animal and three qualities you like about that animal; i.e. cheetah: sad, caring, and shy.  Next, write the name of your second favorite animals with three qualities, and finally, your third favorite and its three qualities.  Consider the possibility that the first animal represents how you want others to see you, the second animal represents how people actually see you, and the third animal represents who you really are.  (Reading them aloud with their meanings with the group can be quite humorous.)  Next, draw, color, or paint a mixed breed animal with the three animals you chose, such as a creature with a cheetah head, a mouse body, and a fish tail.  Add a habitat, food, family and friends for this animal.

6:-Relationship Needs:-

Select a magazine picture to represent you and glue it to the middle of a large piece of paper.  Select magazine pictures to represent the six most important people in your life and glue them in a circle around you.  Draw a line connecting each of the people to the picture of you.  On the top of each line, write a word or phrase about what you need from that person.  Under each line, write a word or phrase about what that person needs from you.

7:-  Wise Puppet:-

Using craft materials, create a puppet of a real or imagined character that represents wisdom, such as a grandfather or Yoda.  Each person enacts a skit with their puppet in which the participant asks the puppet for advice about something in life.  Participants should use a special voice for their puppet characters and keep the conversation with their puppet going as long as possible.

8:- Good and Bad Mandalas:-

Discussion: The world has happy and sad aspects, but sometimes negative events can lead to positive events.  Consider the possibility that the negative and positive events are in some kind of harmony and that there is a larger order of goodness.  Draw, color, or paint a mandala that includes both happy and sad things in life, intertwined with each other, in a balanced and colorful harmony; i.e. gravestones next to blossoming trees, broken hearts next to rainbows, thief next to a policeman, etc.

9:- Treasure Map:-

On a piece of paper, label one corner, "The beginning" and another corner, "Success."  Draw a windy path between the two points.  Using collage materials, create stations along the path with creative titles, such as "Crossing the desert of loneliness," "Forgiveness and letting go," "Climbing the mountain of determination," "Resting in the shade of a caring friend," etc.

10:- Affirmation Poster:-

Think of a sentence or expression that makes you feel better when you are depressed/ angry/ anxious.  Make a large poster of the saying using glitter, favorite colors, and/or images to put on your wall; i.e. "This will pass." or "You're worth whatever it takes."