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Day 3. The good helper revisited
SAID ALOUD
Day 3. The good helper revisited
Aim. To explore further the qualities of a good helper.
PART II: THE TRAINING
Grounding Exercise 3. Progressive release of muscular tension.( 15 minutes.)
GROUNDING EXERCISE
This exercise is very useful to helpers who need to release the tension that has accumulated in their bodies during a long working day!
Focus on the difference of feeling between when your muscles are tense and when they are relaxed. Tense and relax your head, face, neck, shoulders, back, stomach, buttocks, arms, hands, legs, and feet. Increase the tension, hold it for 5 seconds, then release it for 10. Do each part of the body one by one. Find the tempo that suits you.
• Start with your hands. Make a fist, hold for 5 seconds, release for 10 seconds. Notice the difference between the tense and released state. Do it once more.
• Now focus on your arms; pull you lower part of your arm towards your shoulder. Feel the tension in your upper arms. Five seconds, release. Notice the difference. Do it once more.
• Stretch your arm out, lock the elbow and feel the tension in the triceps. Hold for 5 seconds, release for 10. Notice the difference. Repeat. When the arms are relaxed, let them rest in your lap. Continue with the rest of the body.
You can find the full grounding exercise in Appendix 2.
Trainer. On Day 1 we discussed the qualities of the good helper. Now we’ ll add some of the skills and qualities that you have become aware of during the training. Here is a new drawing, which adds new elements to the characteristics of the good helper.
The Helper from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• The Helper has a big heart to contain a survivor’ s feelings and suffering.
• She has a small mouth, so she can keep secrets.
• She has a big handbag that be can be locked and in it she puts all the prejudice or bad words she might hear about survivors.
• Big feet keep her safely and steadily on the ground, and enable her to walk the long distances to where she is needed.
• Her ears must be large, to hear what a survivor tells her, and what a survivor does not say in words but through small sighs and other sounds. The survivor should not have to repeat herself.
• The eyes of the helper must be wide open, to read a survivor’ s signals, her facial expressions, the movements of her body, the language of her hands.
• Her bladder must be large, as conversation can take a long time and should not be interrupted.
• Her nose must be small to protect her from smells, as the survivor can be injured and leak urine.
• The Helper also needs a strong head and a strong heart not to be traumatised by what she hears. She may even have a helmet to protect herself.