Article on IMU News, Exploring the Magic Box - Children's Camp

I found an article on IMU (International Medical University) News online about a creative workshop I had facilitated early this year at IMU.

Please note, there is a minor mistake... it is  written that I am a Dance Therapist. I am actually  qualified as a Drama Therapist, with a dance background.

Click on the link below for the article.

http://imunews.imu.edu.my/index.php/latest-news/community-project-by-imu-students-exploring-the-magic-box-childrens-camp/

Perfomance in Penang in March 15th & 16th

I'm performing this Friday and Saturday (15th & 16th March) in Penang, along with another wonderful dancers and musicians. Check it out!

Frankenstein, the Hero's Journey- Drama Workshop with Medical Students

I recently had the privilege to facilitate a drama workshop with forty medical students from the International Medical University. Kali Chandrasegaram, who is a professional dancer based in the United Kingdom had graciously co- facilitated the workshop with me.  We had thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

The theme of the day was Frankenstein. Our workshop was on connecting the story of Frankenstein to the Hero’s Journey.

We had actually all positive feedback from the students. Many of them had discovered or rediscovered the creative part of themselves which they had kept dormant for a long time. 

One of the comments that we had is ‘I really enjoyed being able to use crayons and magic pens again. The last time I had used them was when I was a child’. Another which left a deep impact is ‘I feel so open after this.. I don’t really know why. I just feel so open’. Several of the participants also commented that the workshop was also a welcomed break from all that constant and intense studying.

What I had witnessed was that the participants were reconnecting with themselves… their true self, through exploring and expressing their own creativity and play. Their comments and feedback of their experience of the workshop came from their hearts and was very much appreciated by all of us in the room. For that duration of the workshop, that space became a sacred space… I felt very grateful to have had the experience of witnessing the ‘magic’ which happened in that space. I would like to thank all of the participants for the experience of bearing witness to the alchemy which happened within them in that space.

New Job

I had just begun working for an NGO which helps spread awareness about child sexual abuse and provide therapy for survivors of sexual abuse. Just like most of the full time jobs which I have had in the past years, being  hired for  this job also  happened with interesting synchronicity.
I am already in the process of expansion of my knowledge and skills in the past week and I look forward for more of that experience in the future, in this job.

Dramatherapy Workshop for Counselors and Psychologists organized by University Putra Malaysia

On the 17^th of July 2012 I had the pleasure of facilitating a Dramatherapy workshop organized by UPM (University Putra Malaysia) for counselors, psychologists, psychotherapists and academicians from various universities in Malaysia.

The workshop had twenty two participants who were very enthusiastic to learn about how they can utilize some of the skills used in dramatherapy into their practice as counselors and psychologists.

We explored the hero’s journey… as one of the main activities..   The process and the outcome was insightful for the participants, as most of the dramatherapy work which I do… It always fascinates me what comes through in these workshops.  And more importantly, it is always a pleasure to have imparted some of what I know to others and for them to find out more about themselves. For most people it is about how creative they actually are and many ‘aha’ moments and having lots of fun in the process. Although it can get serious and for those who are facing certain life stresses, which may come up during the workshop,  it maybe emotional at times. The element of play, fun and imagination enables them to see the light at the end of the tunnel and often a way to handle their problems.

Creative Workshops for Students and Teachers in India

In July I had facilitated a creative workshop using dramatherapy techniques the Poodar International School in Hassan, Karnataka, India, with my co-facilitator, Unnath Jain.  It was an amazing experience…

This was the first time I had visited a school in India. Both of us were asked to speak at the assembly. I found the assembly very meaningful. A few students  were called upon to take an except out of each of the main religious text/scriptures, read it out and explain it in English. The main scriptures were the Bhagavad Gita, the Quran and the Bible. Then a year 7 (12 year old)boy gave a book review of a chosen literary book.  Then the Indian National Anthem was sung after which those who had their birthdays on that day were called upon and given a little gift.

Then the principle introduced both of us and had pretty much read aloud most of what was written in our resumes to give us some credibility to what we were going to do later that day and the next day with the teachers. He had even read out the list of languages I had taken up and speak and asked the children ask me to teach them a few words or practice them with me if they knew them.

Then it was my turn to speak… The first thing that came to mind is how honoured I felt for being invited to do the workshop with that school and how impressed I was with the children, of their presentations that morning and also how impressed I am with the way the assembly was conducted. It was so much more meaningful that the school assemblies here in Malaysia. The way I remember school assemblies in Malaysia is that we all were expected to gather in front of the flag poles, we sang the national anthem, the school anthem and had our nails, and attires and cleanliness and neatness checked by the teachers and/or prefects and went back to our classes. Frankly, I used to think it was horribly boring and a waste of time.

It was so different in this school. The children looked inspired though out the whole assembly. The principle had a constant, kind smile on his face though out the assembly. The energy in that environment was encouraging.

The workshop with the children was a lot of fun! There were forty of them with lots of energy! I could not have managed it without my co-facilitator. My co-facilitator is also a professional dancer and he took over the physical warm up and was very good in keeping the crowd under control.  This was the first time that we had worked together. It was great working with him. I think we make a great team.

The students were very excited throughout the workshop. The energy was very vibrant and they all wanted to participate in everything we did.

At the end of the workshop, both Unnath and I felt like rock stars! All forty children wanted our autographs and had formed a mob around us. We finally said that they had to queue to get our autographs. They even asked me to say and write in their books in the languages which I knew.

The outcome of the workshop with the children was very positive.  The children said that they had learned so much about creativity, one of them whose story was chosen was given the opportunity to direct the play. That was the first time she had ever done that and she was very pleased.  They also mentioned that they had a lot of fun throughout the workshop.

On the next day when we came again to do a basic dramatherapy skills training workshop for the teachers the principle had said that the children told him how much they had enjoyed the session. They even brought it up during the school assembly that morning.

The workshop for teachers turned out to be very successful.  Some of the comments from the teachers included how much they had learned from the workshop and how they could see incorporating the creative ideas into their classes. A few of them mentioned that they did not realize that they are that creative. And one of the common feedback in all the workshops which I have facilitated is how much fun they have had in the workshop. The energy level in the room was very high and positive.

I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to facilitate this workshop for such a wonderful group of students and teachers in India. I would like to thank Unnath Jain for organizing it and for being my co-facilitator for both the workshops.

 

The End of an Incredible Job

At the end of  June 2011, I left a full time position in an NGO as the Head of Home and Welfare. I was there for eight months. Frankly, I am surprised I had lasted that long... At the end of the second week, I was getting what felt like heart palpitations! And one day after about two week of working there as I got out of my chair, I noticed that there was a whole lot of hair on the floor!!! It was no wonder as this job which I had taken on was very challenging and stressful.

I was in charge of 70 underprivileged children. Many of them were from single parent families and who cannot provide for them financially and in many cases, emotionally.

I had never taken on such a position before and took it on for the experience of it... And decided to say "yes" instead of chickening out of the grand scale of responsibilities which came with the job.

This was also the first time that I had taken on an administrative position. I was in charge of about 18 staff and 70 children. Everything which had to do with the children, had to go through me for approval or decisions.

 I truly appreciate the opportunity to have had experienced  being in this position. It had expanded me  mentally, emotionally and spiritually in ways which I have never expected and it had allowed me to explore the depths of my capability of handling crisis almost everyday and sometimes a few times a day! It taught me to maintain healthy detachments and yet take appropriate action  when necessary.
Most importantly, it had I felt my heart expand...I felt love for all those children and compassion and understanding for the staff. I guess it is a given when one works with children... It is hard not to love them....
It thought me how to  stay calm in the eye of the storm. What an an amazing journey it had been!!! As you may guess, it was hard to say goodbye to the children but it was time for me to move on.. My gift to them on my last day is an Odissi  dance performance.