Compassionate Integrity Training CIT-Faciltator-Guide-2.1-Final | Page 64

C OMPASSIONATE I NTEGRITY T RAINING
A S ECULAR E THICS A PPROACH TO C ULTIVATING P ERSONAL , S OCIAL AND E NVIRONMENTAL F LOURISHING
S KILL 3: E MOTIONAL A WARENESS
C RAMPING THE M IND *
Goal: To give participants a visceral metaphor for the way our minds can become afflictively attached or
averse to thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
Materials: Stress balls or tennis balls
Time: 2 to 4 Minutes
Instructions:
1. Ask the participants, “Who would like to have a ball?”
2. Give a ball to each of the participants who answered affirmatively.
3. Say to all participants with a ball, “I invite you to extend your arm fully and let the ball rest gently
in your open palm.”
4.
Ask them, “If you had to move around quickly, how easy do you think it would be to keep the ball
balanced on the palm of your open hand?” They may recognize it could be difficult to walk around
with the ball so loosely on the palm of their hand.
5.
Next say, “Now, close the ball into your fist and squeeze it as tightly as you can without relaxing
your grip.”
6.
Ask them, “How long do you think you could hold the ball now?” Most, if not all, should say they
could not hold the ball very long.
7.
Say, “Now hold the ball in a relaxed way, firm enough to keep it in your hand, but not so tight that
it tires you.”
8. Ask, “How might this be a metaphor for our mind and the way we hold on to things mentally?”
9. If they do not arrive at similar conclusions, you can suggest, “ In CIT, we use this ball as a metaphor
for the mind and our mental states, such as thoughts, feelings and emotions. Our hands represent
our minds and the ball a thought, emotion, or other mental state. If we grip too tightly to our
C ENTER FOR C OMPASSION , I NTEGRITY AND S ECULAR E THICS | L IFE U NIVERSITY | M ARIETTA , G EORGIA
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