English Mental health and gender-based violence English version | Page 57

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Day 2 . Life is turned upside down
SAID ALOUD

Day 2 . Life is turned upside down

Aims . To make sure you are grounded when the story continues . To familiarise you with grounding exercises .
PART II : THE TRAINING
Trainer . The next part of the story describes what happened to the Butterfly Woman . It contains her experience of violence and rape . Before we start , we will do an exercise that may help during the session . It reminds us that we are here , now , and that we are together and safe .
Grounding Exercise 1 . Grounding the body . ( 10-15 minutes .)
This exercise helps us to remain calm and balanced . It can help survivors to ‘ come down ’ from hyperarousal and also to focus when in ‘ freeze-mode ’.
GROUNDING EXERCISE
Grounding exercise 1 is described in the previous session ( Day 1 ) and in Appendix 2 . or Grounding Exercise 7 . Feeling the weight of your body . ( 5 minutes .)
This exercise helps survivors who are ‘ frozen ’ or numb to focus on the present . It activates muscles in the torso and legs , which gives a feeling of physical structure . When we are overwhelmed , our muscles often change from extreme tension to collapse ; they shift from a state of active defence ( fight and flight ) to submission , and become more than ordinarily relaxed ( hypotonic ). When we are in touch with our structure , it is easier to bear feelings . We can contain our experience and manage feelings of fragmentation ( of being overwhelmed ) better .
• Feel your feet on the ground . Pause for five seconds .
• Feel the weight of your legs . Hold for five seconds .
• Try stamping your feet carefully and slowly from left to right , left , right , left , right . Feel your buttocks and thighs touching the seat of the chair . Hold for five seconds .
• Feel your back against the back of the chair .
• Stay like that and notice if you feel any difference .
Trainer . If we are connected with our senses , to what we see and smell and touch , it helps us to stay in the present moment . We are anchored in the present . Using your senses in this way can calm you when you might otherwise be overwhelmed by feelings ; and re-energise you when you feel fatigue . The underlying principle is to redirect our attention to our senses and to our safeness in the present moment . This calms our nervous system when it is over-stimulated and wakes it when it is under-active . Through our senses , our body and mind refocus , here , now ; and , when we are truly in the present , our memories remain in the past .