Taipei Supporting Systems Workshops
What an amazing trip to Taipei, Taiwan.
I was invited to give a lecture and two day workshop to a group of teachers and student teachers at Fu Jen University.
Let me start by saying the hospitality and care with which I was the recipient was so spectacular. My special treatment included being greeted at the airport and given dinner upon arrival at the hotel, taxi service to the university with instructions given ahead of time, amazing restaurants in the mountains surrounding Taipei, gifts from the translators, hosts and sights that were beautiful and special. Even when I went into a shop to buy some tea for a gift the shop owner invited us to sit down and chatted with us for an hour. The deep and service minded nature of the culture and people was evident in every aspect of my visit.
Friday lecture
My lecture was at Fu Jen University on a Friday after school and sixty teachers and students attended. I was honored that so many would attend after a long week at school and work. I had a great translator and it was the first time I gave a lecture with translation. Everyone was so kind and supportive of my efforts.
Two Day Workshop
The next two days I gave a workshop for about 30 teachers at the university. As teachers walked in they were invited to use the feelings thermometer and pick a secret friend.
Day one
We started by sitting in a big circle as I facilitated the container exercise. Each person shared what they came with and what they needed for a great container. They picked a bead and placed it in our container which stayed visible for the whole workshop.
Then we had some group exercises to help the participants experience the systemic nature of the work. In one group exercise the teachers got into four groups organized by experience levels - from most experienced to new teachers. They were asked to stand in those groups in the center of room inside the big circle of chairs we were sitting in. Each younger group bowed to the ones that were senior and then we all turned back so the younger teachers could feel the support of all those that were senior.
The senior teachers expressed their heartfelt gratitude for being seen and respected as there are so many changes in Taiwan right now they are sometimes seen as being thrown out. The younger teachers expressed that they felt supported in new endeavors which can be very challenging for them at this time in their new careers. The work from then on in groups was a mix of young and experienced with much support, sharing and enthusiasm .
We then had a stilling exercise in which we felt our families and their support and then created a circle picture of our family support. We hung the pictures up all tied to a string so our families could be where we could see them for the rest of the workshop
The afternoon was filled with group work, breathing and stilling exercises, systemic fun and art extensions. One highlight was the inspiration and intention boxes. First participants broke up into groups of twos. One person was themselves and the other person represented someone that inspires and sees them. They just looked and maybe shared a few words. After each person had a turn, they shared their experience.
Next was an exercise in groups of four or five in which each participant wrote down in three sections of a piece paper short phrases about their work. They wrote in one section about support they have now. Another section they wrote about ways they want to be and the third section was what they want to do. They shared these lists with each other. Next they cut these phrases into strips and then decorated their boxes with these phrases and other designs and pictures. They then shared their boxes with their groups.
We ended the day with a wonderful time that included sharing our connections with each other and passing and making a spider web with the string. We were sitting in a circle. We took a big ball of yarn and the first person shared what connection they had with one person in the group and held the end of the yarn and passed the big ball to the next person. We went on and on until everyone was included. We then while holding on to our own piece of the yarn played with the “spider web” by moving up and down and side to side. It was very moving and also fun.
Day Two
The following day we had a heart breathing and heart representing exercise. We then created hearts that depicted what happened and put them all over the room. It was quite moving.
We then had fun with a cooperative drawing exercise. After lunch, we viewed some slides of different activities that I did in schools with children. We had some demonstrations of a belonging exercise. We created our own hula hoop of belonging. We started with a circle of ribbon on the floor inside the circle of chairs. I ask each person to put their name on the piece of paper shaped like an arrow. I facilitated breathing and stilling exercise. We then felt where our arrow with our name on it belonged inside the circle of ribbon on the ground. We looked at the names on the ground together to see, feel and sense what developed in the placement and picture of them. We practiced sharing what we saw in the patterns of belonging that showed up inside the circle.
Our last big activity was a Presence exercise in which each person stood in the center of the circle and felt, sensed what it was like to be with only themselves and the idea or concept of their future work. The teachers then stepped out one step from the center as a way of being present with what that new work would be like with others. Then they took another step out to experience and be present with what that new work would be like with their school, community, or the world. They then reversed the process and stepped back into being present with others and then themselves. We had some lovely music playing during the exercise.
Then each teacher was given a big blank puzzle piece in which they drew a picture about what was present in their exercise. Then they shared their puzzle piece and placed it together with the others and stood to “see” what the whole picture looked like. One person commented that it looked like water flowing through the puzzle pieces towards a heart out into the world.
We ended by sharing what we are taking with us to move this work out into our lives. There was so much poetry and heart and caring and beauty in all the participants' answers. The program ended with the director of education leading a blessing that was from all participants, expressing their gratitude to me. It will stay in my heart forever. I hope to return to share more with such a special group of teachers.
I can honestly say that Taiwan has a beauty and love that shows through its culture and people. When teachers stand and use stilling exercises and breathe it is like all of their ancestors are standing and supporting them. There is an ease to the exercise. When we practiced presence or explored exercises of belonging there was a sincerity to being authentic and making sure all are included. There was the courage to explore and share with each other along with a healthy dose of humor.
Don’t want to leave
After the workshop ended I was treated to visiting the parks and mountainsides, temples and restaurants and tea shops. They showed Taiwan to be a place with a simple, delicate and serene feeling that encourages a peaceful feeling of well being.
I would like to give a special thanks to Professor Huang who made this possible and his great team including Selena Lin and Pei Pei who were so giving and kind. My heartfelt gratitude to Snehalata who hosted me and took such great care. I am really inspired to return with a training program to catalyze this work and expand it to reach many schools in Taiwan and other countries.