T
his is a description of what happens during a Sunflower Effect session.
It is fairly typical of what happens in the Introductory Evening, the Breakthrough Group or the Express Yourself Workshop.
It is designed for you if you are feeling nervous about signing up for one of my introductory courses or events – because you don’t know what to expect.
Overview
During the session, you will be gently introduced to the idea of expressing yourself through the Sunflower Effect® using an adapted form of drama.
We aim to create an informal, fun atmosphere that will put you at your ease and free you of the internal pressures that normally inhibit you from expressing yourself.
For most people, this is enjoyable and relaxing.
This is designed for people with no experience or aptitude for drama – so you’ll be in good company. Everyone will be feeling just as nervous as you do.
Throughout the session, you will be encouraged to participate in your own way and at your own pace.
It is very common for people to feel anxious the first few times they come, which is completely understandable.
What happens at the beginning of the session?
We start off with exercises that will help you feel more relaxed and connected to other people.
You will also have an opportunity to reflect on your reasons for attending or any significant shifts or changes you have noticed since the last session.
Warm-up Exercises
We will follow this up with a series of physical warm-up exercises to release some of the tensions that are stopping you from expressing yourself. This will enable you to let go of inhibitions, and get you out of your head.
“Being in your head” is what is causing you to be so acutely self-conscious. You will learn a simple technique of how to switch off the circuits that are blocking you in your communication and switch on the circuits that are going to open them up.
Over time and through practice, this will enable you to connect with your instinctive side and to break free of the habit of over-analysing.
This will enable you to become more spontaneous and eventually anxiety-free in a whole range of situations. You will be practising this throughout any of my 12-week courses, so it becomes second nature.
This is what is so different about the Sunflower Effect Courses.
Expressing Emotions Creatively
You will also learn tools of how to express your emotions creatively. This will make expressing feelings fun, particularly the ones that we as humans generally find unacceptable, e.g. anger, resentment, fear, depression or sadness.
It is very likely too that through this you will feel a sense of connection with other people in the group.
No pressure will be put on you, at any time, to speak about your experiences unless you choose to. But there will be plenty of opportunities to get more practice speaking in groups if you wish.
Next Stage: Exploration
The next stage usually involves working with a story that will enable you to step out of yourself and into a dramatic character.
You will, too, have the opportunity to choose which character you would like to work with, usually the one that you are drawn to at the time.
Working through the character is very different from role-play (which some people have experienced and found uncomfortable) which has a tendency to restrict us.
See: Will I have to do role play?
A character is three-dimensional and is closer to the human personality. This gives free rein for you to interpret the character in any way you would like.
This will too, give you permission to express yourself in very different ways than you do in your normal life.
Being in a Supportive Group
You will be working in a group, so there will be an opportunity to collaborate with others and this is where the magic begins to happen.
A supportive group atmosphere quickly emerges through group co-creativity, enabling you to connect with others in an empowering way. Fun and laughter are a very important part of the whole experience.
There is a box of dressing up clothes so you will have an opportunity to dress up if you wish. This, in fact, makes transforming yourself into the character much easier.
You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.
It is often the darker, nastier characters that permit the expression of feelings that are most freeing.
(See Participant Story – Expressing Emotions)
Freeing Yourself
When the time comes to play out the story, most people are amazed at what they are able to achieve. It is common that even people with very little drama experience, over time, can produce spellbinding, complex and fascinating pieces of expression.
But that is not the point. More important is giving it a “go”.
For some people, it is enormous fun right from the start. Others find it challenging but can see/feel that it is benefiting them. They are feeling freer, less inhibited, and more confident.
In the 12-week courses you will build on this each week – so you will gradually notice significant changes in how you express yourself.
Reflection
At the end of the session, there is an opportunity to reflect on your experiences and to relate them to your everyday life.
You will have the opportunity to reflect on your own experience and achievements but also to acknowledge others for what you have seen them achieve.
Others, too, may see qualities and attributes in you that you are unable to see – which will help to build your confidence.
In reflecting on the character you played, you may recognise the roles you habitually play in life or discover the ability to play a new role.
This will enable you to claim your power. It will put you in the driving seat of your life, and enable you to bid farewell to the victim role, old roles, or old behaviours that are no longer working for you.
What seems innocuous and fun at the time, may begin to take on a deep significance.
The breakthrough/shift may be felt there and then, or it may appear in the days or weeks afterwards.
You may find yourself naturally dropping a particular mode of behaviour that has kept you stuck.
What people say about the experience of participating
These are some of the things that people have written in feedback sheets about their experiences in courses, workshops and sessions.
“I really let go!”
“It was so liberating to express a wide range of emotions.”
“My head is buzzing with the day.”
“I was able to be more assertive.”
“I have a sense of self-empowerment.”
“It was like having the shackles of adulthood lifted – a chance to banish my shy child.”
“At last, I was able to quieten the critical voice.”
“I felt very warmly connected to the group.”
