Free Body, Free Mind
I was really excited to attend the workshop at the beginning. The reasons behind my excitement were that I used to do yoga and try to do some mindfulness exercises from time to time. However, since the lectures start, I could not find the time to do these activities as I do at home. Another reason was that this workshop was going to be the first workshop that I attend physically with some of my other colleagues from the GLLS environment. I assumed that the event is going to include some breathing exercises as well as some yoga poses. Unlike my estimation, the event did not include breathing or yoga.
It included some music and dance!
The practice aimed to release the energy we have, behave like however we want to behave, and just be in the moment. It was quite difficult to attend this workshop in a group rather than being alone. While alone, we are sure that the only one who knows what we are doing is us. When in a group, other group members also see you. The presentation that Özgecan Tapa did at the beginning and during some parts of the workshop was considerably helpful for our group participation situation. We did not judge each other and only focused on ourselves even if sometimes we seem like crazy people. Everybody acted as they want to, and this really created a free environment.
I think this learning helped me to think less about what others think. It is important to listen to my body and sometimes go with the flow. This is the biggest effect of the learning on me. In the future, I might increase my crazy dancing sessions 😊 I used to dance sometimes -Zumba- as exercise, but this workshop helped me to realize that dance is not only a physical activity but also a mindful activity. Breathing exercises require too much attention and they are hard to focus on. However, some basic exercises like walking and dancing can be done mindfully. The workshop also included some mythical stories and science. I do enjoy mythology, furthermore, when it is combined with science the stories become more attractive. I might search more about the myths that I hear and try to find some scientific connections in the future. I will try to find some podcasts about free body and mind. It is easier and time saving to listen to a podcast compared to searching for a subject entirely.
The most valuable part of the event was being able to free my mind and my body without the encumbrance of the place and the time. It was hard to be completely free in a group than being alone. We all tried to be free, tried to not judge each other’s behaviors, and finally tried to respect the limits that we have. By the limits, I am emphasizing the restrictions because of the limited space of the place. Another additional limit is being respectful to one another’s freedom. We are free unless we are not restricting other peoples’ freedom. Behaving without thinking is challenging my old way of thinking. This was the hardest thing about the workshop. We usually try to behave as how it is considered suitable as a society. We feel ashamed when we do something that is not ordinary. I usually try to behave “normal” and do not like when all people are looking at me or judging my behaviors. This does not disturb me, but I feel I have to be more careful when I have the attention in the room.
This workshop helped me to care about my behaviors less in a good manner. If it makes me happy and does not violate others’ freedom, then I can do it. This workshop challenged my old way of thinking and I think that is good progress. I hope to free my mind and my body more often.
Özlem Ölçer
