By the end of the week, we were breathing in and out 20 times! Our guide called it “self-hypnosis.” At first, we breathed naturally in and out 10 times – so relaxing. For relaxation, I learned to “notice the breath of life,” as Howard noted it. Along with sitting or standing tall, we learned to be more aware of the breaths we take. I pictured myself like a palm tree with its slender trunk swaying in the breeze. At the same time, he demonstrated and encouraged us to loosen up and be flexible like a tree blowing in the wind. In Calming Our Nerves, Lifting Our Spirits, Howard led us to physically lift ourselves up – feet on the floor, head high as if colorful balloons were attached. I gained insight from people who joined from here in Baltimore and other cities and countries, even in different time zones, as far away as Israel. No pressure here and no judgment, just acceptance of each other’s right to speak. Throughout each session in this week-long class, participants voluntarily shared what was on their minds. So as soon as I received an email about a week-long workshop, I signed up. Just as important, it gave me a sense of connection and camaraderie with others, vital during social distancing. They calmed me down with suggestions for relaxation, like putting on music and dancing around the room and exercises for mental and physical health, such as yoga. Although I had never been in a group session like this, I looked forward to those once-a-month meetings. First, I signed up for Finding Calm in the Storm, a virtual group meeting on the third Thursday of each month. I cannot recall how I got on JCS’ mailing list, but I’m glad I did. But in my mind, throughout the week, I thought about the color I wished my week would be, replacing my hectic schedule with calmness. He followed up by asking, “What color would you like your week to be?” Howard (as he told us to call him) didn’t invite us, the eight or more participants, to share our colors – that was for another day. The color question was the first of many asked by Howard Reznick, social worker and moderator, for Jewish Community Services’ (JCS) week-long virtual program called Calming Our Nerves, Lifting Our Spirits. Instead, it was a workshop sharing wisdom and techniques on surviving and thriving during another kind of war – the COVID pandemic – that has shaken the world for the past year. This wasn’t Color War for kids at camp or school where you compete with a banner, song, and skit to win.
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