Friday, January 29th. What a glorious day, I was allowed to do an 8 hour one day workshop today--I think it was the most effective one yet. Due to the short time available, we really 'cut to the chase' I reported about the ACE study, told about animals 'shaking off' their bad experiences and linked the importance of doing this to the adverse impacts from the ACE Study. We did the GAP exercise, and I had the two best people to demonstrate the CORE and the SEE techniques respectively.
My CORE volunteer had anger from when she was a child. She was only scratching the surface until she recalled how angry and frightened she would become when her father beat her mother. At that point it was clear that she was reliving that anger and fear. She was very brave and gracious and felt much different about the experience when we were finished—the memories no longer caused her any pain. The place in her back with aches and tension that had been there for months no longer had any pain. The volunteers paired up and each one took a turn using the CORE to resolve some issue with anger in their life.
My SEE volunteer didn’t believe that a life without stress was worth living and she wanted to keep the ‘big cast iron pot' of stress on her head even though she found a grassy field with flowers and a warm sky where she felt happy. I told her she could keep her big iron pot if she wanted to ((it is important not to insist that anyone do anything against their wishes in this work)) and as soon as I said that she could keep it, she let it go and all of a sudden she could see many ways to alleviate the amount of stress in her life. When she opened her eyes she looked 10 years younger！ The difference was so staggering, the group agreed that she should go look in the mirror and see for herself. I wish I had taken before and after photos.
Tomorrow, we fly back to Beijing then I fly home in 2 more days. There will be a lot of follow up once I return and then down to Carlsbad to hang with my peers in trauma resolution, holding another workshop for veterans returning from the war. My life is blessed and much richer for having had these two weeks in China. There are many opportunities I have had to be completely in the unknown, surrendering to just being open. I have so much love for everyone here and at home. For now my hosts in Mianyang want to buy me beer and I am going to be a gracious guest and let them.
Afterthought: We slept here in the Mianyang workspace. Since there were only five of us, and there were three bathrooms—one of which was western style--I was able to rest and take a shower. The housekeeper made us a wonderful breakfast and then we were off to the airport.
Saturday, January 30th. I am back in Beijing awash in memories--thinking of the woman's hands that were frostbitten because she can't wear gloves when she types on the computer; thinking of what I thought was a large man hawking and spitting up a giant loogie only to turn around and see a petite elegantly dressed business woman; thinking of countless shy stares turning into full twinkling eye contact smiles when I smiled first; thinking of so many volunteers in their mid to late 20's looking like 14 and 15 year olds; thinking of fresh sautéed pea vine, smoked tofu, broccoli, and potatoes; thinking of the spice that numbs the tongue; thinking of stories of earthquake memories from the locals; Dujiangyang; Mianzhu; Mianyang; US $.68 a day for food allowance; down coats with lower sleeve covers--when they get dirty you only have to wash them and not the entire coat; "Gambei"--bottoms up, heard way too many times on our last night in Mianyang, after ending the workshop at 11 pm; hearing my several times daily mantra of "I don't know"; and more memories filling my heart and head faster than I can type. I fly home tomorrow; I will sleep on the plane and dream in Chinese, which I still can’t speak except for Xie Xie.
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