That is the title of a two weeks course I am attending now at The International School of Storytelling in Forest Row.
It is amazing to experience how our teacher Olivia Olson is working to release tensions in our bodies to make our voice come out at its best!
How can a tension in a knee influence the sound of your voice?
To people who already work with voice and body, this is obvious. But for people who are not used to having awareness of their bodies this is great news.
We're working many hours every day, and through exercises of contacting different parts of our bodies we can hear step by step how the voices change. They get more resonans and sound better, more authentic.
It is a strange experience to hear one's own vocie sound different, but I think we get used to it.
We all got a poem to work with. Olivia had selected the poem after our round of introduction the first day.
I was watching Olivia helping another participant through working with the poem release som old tension and feelings, hearing the person cry it out and afterwards sounding very different. Olivia saw the tension in the person's legs, and she grapped them, shook them and had the person rolling on the floor, gently.
One of the secrets are to giv in to the weight of the body, to let go, just sink in to the floor. And breathe!
Again I was thinking about how this work with storytelling helps transform people and actually heal people.
This course is specifically about the body and voice, but the words in the poem mean something to us.
Words are very powerful!
Why is it healing
I realized that through the poems and the stories we get confronted with forgotten or suppressed feelings and emotions, that we for many different reasons do not 'want' to work with.
When we give in to the weight of our body, the weight of the words in our mind, then feelings pop up. We may have the habit to shut them down again, and to quickly 'put the lid on the pot'.
When we break that habit and let the feelings flow freely without judgement they can rinse through our body, like a stream, and be washed out with our tears.
Thus we set a lot of energy free and softness happens in the muscles and joints. We feel more space inside the body.
Many people are scared of feeling their emotions, perhaps because it actually hurts when emotions are labelled 'bad'. But emotions cannot be labelled as bad or good. Emotions are emotions.
Taking the risk, going through the pain and do the work, let the tears come, is a very rewarding thing to do. Afterwards the body feels a lot better, the voice is softer, eyes are shining differently and we can feel more grounded in ourselves.
Then we can own our feelings and emotions in a totally new and released way.
This is at least one way of seeing why stories are healing.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Thursday, December 23, 2010
What did we learn
After the 13 weeks of working with stories, playing games, singing, dancing and enjoying the wonderful work, we were asked to say in few words what we learned from the course.
Here is the result:
I have learned that storytelling is a deep process
but at the same time light and colourful
I have learned to speak from my heart and believe that when I do,
it can be a great gift to somebody
I have learned that storytelling is playful
and has true direction
I have learned to follow my personal pathway
I have learned how to get out of my own way
I have learned that a journey in storytelling
is a voyage in life
I have learned to serve the story
of becoming a human being
I have learned that storytelling is like a delicious box of chocolates,
with so many tasty and nourishing choices inside;
each centre being unique and different.
We have learned that storylights shine!
Our last performance was called Story lights.
And that is what stories do, They light!
And there are many more courses to join at The International School of Storytelling
Here is the result:
I have learned that storytelling is a deep process
but at the same time light and colourful
I have learned to speak from my heart and believe that when I do,
it can be a great gift to somebody
I have learned that storytelling is playful
and has true direction
I have learned to follow my personal pathway
I have learned how to get out of my own way
I have learned that a journey in storytelling
is a voyage in life
I have learned to serve the story
of becoming a human being
I have learned that storytelling is like a delicious box of chocolates,
with so many tasty and nourishing choices inside;
each centre being unique and different.
We have learned that storylights shine!
Our last performance was called Story lights.
And that is what stories do, They light!
And there are many more courses to join at The International School of Storytelling
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
13 weeks gone
After 13 weeks in a storytelling environment it is quite strange to be back home.
Enjoyable though.
I have not been writing as often as I thought I would. The experience at The International School of storytelling meant that there was a lot of homework, and we spent a lot of time swopping stories, preparing for storytelling evenings and for the final performance.
What did I get out of staying there for The Now of Storytelling?
Welll, a lot!
I learned many new stories.
I practiced performing in English.
I learned a lot about training and playing.
I had wonderful teachers.
I met a group of wonderful people whom I wish to stay in contact with.
I learned to set intentions and that sometimes the question is the answer! Thank you Roi.
I decided to tell the wondertale 'Jorinda and Joringel' for my final performance.
I struggled with it a lot, but it turned out alright.
I changed some things in the story, added a little of what I've learned from life, and that helped me.
In the beginning one of our teachers, Ashley Ramsden, said something like: You never know where or when during this course you'll hear a sentence, a word or a conversation, where you'll find the whole meaning of your stay here.
I had that experience two days before I left.
In telling my story I added something about the pain one can feel when missing somebody.
Next day I talked to a listener who told me, that exactly that had been a healing gift to her.
That kind of feedback is very important.
So I learned that when I truly speak from my heart the story can be a great gift.
Gifts are needed in the world, and I am looking forward to continue my work with storytelling as a healing art.
I am going back to the International School of Storytelling for more courses in spring 2011.
I have resigned from my job as a teacher, and I will from now on work full time on telling stories, help people in counselling through the gift of stories and continue to be available for whomever need help from my experience as a storyteller, counsellor and therapist.
With this I wish all readers a merry holiday season.
Comments are welcome.
Enjoyable though.
I have not been writing as often as I thought I would. The experience at The International School of storytelling meant that there was a lot of homework, and we spent a lot of time swopping stories, preparing for storytelling evenings and for the final performance.
What did I get out of staying there for The Now of Storytelling?
Welll, a lot!
I learned many new stories.
I practiced performing in English.
I learned a lot about training and playing.
I had wonderful teachers.
I met a group of wonderful people whom I wish to stay in contact with.
I learned to set intentions and that sometimes the question is the answer! Thank you Roi.
I decided to tell the wondertale 'Jorinda and Joringel' for my final performance.
I struggled with it a lot, but it turned out alright.
I changed some things in the story, added a little of what I've learned from life, and that helped me.
In the beginning one of our teachers, Ashley Ramsden, said something like: You never know where or when during this course you'll hear a sentence, a word or a conversation, where you'll find the whole meaning of your stay here.
I had that experience two days before I left.
In telling my story I added something about the pain one can feel when missing somebody.
Next day I talked to a listener who told me, that exactly that had been a healing gift to her.
That kind of feedback is very important.
So I learned that when I truly speak from my heart the story can be a great gift.
Gifts are needed in the world, and I am looking forward to continue my work with storytelling as a healing art.
I am going back to the International School of Storytelling for more courses in spring 2011.
I have resigned from my job as a teacher, and I will from now on work full time on telling stories, help people in counselling through the gift of stories and continue to be available for whomever need help from my experience as a storyteller, counsellor and therapist.
With this I wish all readers a merry holiday season.
Comments are welcome.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Biographical storytelling
It was indeed my intention to write here every week, but, alas, time goes so fast here, and I have truly overwhelmed by all the 'inside stories' that are being told.
We have told stories in nature, we have worked with the four temperaments and the last two weeks we have been workin on wondertales.
I told Jorinda and Joringel.
The teachers, Roi GAl-Or and Sue Holingsworth, had choosen a story for all of us, so we all got an individual story to tell. It has been very exciting to follow the progress from getting the story to finding out, why the story was given to me.
The wondertales hold secrets, it is said, and we have all experienced how we have dug out old stories from inside ourselves. We have wept, laughed, sorrowed, joyed, danced and been frozen.
The way we have worked with the tales has been a true treasure for us.
For a long time I have found an interest in wondering what happens with the old witch in the forest, why did she become wicked and what happens to her afterwards. For Jorinda and Joringen, a Grimm's tale, I found some help in Nancy Mellon's book; Body Eloquence, which I strongly recommend to anybody who is interested in working with the stories of the body, the organs.
It was nice working with the story and a wonderful culmination to tell it to our great audience at last Thursday evening in the storytelling hut here at Emerson College.
Now we are working with biographical stories for at couple of weeks. Now is the time to combine all the crafts and tools we have learned. Lot of work, but very funny and exciting.
Soon we will be preparing for our last performances on the 13th and 14th of December.
I have already decided to com back to international school of storyeling in the spring.
If you like working with yourself through stories... COME!
http://www.schoolofstorytelling.com/
We have told stories in nature, we have worked with the four temperaments and the last two weeks we have been workin on wondertales.
I told Jorinda and Joringel.
The teachers, Roi GAl-Or and Sue Holingsworth, had choosen a story for all of us, so we all got an individual story to tell. It has been very exciting to follow the progress from getting the story to finding out, why the story was given to me.
The wondertales hold secrets, it is said, and we have all experienced how we have dug out old stories from inside ourselves. We have wept, laughed, sorrowed, joyed, danced and been frozen.
The way we have worked with the tales has been a true treasure for us.
For a long time I have found an interest in wondering what happens with the old witch in the forest, why did she become wicked and what happens to her afterwards. For Jorinda and Joringen, a Grimm's tale, I found some help in Nancy Mellon's book; Body Eloquence, which I strongly recommend to anybody who is interested in working with the stories of the body, the organs.
It was nice working with the story and a wonderful culmination to tell it to our great audience at last Thursday evening in the storytelling hut here at Emerson College.
Now we are working with biographical stories for at couple of weeks. Now is the time to combine all the crafts and tools we have learned. Lot of work, but very funny and exciting.
Soon we will be preparing for our last performances on the 13th and 14th of December.
I have already decided to com back to international school of storyeling in the spring.
If you like working with yourself through stories... COME!
http://www.schoolofstorytelling.com/
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Week 4
Silence
leaves peace
for listening
to the emptiness
in silence.
Silence fills
the gap
between me
and myself.
Silence
holds
the song
of the bird
- singing.
Silence
leaves me
empty
listening
to
silence.
This little poem was written after an exercise where we communicated with a partner - in silence.
Week 4 has been a time og going inside ourselves. Speaking our truth, who we are, what is our voice?
The theme has been folktales.
Now we have moved from creation tales, through stories about Gods and Goddesses, to animal stories and now stories about people.
We are all moved by the stories in one way or another. And somehow it seems, that we are all getting the stories that we need for healing old patterns, unresolved problems and shadow sides of ourselves or even blind spots.
This week I should tell about a man who was very good at counting. Anyone who knows me, also know that I'm not particularly good at algebra. And remembering all these numbers would be a challenge to me. It was an Arabian story, so of course there were camels in the story. But being who I am, from the flat land in Denmark, I couldn't really connect to this story about a man counting camels.
When I set out to work with the story, I remembered my grandfather, who was a kind man and always good at algebra. So I took the story to my home, where I was born, and added horses instead of camels.
And then I told the story my way. Then it worked for me. And I have a new story to tell, with numbers in it!
If this is the answer, what is the question?
This week has also given more to think about. I would love to be able to do much more storytelling, work with the stories for healing.
When we find things in the stories that touch us somehow, we get a chance to reframe 'the story of our life', and tell a new story. For every knot we loosen, there is a chance of feeling better inside.
So I ask myself about how I can spead the word, that it is possible to acheive a change, to be happy, to accept who you are and to live in good contact with yourself.
I hope I myself am a proof of that by being honest about how the stories work on me.
More will follow...
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Week 3
The power of words
It's not a surprise, but the power of words is getting more and more obvious here at the International School of Storytelling.
This week's theme was animal stories, and I got to tell a story about some animals that were afraid of a new, unknown sound. Very soon they had turned it into a monster in their imagination, and their anxiety grew, untill the lion came and revealed the fact, that 'the monster' was a fat old frog'.
In my work as a therapist I often meet people who have turned little things into 'monsters'. It is so easy to just imagine and let your imagination do the work. But often it is better to face the 'monster' and find out what it really is that is frightening and limiting our freedom.
We have worked with beginnings and endings a lot this week. Some have felt the urge to alter a 'bad ending' into a 'good ending'. Because the ending or the content in the story was too cruel, too difficult to cope with or other reasons.
Our teacher in 'creative writing', Paul Mathews, said last week; 'Don't alter a story to be nice' Let the story speak for itself.'
I really agree with that. In my opinion the storyeller must do the inner work that is connected with working with the story. The story is a mirror for the person, and sometimes he doesn't like the shadows of himself, that he finds in it. But changing it not the way out, I think.
In stead the storyteller must choose whether he wants to meet these sides of himself, if he wants to tell the story or not.
What I really like about storytelling is, that it mirrors the listener in unique ways, and every listener finds himself in the story in different ways.
A storyteller can never know what hits who.
Many of us have - very strangely - experienced some resistance towards working with the stories. We love being here, the teachers are very, very good, so it feels odd.
I personally had a wonderful breakthrough this Thursday, when I finally found a feeling in myself saying YES to all the work that is connected to learning and rehearsing a story for performance.
And I was happy to tell my story on stage Thursday evening. I did my best, used my body naturally, I was myself. I'm still strugling with the language, but it is the NOW of storytelling, so it is ok.
I felt so happy afterwards and enjoyed the applause.
The nature around this place is wonderful, all the time changing. For new inspiration and energy a visit to the vegetable garden is awesome, so I go there every now and then.
I miss my friends at home very much, so I'm grateful for Skype and Facebook to stay connected.
 |
| On stage |
It's not a surprise, but the power of words is getting more and more obvious here at the International School of Storytelling.
This week's theme was animal stories, and I got to tell a story about some animals that were afraid of a new, unknown sound. Very soon they had turned it into a monster in their imagination, and their anxiety grew, untill the lion came and revealed the fact, that 'the monster' was a fat old frog'.
In my work as a therapist I often meet people who have turned little things into 'monsters'. It is so easy to just imagine and let your imagination do the work. But often it is better to face the 'monster' and find out what it really is that is frightening and limiting our freedom.
We have worked with beginnings and endings a lot this week. Some have felt the urge to alter a 'bad ending' into a 'good ending'. Because the ending or the content in the story was too cruel, too difficult to cope with or other reasons.
Our teacher in 'creative writing', Paul Mathews, said last week; 'Don't alter a story to be nice' Let the story speak for itself.'
I really agree with that. In my opinion the storyeller must do the inner work that is connected with working with the story. The story is a mirror for the person, and sometimes he doesn't like the shadows of himself, that he finds in it. But changing it not the way out, I think.
In stead the storyteller must choose whether he wants to meet these sides of himself, if he wants to tell the story or not.
What I really like about storytelling is, that it mirrors the listener in unique ways, and every listener finds himself in the story in different ways.
A storyteller can never know what hits who.
Many of us have - very strangely - experienced some resistance towards working with the stories. We love being here, the teachers are very, very good, so it feels odd.
I personally had a wonderful breakthrough this Thursday, when I finally found a feeling in myself saying YES to all the work that is connected to learning and rehearsing a story for performance.
And I was happy to tell my story on stage Thursday evening. I did my best, used my body naturally, I was myself. I'm still strugling with the language, but it is the NOW of storytelling, so it is ok.
I felt so happy afterwards and enjoyed the applause.
The nature around this place is wonderful, all the time changing. For new inspiration and energy a visit to the vegetable garden is awesome, so I go there every now and then.
I miss my friends at home very much, so I'm grateful for Skype and Facebook to stay connected.
 |
| The kitchen is always crowded with happy people |
 |
| The vegetable garden is amazing |
 |
| One sun smiles to another |
Friday, October 1, 2010
Week 2, Storytelling course
In one week so many things have happened, that I cannot possibly describe everything.
But I will write some examples of what we do in the course and what happens around us.
Each week we have a theme for the teaching. The first week it was 'creation stories', this week it has been stories about 'gods and goddesses'.
Already we can see what an impact the stories have on us. It is different how each person learn a story to tell. We work with learning the story through different techniques, as writing the bones, mapping the story and walking through the map. So we practice a lot. The first week we worked in groups of three, this week in pairs, and from now on we are on our own.
Noone has worked with their story without being touched somehow by the contents.
The stories are old, they have survived for many many years for a reason. We can mirror ourselves in the messages in the story on a very profound level.
Each week we pick a story, or the story picks us.
This week I picked the story about Indra and the Ants parade. You can read a version of the story here if you like. http://www.vuu.org/sermons/lj030223.htm
It's about never being satisfied, always wanting more, bigger, better etc. It certainly hits something in me. It as if I often have the feeling that I never know enough, I need more knowledge, must read more books, must expand somehow.
In the light of the story I can realize it is not about knowing more. For me it is time to look at what is already there and use it some more. I get this image of a piece of photopaper in the developing tray. It is nice to see when the picture comes out in its full potential.
I feel strong and powerful in a way that will during this work here at Emerson College bring out my full potential - for now. We are regularly reminded that the course is called The NOW of storytelling, because we tell with whatever we have right now. We're not try to be something we are not.
I am Danish, and I don't try to be English, so I tell with the accent and the words that I have in English.
Every day at the course is a rich learning process and I am very happy to be here.
Monday we started our felting class. In a way the felting can symbolize how the words come together as a story at a certain point as the wool suddenly sticks together as a piece of material.
I love working with the colours, so I shall be looking forward to the felting lessons. I already made my first piece.
College life is somewhat different from living alone. We are 12 people sharing a kitchen, but it still works out well.
We have fun and are getting used to each other's habit. In this picture you se peole from Korea, China, France and Denmark.
The highligt of this week on college was the celebration of the day for The Archangel Michael.
We had a wonderful dinner together after an afternoon of community work.
There were many tasks: Preparing the dinner, decorating the hall, weeding, harvesting potatoes, blessing the surroundings, and doing the flower arrangements. I took part of the flower arranging group and enjoyed that a lot. Such a nice earthly thing to do in the midst of the story about Indra, who couldn't get his palace big enough. :-)
We feed the spirit but we also need to feed the body.
And the food here is delicious!
But I will write some examples of what we do in the course and what happens around us.
Each week we have a theme for the teaching. The first week it was 'creation stories', this week it has been stories about 'gods and goddesses'.
Already we can see what an impact the stories have on us. It is different how each person learn a story to tell. We work with learning the story through different techniques, as writing the bones, mapping the story and walking through the map. So we practice a lot. The first week we worked in groups of three, this week in pairs, and from now on we are on our own.
Noone has worked with their story without being touched somehow by the contents.
The stories are old, they have survived for many many years for a reason. We can mirror ourselves in the messages in the story on a very profound level.
Each week we pick a story, or the story picks us.
This week I picked the story about Indra and the Ants parade. You can read a version of the story here if you like. http://www.vuu.org/sermons/lj030223.htm
It's about never being satisfied, always wanting more, bigger, better etc. It certainly hits something in me. It as if I often have the feeling that I never know enough, I need more knowledge, must read more books, must expand somehow.
In the light of the story I can realize it is not about knowing more. For me it is time to look at what is already there and use it some more. I get this image of a piece of photopaper in the developing tray. It is nice to see when the picture comes out in its full potential.
I feel strong and powerful in a way that will during this work here at Emerson College bring out my full potential - for now. We are regularly reminded that the course is called The NOW of storytelling, because we tell with whatever we have right now. We're not try to be something we are not.
I am Danish, and I don't try to be English, so I tell with the accent and the words that I have in English.
Every day at the course is a rich learning process and I am very happy to be here.
Monday we started our felting class. In a way the felting can symbolize how the words come together as a story at a certain point as the wool suddenly sticks together as a piece of material.
I love working with the colours, so I shall be looking forward to the felting lessons. I already made my first piece.
College life is somewhat different from living alone. We are 12 people sharing a kitchen, but it still works out well.
The highligt of this week on college was the celebration of the day for The Archangel Michael.
We had a wonderful dinner together after an afternoon of community work.
There were many tasks: Preparing the dinner, decorating the hall, weeding, harvesting potatoes, blessing the surroundings, and doing the flower arrangements. I took part of the flower arranging group and enjoyed that a lot. Such a nice earthly thing to do in the midst of the story about Indra, who couldn't get his palace big enough. :-)
And the food here is delicious!
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