Frolicking towards forgiveness

Frolicking towards forgiveness

Catharsis happens when inner blockages melt away, and tight knots of emotional pain loosen and untangle themselves. For two straight days, a motley group of people experienced varying degrees of such catharsis, at the Heal Your Life leader Babbu Gill’s workshop on forgiveness, organized by Life Positive Foundation on June 10 and 11. Babbu had created a serene and safe space for participants to vent their pain. Various experiential exercises conducted by her during the workshop ably aided them in dispensing their accumulated fears and guilt. There were exercises and guided meditations for participants to touch base with their body’s messages. One such exercise was to identify the spots on their bodies where they felt fear, guilt and resentment, and then turn these very emotions into positive affirmations. “You need only three things to bring a shift in your thinking: practice, patience and persistence,” reiterated Babbu.

The workshop was a jubilant mix of music, dance, and vibrant colours. One of the last exercises was to create your own mandala. Grown men and women sprawled themselves on the floor amidst colour pencils and crayons, resembling gleeful kindergartners.

Talking about the profound impact this workshop had on him, Delhi based Vishal Jain, owner of Vistinz Apparels, said, “This workshop made me dig deeper, and see for myself the hidden guilt and anger.” Personal and professional turmoils had dragged him to borderline depression. He was constantly faced with mood swings and unpleasant behaviour patterns which stemmed from suppressed anger, resentment, guilt and fear. “I discovered that I was a beggar seeking love outside of me, feeling frustrated because of unmet expectations. During the course of the workshop, I was able to let go of my past pains, free myself, and eventually fall in love with myself. I created a new ‘me’ by positive affirmations. I am free of guilt and full of love,” he added.