Fellowship travels complete!

My fellowship travels are complete! I can't quite believe I've been away for nearly two months. Pictured above are some of the many documents, books, scripts etc I've acquired along the way, including great white shark safety guidance from Cape Cod! I've been working on recovering from my jet lag and have just gone back to work. I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to go abroad, learn, try new things and reflect on the work I do. Although I'm sad the travelling is over I am excited about finding ways to implement the learning. I feel especially grateful to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust for making it all possible, and also to those people close to me who have supported and encouraged me. 

Reflecting on my time in the USA, I realise I am very thankful for the extent to which I was invited to get actively involved in so many of the projects and places I visited. Before I left for the USA I was concerned that I would spend a lot of time being a passive observer during my travels. This ended up not being the case at all; during my fellowship I took part in dancing, singing, acting, script writing, poetry, yoga, mindfulness, set building, chanting, painting and drumming. It has often been fun, sometimes been scary, but always been worth it. In particular, it has really emphasised to me the importance of somatic engagement. Trauma is stored in the body, but it is also through the body that a great deal of growth and healing can be achieved. The picture below was taken during my time in Ohio, taking part in a Dancing Mindfulness session at the Institute for Creative Mindfulness.



















The next step for me is to complete my fellowship report, which is a little bit daunting! I'll also be settling back into home and work and enjoying catching up with friends and family. This blog will now go quiet for a little while, but I will post a link to my report once it is finalised. 

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