| Keywords: | Feelings; Emotions; Fears; Opinions; Conflict Resolution |
| Objectives: | Aiding conflict resolution. Dealing with emotions and fears. Reflecting on a situation that can affect us emotionally and how different “ways out” are possible. Building empathy within the group. |
| Target group: | 1 person alone or a group. Suitable for both adults and children. |
| Duration: | 1-3 minutes per participant. |
| Methodology step-by-step: | 1. Give each participant a tennis ball. 2. Turn out the lights. 3. In a slow, calm tone, say the following: Close your eyes and breathe consciously and deeply. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Take the ball in your hands and very consciously perceive its surface. What do you feel? How do you feel? Describe in your thoughts what you feel. Glue all those feelings to the surface of the ball. Cover and fill the ball with all the feelings and sensations that come to you right now. Relate those feelings and sensations to colour; to a smell; give them a name. Hold the ball firmly; control it. Imagine the ball is now getting warm, comfortably warm, and slowly it gets warmer and warmer until it starts to be hot and burn. Breathe deeply, very deeply, and………. OPTION 1 – blow and put out the fire OPTION 2 – pass it on to the person to your left OPTION 3 – throw the ball away from you 4. Discuss the feelings on the surface of the ball; how the participants felt about the activity and why they chose what they did with the ball at the end of the exercise. |
| Resources needed: | 1 tennis ball per participant |
| Challenges: | None |