Emotional awareness
Four corners, four emotions Summary In this activity participants set out on a journey exploring how they are influenced by the emotions of anger, fear, sadness and happiness and how they might be able to handle them. They will also discuss how these are related to racism and the fight against it.
Materials Four pillows; posters; markers; music.
Procedure 1. Divide the room into four spaces where each space represents one emotion (anger, fear, sadness and happiness). At each corner stick a poster with the name of the emotion. 2. Invite participants to a journey in their emotions. At first, ask them to relax in silence, standing or sitting in a circle in the middle of the room. They will close their eyes, take deep breaths, trying to connect with themselves. When you feel the group is ready, start the journey, asking participants to stand up and to follow you in silence. 3. The first emotion they will visit is FEAR: ask them to focus on their fears, here and now, and to think about where they come from. 4. When they are done, again in silence, take them to the second corner/ emotion: ANGER. Ask them to reflect what makes them feel angry and invite them to try to get rid of it, maybe by screaming, with body movement or any other way they consider suitable. 5. After that, they will move, in silence, to the third corner/emotion: SADNESS. Ask them to remember situations in which they were sad and why. 6. Once everyone is ready, ask them to move to the last corner/emotion: HAPPINESS. Tell them to think about the things that make them feel happy and smile during their life: people that made/make them happy; the events that made them joyful. At this stage you can play some happy music that is suitable for dancing. Let them go free and follow the rhythm, let them enjoy.
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Constellations . A manual for working with young people on the topic of racism and invisible racism
