THE TAI CHI – PEACE GAMES (original: The Peace Games) – An educational movement concept based on Marilyn Cooper for the playful promotion of community and psychosocial health
Education & Application
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Movement and body-oriented advanced training for multipliers in working with people
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eventful workshops on violence prevention
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creative team building for institutions and companies
Pushing for Peace
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9 exercises/games
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Elements of traditional Chinese kung fu
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Individual, partner and group exercises
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Partnership, not competitive
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Training of upright posture, good breathing and concentration
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Improving of stress regulation competence
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Improving mindfulness, self-confidence, respect and empathy
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Reduction of enemy images, effective in preventing violence
Living and learning in community
Man is a being in motion. He moves equally and at the same time physically, mentally and emotionally.
Body, mind and soul are linked, condition and influence each other. Movement has direction, dynamics and is always adaptable. Inherent in every human movement is a need for touch and connection, which in turn can create new movement. Man is also a social being. It takes joyful, curious, creative contact with one another in order to fully experience oneself as a human being. This requires that you are in good contact with yourself and resting present in your center. Then it is also easier to interact in a relaxed, free, flexible and constructive way.
A path to nonviolence
Anyone who no longer feels his own center and can no longer rest within himself loses touch with that creative force that also connects him with all other living beings. A resulting feeling of isolation favors the breeding ground for hatred and violence.
The path to non-violence and humanity in everyday life cannot be denied on the level of reason alone. The design of learning processes requires the inclusion of all levels through which people learn about themselves. We perceive with our senses and internally experience emotions that have a moving influence on our physical strength as well as on our mental state and emotional state. Likewise, mere thoughts can trigger strong movement in us.
The movements that we are exposed to in life and that we also create ourselves can be big and loud, but also very small and subtle, barely perceptible. Rarely does this experience of life movements and touches take place consciously. In the rarest case in conflicts and confrontations, which favors feelings of powerlessness and escalation. However, if it is possible to permeate all movement with awareness, creative learning processes can always be initiated and behavioral changes initiated.
We learn not only with our brain, but with our whole body. Body and brain are in a constant, rapid exchange of information. In everything we do, feel and think there are information impulses and at the same time learning experiences that shape us.
Every imprint is stored in us physically, mentally, emotionally as information and has a determining effect on our behavior, for better or for worse. When it comes to changing behavior patterns that encourage violence, then new patterns need to be anchored at all levels through correspondingly effective contrasting experiences.
Holistic methods and approaches are therefore needed that are suitable for bringing people out of the feeling of separation and its consequences.
The "Tai Chi Peace Games" were created with the intention of strengthening mental and physical health and reducing and dissolving the willingness to use violence. The Peace Games neither raise a moral index finger nor can they change anything in the external living conditions of the people. However, they show a way to playfully experience a piece of self-efficacy, inner freedom and peace in community and set effective learning anchors for one's own peaceful behavior with these positive contrasting experiences.
THE 9 GAMES
TWO BECOME ONE clears and calms the mind.
OPERATOR encourages sensitivity, awareness and focus.
TURTLE RACES improve patience and self control.
GLIDER creates empathy and relaxation.
LEAD THE FOLLOWER, FOLLOW THE LEADER helps with creativity and cooperation.
SWORD FINGERS stimulates positive energy and alertness.
COME HERE, GO AWAY transmits the idea of giving and taking.
DOG CHASES HIS TAIL embodies the ideal of flowing and changing.
PUSH THE TURTLE teaches focus, sensitivity and going with the flow.
Feedback workshops
"It has been one of the most useful training courses for years: the chance to teach very young people important principles in a playful way. Mindfulness has gained a new aspect again. I particularly like the fact that although the focus is on the individual person, the contact and dealing with the partner, feeling clean is such an important point. Thank you so much."
"The Peace Games workshop was very informative, practical, energetic, authentic, one of the best training courses I have ever done! It was both relaxed and challenging, very inspiring. The workshop was useful for both personal and professional use, consistently interesting and energetic. Thanks!"
"In the Peace Games workshop, I learned that fear of contact keeps us from connecting with each other. Too much thinking destroys the flow. Mindfulness is the need of the hour. The connection to the self is a prerequisite."
“The Peace Games Workshop was very interesting. We learned how to deal with energy, that we generate energy, pass it on, take it with us, develop a sense of partner and a common action. Thanks!"
Yin Yang: Everything is laid out in the other. Keep your focus while relaxing. Learn to feel yourself and others. Be aware of your posture. Anchor awareness in the here and now. Feelings come from my own inner cosmos. I can feel them and let them go."