{"id":265,"date":"2023-04-20T19:33:31","date_gmt":"2023-04-20T23:33:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/champsinaction\/chapter\/2-9-the-lego-exercise\/"},"modified":"2023-06-08T08:41:02","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T12:41:02","slug":"2-9","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/champsinaction\/chapter\/2-9\/","title":{"raw":"2.9 The LE\u2019GO Exercise","rendered":"2.9 The LE\u2019GO Exercise"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"2.9-the-le\u2019go-exercise\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Learning Objectives:<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>To engage participants in experiencing the self as an observer<\/li>\r\n \t<li>To enhance participants\u2019 awareness of the self as context, or the holder of experiences<\/li>\r\n \t<li>To promote awareness of the continuity of the embodied self while allowing a more flexible relationship with the contents and identities of the self<\/li>\r\n \t<li>To enhance psychological flexibility related to an openness towards the concept of self<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong style=\"text-align: initial;text-indent: 48pt;font-size: 1em\">Materials:<\/strong><span style=\"text-align: initial;text-indent: 48pt;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"text-align: initial;text-indent: 48pt;font-size: 1em\">Bucket of small building blocks (10-15 pieces per participant)<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"text-align: initial;text-indent: 48pt;font-size: 1em\">Paper Plates (one per participant)<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li>Water-based markers<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">Time<\/strong><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><strong style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">Required: <\/strong><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">45 minutes<\/span>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"margin-left: 26pt\"><\/span>Activities &amp; Instructions<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<h5><strong>Set-up:<\/strong><\/h5>\r\nParticipants sit in a large horseshoe shape; co-facilitators sit across from each other at the open-end of the horseshoe.\r\n<h5 class=\"import-Heading7\" style=\"text-align: center;margin-left: 42.25pt;margin-right: 48.2pt\"><strong>Instructions to Participants<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong>Introduction <\/strong>\u2013 \u201cThis exercise helps us explore our sense of self, or our sense of who we are.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong><em>Distribute<\/em><\/strong> <em>paper<\/em> <em>plates<\/em> <em>and<\/em> <em>then<\/em> <em>the<\/em> <em>building<\/em> <em>blocks<\/em> \u2013 \u201cPlease write down your name on the face of your paper plate. Once you have done that, please take a handful of building blocks and put them on your plate. Throughout this exercise, please make sure all your building blocks are inside your plate. Do not share any pieces with or take any pieces from others.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Guided<\/strong> <strong>meditation<\/strong> <strong>about<\/strong> <strong>the<\/strong> <strong>recent<\/strong> <strong>past<\/strong> \u2013 <strong><em>Facilitator<\/em><\/strong> <em>leads<\/em> <em>a<\/em> <em>guided<\/em> <em>meditation<\/em> <em>about<\/em> <em>the<\/em> <em>recent<\/em> <em>past<\/em> <em>and<\/em> <em>notices<\/em> <em>the continuity of self. <\/em><strong>Facilitator says,<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u201cPlease put down your plate on the floor. If you are willing, please close your eyes or lower your gaze to focus on a point in front of you. We will just spend a few moments becoming aware of the present moment and our breath.\u201d (Pause x 10 seconds.)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\u201cNow let\u2019s think back to something that happened to you last summer \u2013 whatever comes to your mind is fine. See if you can recall that event as clearly as you can ... Notice where you were and who you were with ... Notice what you were seeing \u2026 hearing \u2026 smelling\u2026 doing \u2026 feeling \u2026 or thinking ... Notice that it was you who was there, noticing all these things and experiencing all these things ... See if you can notice that there is a sense of continuity between the \u2018you\u2019 back then and the \u2018you\u2019 that is here, right now, recalling all of these \u2026\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\u201cLet us return to our breath and the present moment ... whenever you are ready, you may open your eyes.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ol start=\"4\">\r\n \t<li><strong><em>Recreate<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>the<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>recent<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>past<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>with<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>building<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>blocks <\/em><\/strong>\u2013 <strong><em>Facilitator<\/em><\/strong> <em>invites<\/em> <em>the<\/em> <em>participants<\/em> <em>to<\/em> <em>create<\/em> <em>what<\/em> <em>they<\/em> <em>recalled<\/em> <em>and<\/em> <em>says:<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u201cPlease pick up your plates and use your building blocks to reconstruct the experience you just recalled. You will have about 3 minutes. When you are done, you can set it down on the floor.\u201d <em>(Facilitator keeps time.)<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li>\u201c\u2026 Please stop building even if you have not already finished. Whatever stage you are at, take a moment to just observe what you have created. and set it down on the floor.\u201d <em>(Facilitator pauses for 10 seconds)<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li>\u201cYou may take one last look at your creation <em>(pause)<\/em>. Now, pick up the plate and let\u2019s pull the pieces apart\u2026 notice any thoughts or feelings that shows up for you when you are taking them apart. When you finish pulling all the pieces apart, please put your plate of building blocks on the floor.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ol start=\"5\">\r\n \t<li><strong><em>Guided<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>meditation<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>about<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>the<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>distant<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>past<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>and<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>notice<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>the<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>observer<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>self<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 <strong><em>Facilitator<\/em><\/strong> <em>begins<\/em> <em>the<\/em> <em>second<\/em> <em>guided<\/em> <em>mediation by saying,<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u201cWe will now do a second meditative exercise. If you are willing, please close your eyes or lower your gaze to focus on a point in front of you. We will just spend a few moments to become aware of the present moment and our breath ...\u201d <em>(Pause x 10 seconds.)<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li>\u201cNow cast your mind a bit farther back and recall another event \u2013 this time from your younger years as a teenager\r\n<span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">\u2026 Notice what you were doing and who you were with \u2026 Notice all that you were seeing\u2026 hearing\u2026 smelling\u2026 doing\u2026 thinking\u2026 or feeling \u2026 Notice what you wore and how you looked \u2026 Perhaps, your hairstyle was <\/span><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">quite different back then \u2026 Different things might have been important to you back then \u2026 yet, in spite of the differences, it was still you that was there \u2026 there was a part of you back then observing all that \u2026 you are the continuation of the back then teenager \u2018observer, you are here now recalling and observing you in the past \u2026\u201d <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">(Pause.)<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li>\u201cAllow yourself to bring back those experiences to the present \u2026 and let us return to our breath and the present moment ... whenever you are ready, you may open your eyes.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ol start=\"6\">\r\n \t<li><strong><em>Recreate<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>the<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>distant<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>past<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>with<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>building<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>blocks<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 <strong><em>Facilitator<\/em><\/strong> <em>provides<\/em> <em>instructions<\/em> <em>and<\/em> <em>says,<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u201cAnd now I would invite you to use your building blocks to reconstruct your teenage event. You will have 3 minutes to do this. When you are done, you can set it down on the floor.\u201d <em>(<\/em><strong><em>Facilitator <\/em><\/strong><em>keeps time and rings the bell after 3<\/em> <em>minutes)<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li>\u201c... Please stop building even if you have not already finished. Whatever stage you are at, take a moment to just observe what you have created and set it on the floor.\u201d <em>(Facilitator pauses for 10 seconds)<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li>\u201cYou may take one last look at your creation <em>(pause)<\/em>. Now, pick up the plate and let\u2019s pull the pieces apart\u2026 notice any thoughts or feelings that shows up for you when taking them apart. When you finish pulling all the pieces apart, please put your plate on the floor.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ol start=\"7\">\r\n \t<li><strong><em>Guided<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>meditation<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>about<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>the<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>remote<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>past<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 <strong><em>Facilitator<\/em><\/strong> <em>begins<\/em> <em>the<\/em> <em>third<\/em> <em>guided<\/em> <em>meditation<\/em> <em>by<\/em> <em>saying,<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u201cNow cast your mind even farther back and recall another event in the summer \u2013 this time from your childhood years, when you were 4 or 5 years old \u2026 Notice what you were doing and who you were with \u2026 Notice all that you were seeing, hearing, doing, thinking, and feeling \u2026 Notice that your role then was quite different from your role now\u2026 Notice that your little body then was very different back then \u2026 and probably every single cell in your body has been replaced now by a different cell \u2026 yet, notice that the \u2018you\u2019 that was there back then is the same \u2018you\u2019 that is here right now, recalling all this \u2026 \u2018you\u2019 have never been me or someone else \u2026 \u2018you\u2019 have been \u2018you\u2019 your whole life\u2026\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\u201cAllow yourself to bring back that story to the present \u2026 and let us return to our breath and the present moment ... whenever you are ready, you may open your eyes.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ol start=\"8\">\r\n \t<li><strong><em>Recreate<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>the<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>remote<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>past<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>with<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>building<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>blocks<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 <strong><em>Facilitator<\/em><\/strong> <em>provides<\/em> <em>instruction<\/em> <em>and<\/em> <em>says,<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u201cNow I invite you to use your building blocks to reconstruct your childhood event. You will have about 3 minutes. When you are done, you can set it down on the floor.\u201d <em>(Facilitator keeps time.)<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li><em>After<\/em> <em>3<\/em> <em>minutes,<\/em> <strong><em>facilitator<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>says<\/em><\/strong> \u201c\u2026 Please stop building now, please stop even if you have not already finished.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li><em>After everyone stops building with their childhood experiences, <\/em><strong><em>facilitator says,<\/em><\/strong> \u201cNow please take one last look at your last creation, remember what feelings came up for you when you were building it, and then let\u2019s take a deep breath, and pull the pieces apart. Notice any thoughts or feelings that shows up for you during this process.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">Facilitator<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">wait<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">for<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">everyone<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">to<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">take<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">their<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">building<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">blocks<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">apart,<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">then<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><strong style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"><em>facilitator<\/em><\/strong><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><strong style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"><em>continues<\/em><\/strong><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">,<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> \u201cNow let\u2019s debrief about the exercise we just went through.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Debriefing and Sample Scripts:<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n<strong>Debriefing<\/strong> <strong>Question:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<em>\u201cWe<\/em> <em>have<\/em> <em>finished<\/em> <em>building<\/em> <em>and<\/em> <em>taking<\/em> <em>apart<\/em> <em>the<\/em> <em>final<\/em> <em>story<\/em> <em>from<\/em> <em>the<\/em> <em>past.<\/em> <em>Would<\/em> <em>anyone<\/em> <em>like<\/em> <em>to<\/em> <em>share<\/em> <em>their<\/em> <em>experience<\/em> <em>of<\/em> <em>doing this exercise?\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\n<em>Probes:<\/em>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u201cWhat did you notice about \u2018you\u2019 throughout the three stories?\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\u201cWhat was the same about each of these 3 \u201cyou\u201d and what was different about these 3 \u201cyou\u201d that you remember from three different periods in your life?\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong><em>Debriefing<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Theme<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>#1:<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Being<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>weighed<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>down<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>by<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>self-<\/em><\/strong><strong><em>concepts<\/em><\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u201cWe can easily confuse our \u2018self\u2019 with ideas and concepts about ourselves. We can become fused with thoughts like \u201cI am no good\u201d and \u201cI am unlovable\u201d, which can haunt us again and again.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\u201cIf we look at the plate, it holds the pieces of building blocks, but it has never been affected by these pieces. Similarly, we are the person with these thoughts and stories, but these thoughts and stories are not us \u2013 they do not define us in any way. We do not have to buy into them or even fret over them when they show up.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong><em>Debriefing<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Theme<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>#2:<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Loss<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>of<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>sense<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>of<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>self<\/em><\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u201cIf we define ourselves by our self-descriptions, roles, or stories, even positive ones, we can become quite vulnerable. When changes occur, we may feel completely lost. If you define yourself by your job, what happens when you retire or lose your job? If you define yourself as being the role of a family member, what happens when you lose your loved ones?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\u201cEven though being dedicated to our roles and values help us function, actually defining ourselves by what we do, or our roles may make us less able to deal with change and loss.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong><em>Debriefing<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Theme<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>#3:<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Being<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>weighed<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>down<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>by<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>past<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>events<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>and<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>memories<\/em><\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u201cBehind some of our negative self-concepts, sometimes there may be an origin story. We may have experienced loss that are deeply painful or regrettable. We may have experienced stigma that is traumatic and disempowering. We can become fused with past events, feeling forever diminished by them.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\u201cIf we realize that we are the plate and not the building blocks, these past events would not have so much power over us, as they do not define us.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\u201cFurther, just like taking apart the building blocks, we can practice letting go of these events. Even if the memories revisit us, we can recognize that they are memories that do not define us. We can let them go again and be ready to welcome new possibilities in the next new moment and see what new stories will be told by the building blocks.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong><em>Debriefing<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Theme<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>#4:<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Being<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>constricted<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>by<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>our<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>own<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>self-<\/em><\/strong><strong><em>stories<\/em><\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u201cRigid identification with ideas about ourselves can constrict our actions and true potential. If you say to yourself \u2018I\u2019m shy\u2019 or \u2018I can never sing or dance\u2019 or \u2018I can never make a social change\u2019, you may be closing yourself off from many potential opportunities, choices, or experiences in your life and limit your capacity to grow or your capacity to help or relate to others.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong><em>Debriefing<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Theme<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>#<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>5:<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Self<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>as<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Observer<\/em><\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u201cIn doing this exercise, some of you might have noticed that you have changed a lot over the years \u2013 your body, your styles of fashion, your friends, your social networks, your roles, your perspectives, etc. What got you really excited as a child, like getting a candy or an ice-cream cone, may not get your excited now. However, there is something that has not changed, and that is \u2013 you as the observer of your lived experience. Notice that when you were recalling an event in the past, your recollection was your current interpretation of the observations or perspectives that you had in the past \u2013 as a child, as a teenager or who you were last year. While everything in life <span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">changes, your existence as the observer of your lived experience remains. Your observer self, or self-as-context, will always be there as you go through life.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h5 class=\"import-Heading7\" style=\"text-align: center;margin-left: 42.35pt;margin-right: 39.35pt\"><strong>Key Summary Points<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>When we recall different events from our past they may take on new meaning and we may gain deeper insight about these experiences, but the key learning we want to highlight from the exercise is that throughout all these changes, there is a sense of self, i.e., an observer self, that provides a sense of continuity across time and events. This is the self-as- context in ACT, distinguishing it from \u201cthe self\u201d as often defined by concepts and stories.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>While we may focus on various pieces of building blocks as symbolic representations of ourselves, another perspective is to locate the self as the paper plate with our names on them. The plate is actually the holder that contains all the various pieces of building blocks, which change and vary over time in configuration.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The creating and taking apart of the building blocks promote the \u201cletting go of\u201d and the \u201cdefusion from\u201d the stories that we hold on to about ourselves, whether they are good or bad, joyful or traumatic, heroic or tragic.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p class=\"import-Normal\" style=\"margin-left: 11pt\"><strong>Source:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"import-Normal\" style=\"margin-left: 10.95pt\">Fung, K. P., &amp; Wong, J. P. (2014). ACT Training Manual. Toronto, ON: Strength In Unity Project .<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"2.9-the-le\u2019go-exercise\">\n<p><strong>Learning Objectives:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>To engage participants in experiencing the self as an observer<\/li>\n<li>To enhance participants\u2019 awareness of the self as context, or the holder of experiences<\/li>\n<li>To promote awareness of the continuity of the embodied self while allowing a more flexible relationship with the contents and identities of the self<\/li>\n<li>To enhance psychological flexibility related to an openness towards the concept of self<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong style=\"text-align: initial;text-indent: 48pt;font-size: 1em\">Materials:<\/strong><span style=\"text-align: initial;text-indent: 48pt;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-align: initial;text-indent: 48pt;font-size: 1em\">Bucket of small building blocks (10-15 pieces per participant)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-align: initial;text-indent: 48pt;font-size: 1em\">Paper Plates (one per participant)<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Water-based markers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">Time<\/strong><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><strong style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">Required: <\/strong><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">45 minutes<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"margin-left: 26pt\"><\/span>Activities &amp; Instructions<\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h5><strong>Set-up:<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Participants sit in a large horseshoe shape; co-facilitators sit across from each other at the open-end of the horseshoe.<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"import-Heading7\" style=\"text-align: center;margin-left: 42.25pt;margin-right: 48.2pt\"><strong>Instructions to Participants<\/strong><\/h5>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Introduction <\/strong>\u2013 \u201cThis exercise helps us explore our sense of self, or our sense of who we are.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Distribute<\/em><\/strong> <em>paper<\/em> <em>plates<\/em> <em>and<\/em> <em>then<\/em> <em>the<\/em> <em>building<\/em> <em>blocks<\/em> \u2013 \u201cPlease write down your name on the face of your paper plate. Once you have done that, please take a handful of building blocks and put them on your plate. Throughout this exercise, please make sure all your building blocks are inside your plate. Do not share any pieces with or take any pieces from others.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Guided<\/strong> <strong>meditation<\/strong> <strong>about<\/strong> <strong>the<\/strong> <strong>recent<\/strong> <strong>past<\/strong> \u2013 <strong><em>Facilitator<\/em><\/strong> <em>leads<\/em> <em>a<\/em> <em>guided<\/em> <em>meditation<\/em> <em>about<\/em> <em>the<\/em> <em>recent<\/em> <em>past<\/em> <em>and<\/em> <em>notices<\/em> <em>the continuity of self. <\/em><strong>Facilitator says,<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cPlease put down your plate on the floor. If you are willing, please close your eyes or lower your gaze to focus on a point in front of you. We will just spend a few moments becoming aware of the present moment and our breath.\u201d (Pause x 10 seconds.)<\/li>\n<li>\u201cNow let\u2019s think back to something that happened to you last summer \u2013 whatever comes to your mind is fine. See if you can recall that event as clearly as you can &#8230; Notice where you were and who you were with &#8230; Notice what you were seeing \u2026 hearing \u2026 smelling\u2026 doing \u2026 feeling \u2026 or thinking &#8230; Notice that it was you who was there, noticing all these things and experiencing all these things &#8230; See if you can notice that there is a sense of continuity between the \u2018you\u2019 back then and the \u2018you\u2019 that is here, right now, recalling all of these \u2026\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cLet us return to our breath and the present moment &#8230; whenever you are ready, you may open your eyes.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><strong><em>Recreate<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>the<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>recent<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>past<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>with<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>building<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>blocks <\/em><\/strong>\u2013 <strong><em>Facilitator<\/em><\/strong> <em>invites<\/em> <em>the<\/em> <em>participants<\/em> <em>to<\/em> <em>create<\/em> <em>what<\/em> <em>they<\/em> <em>recalled<\/em> <em>and<\/em> <em>says:<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cPlease pick up your plates and use your building blocks to reconstruct the experience you just recalled. You will have about 3 minutes. When you are done, you can set it down on the floor.\u201d <em>(Facilitator keeps time.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\u201c\u2026 Please stop building even if you have not already finished. Whatever stage you are at, take a moment to just observe what you have created. and set it down on the floor.\u201d <em>(Facilitator pauses for 10 seconds)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\u201cYou may take one last look at your creation <em>(pause)<\/em>. Now, pick up the plate and let\u2019s pull the pieces apart\u2026 notice any thoughts or feelings that shows up for you when you are taking them apart. When you finish pulling all the pieces apart, please put your plate of building blocks on the floor.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li><strong><em>Guided<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>meditation<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>about<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>the<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>distant<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>past<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>and<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>notice<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>the<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>observer<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>self<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 <strong><em>Facilitator<\/em><\/strong> <em>begins<\/em> <em>the<\/em> <em>second<\/em> <em>guided<\/em> <em>mediation by saying,<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cWe will now do a second meditative exercise. If you are willing, please close your eyes or lower your gaze to focus on a point in front of you. We will just spend a few moments to become aware of the present moment and our breath &#8230;\u201d <em>(Pause x 10 seconds.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\u201cNow cast your mind a bit farther back and recall another event \u2013 this time from your younger years as a teenager<br \/>\n<span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">\u2026 Notice what you were doing and who you were with \u2026 Notice all that you were seeing\u2026 hearing\u2026 smelling\u2026 doing\u2026 thinking\u2026 or feeling \u2026 Notice what you wore and how you looked \u2026 Perhaps, your hairstyle was <\/span><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">quite different back then \u2026 Different things might have been important to you back then \u2026 yet, in spite of the differences, it was still you that was there \u2026 there was a part of you back then observing all that \u2026 you are the continuation of the back then teenager \u2018observer, you are here now recalling and observing you in the past \u2026\u201d <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">(Pause.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\u201cAllow yourself to bring back those experiences to the present \u2026 and let us return to our breath and the present moment &#8230; whenever you are ready, you may open your eyes.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"6\">\n<li><strong><em>Recreate<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>the<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>distant<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>past<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>with<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>building<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>blocks<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 <strong><em>Facilitator<\/em><\/strong> <em>provides<\/em> <em>instructions<\/em> <em>and<\/em> <em>says,<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cAnd now I would invite you to use your building blocks to reconstruct your teenage event. You will have 3 minutes to do this. When you are done, you can set it down on the floor.\u201d <em>(<\/em><strong><em>Facilitator <\/em><\/strong><em>keeps time and rings the bell after 3<\/em> <em>minutes)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\u201c&#8230; Please stop building even if you have not already finished. Whatever stage you are at, take a moment to just observe what you have created and set it on the floor.\u201d <em>(Facilitator pauses for 10 seconds)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\u201cYou may take one last look at your creation <em>(pause)<\/em>. Now, pick up the plate and let\u2019s pull the pieces apart\u2026 notice any thoughts or feelings that shows up for you when taking them apart. When you finish pulling all the pieces apart, please put your plate on the floor.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"7\">\n<li><strong><em>Guided<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>meditation<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>about<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>the<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>remote<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>past<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 <strong><em>Facilitator<\/em><\/strong> <em>begins<\/em> <em>the<\/em> <em>third<\/em> <em>guided<\/em> <em>meditation<\/em> <em>by<\/em> <em>saying,<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cNow cast your mind even farther back and recall another event in the summer \u2013 this time from your childhood years, when you were 4 or 5 years old \u2026 Notice what you were doing and who you were with \u2026 Notice all that you were seeing, hearing, doing, thinking, and feeling \u2026 Notice that your role then was quite different from your role now\u2026 Notice that your little body then was very different back then \u2026 and probably every single cell in your body has been replaced now by a different cell \u2026 yet, notice that the \u2018you\u2019 that was there back then is the same \u2018you\u2019 that is here right now, recalling all this \u2026 \u2018you\u2019 have never been me or someone else \u2026 \u2018you\u2019 have been \u2018you\u2019 your whole life\u2026\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cAllow yourself to bring back that story to the present \u2026 and let us return to our breath and the present moment &#8230; whenever you are ready, you may open your eyes.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"8\">\n<li><strong><em>Recreate<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>the<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>remote<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>past<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>with<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>building<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>blocks<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 <strong><em>Facilitator<\/em><\/strong> <em>provides<\/em> <em>instruction<\/em> <em>and<\/em> <em>says,<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cNow I invite you to use your building blocks to reconstruct your childhood event. You will have about 3 minutes. When you are done, you can set it down on the floor.\u201d <em>(Facilitator keeps time.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>After<\/em> <em>3<\/em> <em>minutes,<\/em> <strong><em>facilitator<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>says<\/em><\/strong> \u201c\u2026 Please stop building now, please stop even if you have not already finished.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><em>After everyone stops building with their childhood experiences, <\/em><strong><em>facilitator says,<\/em><\/strong> \u201cNow please take one last look at your last creation, remember what feelings came up for you when you were building it, and then let\u2019s take a deep breath, and pull the pieces apart. Notice any thoughts or feelings that shows up for you during this process.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">Facilitator<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">wait<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">for<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">everyone<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">to<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">take<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">their<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">building<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">blocks<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">apart,<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">then<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><strong style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"><em>facilitator<\/em><\/strong><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> <\/span><strong style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"><em>continues<\/em><\/strong><em style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">,<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> \u201cNow let\u2019s debrief about the exercise we just went through.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Debriefing and Sample Scripts:<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Debriefing<\/strong> <strong>Question:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWe<\/em> <em>have<\/em> <em>finished<\/em> <em>building<\/em> <em>and<\/em> <em>taking<\/em> <em>apart<\/em> <em>the<\/em> <em>final<\/em> <em>story<\/em> <em>from<\/em> <em>the<\/em> <em>past.<\/em> <em>Would<\/em> <em>anyone<\/em> <em>like<\/em> <em>to<\/em> <em>share<\/em> <em>their<\/em> <em>experience<\/em> <em>of<\/em> <em>doing this exercise?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Probes:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cWhat did you notice about \u2018you\u2019 throughout the three stories?\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWhat was the same about each of these 3 \u201cyou\u201d and what was different about these 3 \u201cyou\u201d that you remember from three different periods in your life?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Debriefing<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Theme<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>#1:<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Being<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>weighed<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>down<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>by<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>self-<\/em><\/strong><strong><em>concepts<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cWe can easily confuse our \u2018self\u2019 with ideas and concepts about ourselves. We can become fused with thoughts like \u201cI am no good\u201d and \u201cI am unlovable\u201d, which can haunt us again and again.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cIf we look at the plate, it holds the pieces of building blocks, but it has never been affected by these pieces. Similarly, we are the person with these thoughts and stories, but these thoughts and stories are not us \u2013 they do not define us in any way. We do not have to buy into them or even fret over them when they show up.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Debriefing<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Theme<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>#2:<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Loss<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>of<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>sense<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>of<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>self<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cIf we define ourselves by our self-descriptions, roles, or stories, even positive ones, we can become quite vulnerable. When changes occur, we may feel completely lost. If you define yourself by your job, what happens when you retire or lose your job? If you define yourself as being the role of a family member, what happens when you lose your loved ones?<\/li>\n<li>\u201cEven though being dedicated to our roles and values help us function, actually defining ourselves by what we do, or our roles may make us less able to deal with change and loss.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Debriefing<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Theme<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>#3:<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Being<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>weighed<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>down<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>by<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>past<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>events<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>and<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>memories<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cBehind some of our negative self-concepts, sometimes there may be an origin story. We may have experienced loss that are deeply painful or regrettable. We may have experienced stigma that is traumatic and disempowering. We can become fused with past events, feeling forever diminished by them.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cIf we realize that we are the plate and not the building blocks, these past events would not have so much power over us, as they do not define us.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cFurther, just like taking apart the building blocks, we can practice letting go of these events. Even if the memories revisit us, we can recognize that they are memories that do not define us. We can let them go again and be ready to welcome new possibilities in the next new moment and see what new stories will be told by the building blocks.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Debriefing<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Theme<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>#4:<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Being<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>constricted<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>by<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>our<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>own<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>self-<\/em><\/strong><strong><em>stories<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cRigid identification with ideas about ourselves can constrict our actions and true potential. If you say to yourself \u2018I\u2019m shy\u2019 or \u2018I can never sing or dance\u2019 or \u2018I can never make a social change\u2019, you may be closing yourself off from many potential opportunities, choices, or experiences in your life and limit your capacity to grow or your capacity to help or relate to others.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Debriefing<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Theme<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>#<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>5:<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Self<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>as<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Observer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cIn doing this exercise, some of you might have noticed that you have changed a lot over the years \u2013 your body, your styles of fashion, your friends, your social networks, your roles, your perspectives, etc. What got you really excited as a child, like getting a candy or an ice-cream cone, may not get your excited now. However, there is something that has not changed, and that is \u2013 you as the observer of your lived experience. Notice that when you were recalling an event in the past, your recollection was your current interpretation of the observations or perspectives that you had in the past \u2013 as a child, as a teenager or who you were last year. While everything in life <span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">changes, your existence as the observer of your lived experience remains. Your observer self, or self-as-context, will always be there as you go through life.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5 class=\"import-Heading7\" style=\"text-align: center;margin-left: 42.35pt;margin-right: 39.35pt\"><strong>Key Summary Points<\/strong><\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li>When we recall different events from our past they may take on new meaning and we may gain deeper insight about these experiences, but the key learning we want to highlight from the exercise is that throughout all these changes, there is a sense of self, i.e., an observer self, that provides a sense of continuity across time and events. This is the self-as- context in ACT, distinguishing it from \u201cthe self\u201d as often defined by concepts and stories.<\/li>\n<li>While we may focus on various pieces of building blocks as symbolic representations of ourselves, another perspective is to locate the self as the paper plate with our names on them. The plate is actually the holder that contains all the various pieces of building blocks, which change and vary over time in configuration.<\/li>\n<li>The creating and taking apart of the building blocks promote the \u201cletting go of\u201d and the \u201cdefusion from\u201d the stories that we hold on to about ourselves, whether they are good or bad, joyful or traumatic, heroic or tragic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"import-Normal\" style=\"margin-left: 11pt\"><strong>Source:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"import-Normal\" style=\"margin-left: 10.95pt\">Fung, K. P., &amp; Wong, J. P. (2014). ACT Training Manual. 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