Psychogymism

What is gymnastics is known to everyone, this is a complex of exercises designed to improve the state of health or maintain the physical form of a person. But what is psycho-gymnastics, by analogy it should be a set of exercises for our psyche, but can it be trained?

Purpose of the classes in psycho-gynecology

For the first time the term psycho-gymnastics was used by Ganja Yunova, a psychologist from the Czech Republic. She came up with this system, based on the techniques of psychodrama. Initially, the complex of exercises was intended for children with the aim of forming and correcting the psyche. Therefore, the psycho-gymnastics was built in the form of a game, verses and merry music were used. Such classes were conducted in different age groups - for children in kindergarten and primary school classes.

Today the exercises of psycho-gymnastics are used for adults, more often in the training format. It is always group classes, involving the expression of emotions, experiences, problems with the help of facial expressions and movements. In a broad sense, the tasks of the psycho-gymnastics are cognition and correction of the person's personality. In more detail, the objectives of such training can be described as follows:

• reduction of participants' stress;
• removal of prohibitions and fears;
• development of attention;
• Reduction of emotional distance between participants in the class;
• the development of sensitivity to their own movements and the activity of others;
• the formation of abilities to express one's own feelings and emotions and to understand the feelings of other people without verbal expression.

The program of psycho-gymnastics in training

Exercises of psycho-gymnastics exist a lot, but there is a scheme that is adhered to when drafting a training program.

Preparatory part

The lesson begins, as a rule, includes exercises aimed at developing attention. Next are exercises to relieve tension and reduce emotional distances. In the first training sessions, the training can consist only of the preparatory exercises.

1. Gymnastics with a delay. Everyone repeats a gymnastic exercise for one of the group members, with a lag behind the leader for one movement. Gradually, the pace of exercise increases.
2. Passing the rhythm in a circle. All participants of the group repeat after a single person the given rhythm, clapping their hands.
3. Transmission of motion in a circle. One of the members of the group begins movement with an imaginary movement so that it can be continued. Further, this movement continues with a neighbor, until the object passes around the whole group.
4. Mirror. The group is divided into pairs and each repeats the movements of its partner.
5. For the removal of tension used a variety of outdoor games, competitions for the type of "third extra" and the simplest movements. For example, "I walk on hot sand," "I'm in a hurry to work," "I go to the doctor."
6. To reduce the emotional distance, exercises that involve direct contact are used. For example, to reassure an offended person, to sit on a chair that is occupied by another person, with closed eyes to convey the feeling in a circle with the help of a touch.

Pantomime part

Here are selected themes for pantomime, which people represent. Subjects can be offered by a therapist or by the clients themselves and can relate to the problems of the whole group or the problem of a particular person. Usually the following topics are used in this part.

1. Overcoming difficulties. Daily problems and conflicts are touched upon here. Each member of the group shows how he copes with them.
2. The Forbidden fruit. Each of the clients should show how they behave in a situation where they can not get what they want.
3. My family. The client selects several people from the group and arranges them in such a way as to illustrate the relationship in his family.
4. Sculptor. One of the participants of the training becomes a sculptor - gives the rest of the group members those poses, which, in his opinion, best reflect their conflicts and features.
5. My group. Members of the group should be placed in space so that the distance between them reflects the degree of emotional affinity.
6. "I". Topics that relate to the problems of specific people - "what I seem", "what I would like to be", "my life", etc.
7. Fairy tale. Here the participants of the training depict various fairy-tale characters.

After each task, the group discusses what they saw, each expresses his opinion about the situation, speaks about the experiences that have arisen.

Final part

It is designed to relieve tension that could arise in the process of pantomime, release from strong emotions, increase group cohesion and increase confidence. In this part, exercises from the preparatory department are used. Usually, the music that accompanies the exercises is used for the greater effect of the psycho-gymnastics. Most often use classical music, as well as the sounds of nature.