Dimitra’s approach through expressive writing techniques encourages life reflection, self-exploration and creative expansion.

The workshops are useful for all individuals, while the practice of expressive writing can particularly benefit those seeking to gain insight into their inner lives, increase self-awareness, listen to their inner voice and connect with their full creative potential.

The writing focuses entirely on tapping into our inner selves, without any concern for narrative structure or grammar rules.

Although we discuss in English, you do not necessarily have to write in English and you don’t have to be a native speaker in order to join. There is no need for previous writing experience.

The group will welcome new members until December, but if you wish to participate later than December, you can ask for it as there might begin new groups and you will have priority.

The first meeting will open with the following poem, which is going to be the basis for the rest of the writing:

Reinvent your Life
Charles Bukowski

Invent yourself and then reinvent yourself,

don’t swim in the same slough.

invent yourself and then reinvent yourself and

stay out of the clutches of mediocrity.

invent yourself and then reinvent yourself,

change your tone and shape so often

that they can never categorize you.

reinvigorate yourself and accept what is

but only on the terms that you have invented

and reinvented.

be self-taught.

and reinvent your life because you must;

it is your life and its history and the present

belong only to you.

INFORMATION

The meetings will be held through Skype the first Monday every month, from October 2021 until March 2022.

Time: GMT time 16.00 -18.00
UK (+1GMT) 17.00 – 19.00
Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Croatia (+2GMT) 18.00 – 20.00
Greece (+3GMT) 19.00 – 21.00
India (+5.5 GMT)  21.30 – 23.30

Duration: 2 hours each workshop
Cost: 40€ (payment through pay pal or bank transfer)

For booking your spot, please fill out the following
_APPLICATION and send it to dimitra@expressingmyself.org

Learn more about expressive writing here:
https://expressingmyself.org/frequently-asked-questions-about-expressive-writing/

Facilitator’s short cv

Dimitra Didangelou  is a psychologist MSc, science journalist and author. After filling thousands of pages for personal and professional purposes, she quickly discovered the power of the written word. She’ specialized in therapeutic and expressive writing, helping people gain insight into their lives, listen to their inner voice and enhance their creativity.

Alongside founding and editing a web-magazine that explores psychology, she is the founder of “Expressing MySelf”, an Institute which offers workshops promoting conscious and creative living.

Her training includes Advanced Study in Therapeutic Writing (The Center for Journal Writing in Denver, CO, USA), an MSc in Psychology and the Mass Media, a BA in Psychology and a Certificate in Philosophical Counseling and Psychotherapy.

Dimitra is a published author of two books and her short stories have been distinguished in many writing contests.

See Dimitra’s TED speech here.

Learn more about Dimitra here.

The post Reinvent Your Life – Online Expressive Writing Circle appeared first on Expressing MySelf Institute.

“The morning wind forever blows, the poem of creation is uninterrupted; but few are the ears that hear it.”
Henry D. Thoreau, Walden (Life in the Woods)

It’s Monday afternoon, a hard day at work has just finished and you return home. How do you relax? Turn on your computer and check out the social media news while watching something on TV? Or do you prefer to change your clothes and go out for some outdoor activities, perhaps go for a walk in a nearby park?

Most people usually prefer to do the first without a second thought. It is a fact that in the last few hundred years people have been disconnected from nature to a large extent (Katcher and Beck, 1987). Adults and children spend most of their time in front of a screen and technological devices and less time doing outdoor activities (Atchley et al., 2012).

This is something we witness and experience around us every day. We spend most of the day indoors and if we are out, our focus is once again drawn to another screen or technological device. Every time we are in nature, we usually want to dominate and impose our presence there without respecting it. We forget that we are part of it, that we and nature are one. Ourselves and nature are not two separate entities, it’s just one (Welling, 2014).

In her book “Reclaiming the Wild Soul”, Mary Reynolds Thompson notes that we live in a world that dominates nature, which creates in us the desire to dominate everything: other people, and even worse, our spirit. One of her students wrote: “All these internal rules of how I should be are a burden for me, and I feel disconnected from the spontaneous flow inside me.” Our desire to dominate our environment and change it may prevent us from finding our true nature (Thompson, 2014).

It is true that more than 50% of people on earth live in urban areas and that rate is about to rise to 70% by 2050 (Bratman & al., 2015). Our environment plays an important role in the way we think and behave (Atchley & al., 2012). Bearing in mind all the above, we can understand the value of studying the impact of the environment on humans as well as developmenting methods that can reduce the negative effects of disconnection created by technology.

Research that proves the beneficial properties of nature for our body is constantly increasing. For example, according to Rachel and Stephan Kaplan, people who have direct access to the natural environment are healthier than those who do not. Longer-term, indirect effects include an increased level of satisfaction with their home, work and their life as a whole (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989).

According to Attention Restoration Theory (ART) developed by Kaplan in 1980, people focus better when they spend time in nature or even when they are watching scenes from nature (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989).

A research based on the above theory (ART) confirmed the fact that the brain’s cognitive function is increased in the natural environment. Marc Berman and his colleagues at the University of Michigan found that students walking in a park performed better on a memory test than other students walking in the city streets (Berman & al., 2008).

In another research, Kaplan and Kaplan concluded that it is not necessary to run in the woods to benefit from nature. Just taking a look at nature through the window could be enough. According to their findings, employees who viewed nature from their offices had a more constructive view of their work, better health and satisfaction from their life (Kaplan & al., 1998).

Frances Kuo has dedicated her life to studying the impact of the natural environment on people, and together with her colleague William Sullivan they founded the Human-Environment Research Laboratory (HERL). Her research included children who were diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). After performing some tests, it was found that the children who took a walk in a park for 20 minutes felt much more relaxed than the children who walked in an urban environment (Taylor & Kuo, 2009).

In another study, Bratman and his colleagues found that 90 minutes of walking in nature may reduce thinking about the same things again and again (also known as repetitive negative thoughts) by reducing the function of a specific part of the brain associated with mental illness. Researchers have found that this doesn’t happen when someone is walking in the city (Bratman & al., 2015).

Bratman, together with a different scientific team, found that nature can also affect cognitive function. Compared to walking in an urban environment, walking in nature had an effective emotional effect by reducing stress and repetitive thoughts; it also helped to maintain these effects. Moreover, it had a positive cognitive effect by enhancing working memory, which aids learning (Bratman et al., 2015).

In their research, Ruth Ann Atchley, David L. Strayer and Paul Atchley found that reconnecting with nature and at the same time disconnecting from technology can help solve problems in a creative way. They also believe that technology and noise pollution in urban areas distract us and reduce our focus. The participants walked in nature carrying their backpacks for four days and were not allowed to use any technological devices. According to the results, when asked to solve complex problems that required creativity their performance increased by 50%.

Therefore, wandering and exploring in nature seems to be related to the disconnection from technology. Tristan Gooley, author of “How to Connect with Nature”, says: “When we are at home, brain-neutral activities such as watching TV or checking out the social media news may be more enticing than putting on our coats and going out. However, after 10 minutes out in the fresh air, these electronic brain-traps lose their impact.”

How can all the above be combined with writing?

Thompson insists that technology adds yet another layer of noise to our already busy lives, which can keep us away from our intuition and the language of non-human beings, while silence creates space within us, empties us (Thompson, 2014).

In her book “Writing Wild”, Tina Welling says that many of us behave like tourists in our own lives. We are constantly looking for something out there, when everything is inside us (Welling, 2014). She also claims that we often believe that nature is a place to rest. However, few of us know that we can also rejuvenate (Welling, 2014) and relax. Relaxation, rejuvenation, focus, silence, self analysis and problem solving are basic components of creative expression. When the process of creation is combined with nature, the beneficial effects are even greater.

Writing is one of the most common creative activities. In the psychology field that is called therapeutic or expressive writing is used as a means of expressing emotions and thoughts. In other words, paper can become our mirror and lead us to self-knowledge and personal development. According to Welling, we experience the power of language when writing in our diaries. Ourselves develop and shine in the light of our attention. We expand, awaken and become the person we are looking for in other people. Words have the power to change us.

When the writing process takes place in the natural environment, there are many more benefits for the writer than writing in an office, looking only at a computer screen.

Welling claims that the need for creation is something peculiar. Creative people need nature, a contact with their authentic self. The body is the link between the creative mind and nature (Welling, 2014). The sensory awakening that we experience in nature increases creativity. Sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell, they all finely tuned, become sharper and return to primitive levels.

In the natural environment, time expands, so we have the opportunity to observe. Observation, whether it is related to the outside or the interior world, is an essential component of writing. Thompson points out that we have lost the ability to imagine beyond the predetermined pattern we have learned from others. We forgot the power of our own imagination without the boundaries of urban conventions (Thompson, 2014).

The simplicity of the natural environment empties our mind and helps us see things more clearly from a new, different perspective. The silence and serenity of nature help us to focus on our inner world and hear our inner voice. They help us pay attention to the mental, spiritual and physical messages that otherwise would be ignored in our busy daily routine.

In nature, we reveal ourselves completely, without the corruptions of the external environment. In the natural environment, we can be our true self no matter what our position or role is. In nature, we have the ability to accept and emphasize our uniqueness, to find more easily the way which leads to our personal path. We can envisage more clearly our pure self and discover aspects that we had either forgotten or neglected or did not  know they even existed.

Nature can be the greatest teacher. In order to reap its rewards one must immerse themselves in it completely.

Bibliography:

Atchley., R.A., Strayer, D.L., Atchley, P. (2012). Creativity in the Wild: Improving Creative Reasoning through Immersion in Natural Settings. PLoS ONE 7(12): e51474. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0051474

Berman, G.M., , Jonides, J., Kaplan, S.. (2008). The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting With Nature. Association for Psychological Science. 19(12): 1207-1212.

Bratman, G.N., Hamilton, J.P., Hahn, K.S., Daily, G.C., Gross, J.J. (2015). Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation.  PNAS. 112 (28);8567–8572. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1510459112.

Bratman, G. N., Daily, G. C., Levy, B. J., Gross, J. J. (2015). The benefits of nature experience: Improved affect and cognition. Landscape and Urban Planning, 138, 41-50.

Faber, A. T., Kuo, F.E. (2009). Children with attention deficits concentrate better after walk in the park. Journal of Attention Disorders, 12, 402-409.

Gooley, Τ. (2014). How to Connect with Nature. MacMillan, London.

Kaplan, R. Kaplan, S. (1989). The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York.

Kaplan, R., Kaplan, S., Ryan, R. L. (1998). With people in mind: Design and management of everyday nature. DC: Island Press. Washington.

Katcher, A., Beck, A. (1987). Health and caring for living things. Anthrozoös, 1, 175–183.

Thompson, Μ.R. (2014). Reclaiming the Wild Soul. White Cloud Press. Ashland, Oregon.

Welling, T. (2014). Writing Wild. New World Library. Novato, California.

Web Source

Jabr, F., Why Walking Helps Us Think, https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/walking-helps-us-think

The post Words and steps in nature appeared first on Expressing MySelf Institute.

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Summer 2019, August 29^{th –} September 1^rst, Pelion

A unique writing retreat in Greece designed by the psychologist and author Dimitra Didangelou to help you to enrich your self-connection through writing and nourish your soul, mind and body. A creative oasis for self- renewal and mental well-being.

Dimitra’s approach through expressive writing techniques encourages life reflection, self-exploration and creative expansion.

The workshops are useful for all individuals, while the practice of expressive writing can particularly benefit those seeking to gain insight into their inner lives, increase self-awareness, listen to their inner voice and connect with their full creative potential.

Here are some activities you can expect from your retreat:

• Daily workshops on expressive writing in natural landscapes
• One-on-one session with Dimitra
• Haiku writing
• Meaningful structured conversations on subjects inspired by the ancient Greek philosophy
• Excursions to the astonishing beaches, yoga, acupuncture, massages, horse riding, swimming, hiking available onsite
• Dinners with delicious local dishes and wine

The retreat will be held in English.

With places limited to 12 participants, it’s a good idea to secure your place early!
For bookings contact dimitra@expressingmyself.org

WHAT MAKES THIS RETREAT SPECIAL

The content

The more you know about yourself, the richer your inner life becomes. Through specific writing tools and methods developed by experts (Dr. Pennebaker, Adams, Progoff, Thompson etc), expressive writing helps us to get in touch with our feelings and thoughts. Expressing the feelings and thoughts through writing allows us to tune into our inner life and enriches our ability to self-inspire. Workshops are designed to help us identify where our blockages stem from and give us the strength to overcome them.

The practice of expressive writing focuses entirely on tapping into our inner selves, without any concern for narrative structure or grammar rules. There is no right or wrong answer. Expressive writing can be practiced by anyone, at any stage of their life.

For more information, read our FAQ about Expressive Writing.

Here is what some of the past participants have to say about Dimitra’s workshops:

The exercises opened my eyes to a new way of thinking about my work, and myself. From the first session, I felt I was already a step forward in discovering newfound enjoyment and confidence in my writing. The workshops were so practical and flexible that I could adapt them to my specific needs.
S.B., Prague

Dimitra provided me with deeply insightful advice on the best way to proceed with the writing of a deeply personal memoir and on the struggles that come with it.
S.A., Berlin

I hugely enjoyed the one-on-one session with Dimitra. She is a great listener, and knows how to ask all the right questions to get you thinking about your own writing process. I finished the session feeling very motivated and with new insights and perspectives relating to present and future work. Perfect!
M.H., Berlin

Freedom, revelation, catharsis. I felt like I got the pen down to my soul and then I imprinted it onto paper. And then, I faced the truth that finally was inside me. I saw, on the paper, me, in my most authentic form.
Th. K., Cyprus

The Host

Dimitra Didangelou  is a psychologist MSc, science journalist and author. After filling thousands of pages for personal and professional purposes, she quickly discovered the power of the written word. Her specialization is therapeutic and expressive writing, helping people gain insight into their lives, listen to their inner voice and enhance their creativity.

Alongside founding and editing a web-magazine that explores psychology, she is the founder of “Expressing MySelf Institute” offering therapeutic writing workshops and sessions.

She loves writing fiction based on real stories because she believes that the unbelievable stories life brings in surpass even the most powerful imagination.

Her training includes Advanced Study in Therapeutic Writing (The Center for Journal Writing in Denver, CO, USA), an MSc in Psychology and the Mass Media, a BA in Psychology and a Certificate in Philosophical Counseling and Psychotherapy.

Dimitra is a published novelist and her short stories have been distinguished in many writing contests.

See Dimitra’s TED speech here

Learn more about Dimitra here.

The location

The retreat will take place in Pelion peninsula, one of Greece’s most undiscovered areas, the homeland of mythic Chiron Centaurus, tutor of many ancient Greek heroes and healer. Pelion is in the Greek mainland, which is home to some of the most beautiful beaches, forests and hiking trails in Greece. You will be accommodated in Pinakates, a hidden gem in the mountainous hills, village of less than 200 inhabitants, one of whom is Dimitra. We will organise your trip from the airport to the village, where you will stay in the traditional stone houses typical of the region. The place is surrounded by forests paved with hiking trails and in 20’ driving distance there are beaches with crystal clear water and traditional fishing villages. Workshops will take place in a variety of spectacular natural scenery.

“I thought I knew Greece, but I had never heard of Pelion until friends told me about the simple stone house they were staying in, the perfect swimming, the unripened food, the joys of pine- and olive-covered slopes and deserted pebble beaches. When they went on about it as a forgotten corner of Greece, I thought maybe they were exaggerating. But they weren’t”, writes Anthony Sattin on CONDE NAST TRAVELLER.
Read the whole article here. 

The low- cost:

Early Birds until 30/4 extension to 30/5: 490€/per person (double room shared)
After 1/5: 540€/per person (double room shared)
For Single Room: extra 200€

For bookings contact Dimitra at
dimitra@expressingmyself.org

In order to hold your place, there is a non-refundable deposit of 250€ (included in the total price). The balance of the fees will be due on July 31st. Once paid, fees are non-refundable except in the event of our cancellation.

Accommodation is based on two sharing in a twin room. If you’d like your own room, there’s a single supplement of €200. You can book with a friend and we’ll put you in a room together or we’ll match you with someone.

The accommodation will be in a family run traditional guest house. Each studio is independent with a private bathroom and a private kitchen. Note that there is no internet connection in the guest house, but there is wifi at the coffee shops and the taverns.

Space for workshops is limited to 12 participants to ensure lots of individual support and a nourishing environment.

Included in the price:

• Bed and breakfast
• One individual session with Dimitra
• Workshops with Dimitra in a natural environment (including transportation to the beach)
• Haiku writing and walking workshop
• Various evening events, including guided conversations and open-air cinema
• Welcome dinner and drinks
• Snacks and material during the workshops

Not Included:

• Airfares
• Transfers from/to the airport (we can organise it or book a taxi for you)
• Travel Insurance
• Meals, with the exception of the welcome dinner (in the village there are three taverns which serve local traditional dishes and two coffee-shops with snacks. You can have a meal between €5-10).

Optional Extras:

• Yoga
• Massage
• Acupuncture
• Horse Riding
• Hiking
• Swimming
• Ride with the traditional steam train

For bookings contact dimitra@expressingmyself.org

How to come

We recommend first checking the flights to the closest airport of Volos (45′ from Pinakates) where Easy Jet has cheap flights: http://www.thessalyairport.gr/en/

Flights go to either Athens (4 hours driving to Pinakates) or Thessaloniki (2,5 hours).

Both Athens and Thessaloniki are nice cities to spend some time or days. The nearest city to Pinakates is Volos, about 40’ driving and there is a connection to Pinakates by  bus: http://ktelvolou.gr/en/home/

We can organize your transportation from/to the airport or book a taxi just for you or shared.

What else?

Video from previous retreats HERE.

This is a good guide to the region.

If you want to combine your retreat with a before or after vacation in Greece, ask Dimitra for recommendations!

For bookings contact dimitra@expressingmyself.org

“Freedom, revelation, catharsis” 
T.K., Cyprus

The post Writing Retreat in Greece – Summer 2019 appeared first on Expressing MySelf Institute.

Indicative cases: autoimmune diseases, traumatic experiences (CRM trauma therapy), chronic diseases, burn out, identity and sexual identity issues, relationship improvement, decision making, loss – mourning, transitions (pregnancy, divorce, unemployment, immigration, retirement, menopause  etc.), communication, assertiveness, behavioral problems, personal growth, career consultation, burn out of medical staff etc.

Autoimmune diseases program: a set of 8 individual sessions designed especially for people suffering from autoimmune diseases. The aim is to process the psychosomatic consequences of an autoimmune disease, any psychological processes that may have contributed to its trigger (traumatic experiences, chronic stress, loss, etc.) and also the psychological support of the person after diagnosis or due to changes that occur because of this (on physical, psychological, social level etc.). Combination of therapeutic writing techniques and the CRM model.

In addition, a special program is offered for writers with the aim of unblocking writing and eliminating internal obstacles in the writing process.

There is also the possibility of conducting a session in nature or in combination with walking.

The sessions are held in an environment of safety and support, with empathy and respect for each participant’s personality. You can feel comfortable and express yourself freely, without concern about criticism.

The sessions are held in English or Greek language online or in-person in Brussels, Belgium. 

You can contact Dimitra at:
dimitra@expressingmyself.org

INFO

Belgium
Rue Americaine 36, 1060, Saint Gilles, Brussels

Greece
Pinakates, 37010, Pelion, Magnisia

There is also the option to conduct sessions outside in nature. 

email: dimitra@expressingmyself.org 

Languages: English, Greek

See Dimitra’s cv here.

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