Skip to content
  • Home
  • Letting go and commitments

Summary

This is a nice exercise to close a workshop, or a section of a workshop. In it, we ask participants to both ‘let go’ of difficult emotions and to ‘commit to’ positive actions.

Format

Group exercise

Required materials

Two cards or pieces of paper per participant

Key explanation points

  • Each person writes, on two slips of paper, one thing they are letting go of (for example, fear, anger, disappointment, mistrust, hopelessness) and one thing that they want to commit to (for example, loving myself more, trusting others, taking care of my safety).
  • Each person puts them into two separate bowls.
  • They can share what they have written if they so choose.
  • Someone sets the ‘letting go’ papers alight and pours water on the ‘commitment’ papers.
  • Participants put the ashes and the mulch (wet papers) in a hole in the ground and then plants a tree on top. Alternately, plant a flower in a large pot.

Facilitation notes

  • This is a good exercise to consolidate the outcomes of the workshop, and can be a very gentle and positive closing exercise.
  • It could also be followed by the ‘Goodbye cocktail party‘ exercise or a celebration.