Trauma class offers peace, relief to bombing victims<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A woman screamed at the top of her voice then burst into
\nuncontrollable sobbing that shook her body violently, shocking
\nother participants in an exercise to soothe tension on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Instructors calmed her down while telling the class that the
\neruption of emotions from the depths of her subconscious was a
\nnatural phenomenon.<\/p>\n
\"I felt I could no longer hold back my emotions. I felt my
\nchest would explode and I tried very hard not to cry aloud so
\nthat I wouldn't disturb you, but I couldn't,\" the 22-year-old
\nwoman shared her \"healing moment\" when she felt her emotional
\nburdens released.<\/p>\n
Along with eight other participants, the woman took the one-
\nday class organized by volunteers of Trauma Healing at the
\nSumantri Brojonegoro sports stadium in Kuningan, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The project was jointly set by various community groups
\nconcerned about helping all Jakartan directly or indirectly
\ntraumatized by the Sep. 9 bomb blast outside the Australian
\nEmbassy, which is located close to the stadium.<\/p>\n
\"We chose the stadium as the venue for the healing activities,
\nas it is close to ground zero. Many people fell victim to the
\nincident just because they were in the area at the time of the
\nblast,\" volunteer Dandan Hamdani told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
At least 50 participants have attended the course so far,
\nseeking relief from their traumatic experiences through
\npsychotherapy, hypnotherapy, meditation and yoga. The
\nparticipants can also sign up for physical therapy and relaxation
\ntreatment through reflexology, acupressure, aromatherapy,
\nbiotherapy and acupuncture.<\/p>\n
\"We also introduce some basic techniques in simple exercises
\nthat can be done at any time, which helps individuals restore
\ntheir strength and in turn, help others become stronger,\" said
\nGobind Vashdev of Capacitar Indonesia.<\/p>\n
As is evident in its name -- capacitar is Spanish for
\nempowerment -- Capacitar Indonesia is part of an international
\nnetwork of volunteers who learn and share healing techniques for
\nthemselves and people around them. Volunteers and participants
\nmaster ways to stay healthy, at peace and emotionally balanced
\nsimply by improving their breathing techniques and postures.<\/p>\n
Besides Capacitar, other groups taking part in the charity
\nproject are the University of Indonesia's crisis center, the
\nIndian Culture Center, Asa Bangsa Foundation, Klub Mahesa and
\nAnise Aromatik.<\/p>\n
The Trauma Healing course is holding three free sessions that
\nare open to the public, with the final session on Oct. 10.<\/p>\n
Although the sessions were initially developed for people
\naffected by the bombing, many said they joined the sessions to
\ntake a short break from their stressful days.<\/p>\n
\"I feel thankful that the session has healed my trauma from
\nviolence, which had been like a pebble in my shoe for many
\nyears,\" said another participant, eyes brimming with tears of
\nrelief.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/trauma-class-offers-peace-relief-to-bombing-victims-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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