Art, Creativity and Expression

Carlos Benito Gall ‘el pelito’ is a clown by vocation and profession. Born in Barcelona in 1973, he has been a clown for more than 20 years. Believing in empirical and collective formation, he loves comics, both as a reader and as a cartoonist. Not only has this indulgence been influential in shaping his comprehension of the scene but has also triggered the conception of the workshop. A transparent human being, because he wants to be seen and attended to. The clown is an archetype – funny, pathetic, and poetic. He is the mirror in which the audience looks. Carlos carries all the hallmarks of a clownish attitude, namely approachable, positive in tribulations, well-intentioned clumsy, provocateur of laughter, bearer of catastrophe and wicked innocent free of all guilt. Clowning is a fun activity in itself. It involves playing for the sake of playing, playing to improvise, playing to structure ideas, playing to move through space and playing to improve blood circulation. True to his clown nature, Carlos loves group interactions, as these give him a feeling of being accepted in the comic vision, poetry, and pathos. Through workshops, he proposes ideas and games meant to transport you to the clown/clown universe, which has been created from a red nose. Some tools that he relies upon are choreographic concepts and music and creating and adapting the character to different situations. Often he acts as part of a team and selects a partner to act as an interlocutor. As per Carlos, every clown should be crystal clear in speech and proposals. He should also effectively manage energy with the audience and avoid excessive appearances. Lo bué si bre, dos ve bué’.

Daniela de Girolamo specialises in Chi Kung and Yoga and is as enthusiastic about teaching a willing learner as she is to practise it herself. Having spent the last 18 years studying and working as a Shiatsu therapist, Ayurvedic massage therapist, Yoga teacher-trainer and Chi Kung and Yoga instructor, she firmly believes in the goodness of holistic healing. So, regardless of age, gender or concepts, all you need to do is enrol for Daniela’s class to embark on the process. What renders Daniela truly accomplished is her in-depth understanding about how the elements of nature manifest, and more importantly, how they are represented in the human body. Every human being experiences a different level of energetic vibration and these manifest through the body, emotions, mind, and spirit. It was while working as a Shiatsu therapist that Daniela was attracted to Chi Kung, and immediately developed a bond towards this ancient Chinese practice. Initially she would attend 4-5 sessions a day to remain healthy and energetic. But given its positive impact, she decided to continue, and went on to complete two years of training. Based on the concepts of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Chi Kung aims to stretch and streamline the body’s energy channels in a fluid and harmonious way. Regular Chi Kung practice makes you strong both internally and outwardly. Not only does it build muscles, but also strengthens the internal organs, improves digestion and enhances the quality of sleep. Menstruation/menopause, respiratory and cardiovascular rhythm and inherent immunity are other areas that benefit from Chi Kung. Because all movements and exercises work directly on the energy channels of the body, they are related to a specific organ/viscera which represent thoughts and emotions. For example, if you work on an exercise that targets the energy channel of the stomach, there will be an improvement in digestion and muscular strength and elasticity. You will also slip into a state of relaxation and would be better prepared to handle stress and anxiety. There are a series of exercises, and while some are meditative and static, others involve movement and provide a great physical workout. All exercises are associated with a breathing technique and aim to cultivate harmony in movement. Breathing consciously causes the body to re-align naturally and find its balance. Chi kung encourages self-healing and creates a feeling of well-being, thus prompting a feel-good factor. When Daniela sees the positive impact of her classes on different segments of the community, it brings her joy and contentment. A farmer once told her that after two months of Chi Kung he was able to harvest his olives again after years of his back not allowing him to do so. A person with depression told her about the feeling of vitality that floods him every time he practises Chi Kung. A woman weaver and entrepreneur told her that her creativity at work was awakened after a class. Another person with heart and circulation problems said that on days when she practised Chi Kung, she was able to relax and sleep much better at night. All this and much more is what motivates Daniela to share her knowledge and practice every day with passion and enthusiasm.

Irene is a Gestalt and systemic psychotherapist and a Flamenco dancer. She studied social work at the UCM (Complutense University of Madrid); her university years gave her a social perspective and helped her to discover a vocation for psychotherapy. Irene’s passion for dance has driven her to become a Flamenco dancer. Irene trained in systemic family intervention at Seville’s Kaleidoscope relational training school in Sevilla. Irene became a Gestalt therapist at Granada’s Alejandría training and therapy school. She also works with individuals, family, couples therapy or with people in crises, emotional discomfort or with desires for personal growth. Irene also leads groups aimed at Movement and Personal Growth: These workshops encourage conscious experimentation, in which, through different proposals of movement and expression, we create new experiences that generate new patterns of thought and attitude. For this, we dedicate a space vital to integrating life experience.

Natalia was born in Alcalá la Real (Jaén) in 1988. Natalia cannot remember a time when she stopped drawing, believing It has always accompanied her. When Natalia was 10 years old, she won a poetry prize at school which brought her immense joy and great surprise: it was the affirmation that it was valid, that she could feel safe placing attention and faith in her own creative world. This encounter equipped her with creative sovereignty, followed by many contests of drawing, more battles lost than won and at a very early age she painted her first mural in high school. Shortly after, during adolescence, Natalia decided to process her own anxieties by painting the walls of her bedroom with large figures that captured on their skin the traces of her rabid tears from that time. It was then that she decided without hesitation to study to be an art therapist. During her studies to become a Graduate in Fine Arts (University of Granada 2012) Natalia forgot her “therapeutic purpose” with art, and dove into the study of drawing and painting techniques at a time when the digitalization of life was opened voraciously. When she finished her studies, Natalia made some editorial publications and decided to go on a trip to Latin America. There she stayed for five years. She got to know the jungle and it captured her deeply. She (the forest) took her between her vine, her leaf and her river and did not let her go until she changed her skin. Absolutely. From this moment her creativity returned to its original therapeutic direction and since then Natalia has been dedicated to her own artistic expression studies and knowledge. The drawing and the word have been guides for her, a kind of oracle in which she, consciously and unconsciously, can give birth to pieces of a puzzle that make sense within herself in time. The artistic studio itself becomes a quality space in which she can build upon her internal world with absolute freedom, as much as she lets it emerge. Natalia works with children in schools addressing artistic works with a therapeutic approach and it is her wish to continue investigating and studying this field, the spirit and the psyche, and how artistic creation is, for human beings, an immense source of self-knowledge and healing.

Lourdes Bueno is a Sports instructor and personal trainer, social health caregiver and lover of childhood and nature. She entered the world of yoga and this practice helped her open the door to her inner world. In order to consciously live the fullness of life in all its aspects and to feel more consistent with what she wants, what she feels and what she does in her day to day. Lourdes enjoys sharing and learning each step through body awareness to improve posture and understand body mechanics. From self-care and self-knowledge without demands and from the pleasure to gradually integrate the multiple benefits of this practice and at all levels (physical, energetic, emotional, mental, and spiritual) Her aims for the retreat programs that she will be supporting MENOPAUSE In this special stage, of greater serenity, heightened intuition and maturity, yoga can bring us closer to being more connected with ourselves in order to achieve a more conscious transition. We will practice fluid movement and body awareness to mobilise energy and establish a greater connection with our body and its physical, mental and emotional needs in addition to breathing exercises to reduce symptoms and increase energy and vitality. FITNESS The objectives of yoga transcend the integral well-being of the physical body. In this space we will combine sequences of dynamic asanas to gain flexibility, resistance and balance to strengthen the muscles and tone from a conscious practice supported by the breath to deepen in a more precise training adapted to all levels. Working the body, listening and caring to better integrate personal practices and thus regulate the intensity relieving tensions and resistance. WELLNESS Yoga Wellness is a practice with the intention of returning to our centre to act in coherence and harmony in our lives. During the practice we work with pleasure to free ourselves from stress and connect with our body, get to know its energy centres and shape them through the elements. In this practice we go into the depths of the conscious and the unconscious to put it at the service of our evolution.