Safe Spaces where Youth can find Balance

Safe Spaces where Youth can find Balance

The village of Penagos became a safe space for a week for 31 participants from various countries. Many came seeking strategies to manage stress, communicate better, and process their emotions. We also wanted to meet new people, understand their perspectives on the world, and learn about different cultures. We experienced this especially during the intercultural evening.

The location was perfect for slowing down and becoming aware of ourselves and the precious people around us. Every day, we were accompanied by the sight of content cows. The education was excellently balanced. After clear theory, we began to practice it in practice. We tried many activities in groups or pairs. For example, falling into someone else's hands, being led blindfolded and perceiving with senses other than sight. We practiced active listening by having one person in a pair be completely inattentive to their partner in the first round, and then giving them full attention in the second. This made us realize what a big difference it makes to be there for another person.

Everyone revealed as much about themselves as they needed, we all respected each other, and no one was forced into anything. The whole week passed very quickly. We learned many interesting things about our brain, how the body reacts to stimuli like stress, sadness, and happiness. We learned how to listen to its signals and how to process them. In addition to what we came to learn, we also gained valuable friendships. Thank you Youthfully Yours for an indescribable experience.