Thanks to the daily exercises and practices, we felt greater calmness and openness each day…
The project in Sweden was unique in every way. Firstly, instead of the classic warming-up activities, we greeted each day with various types of meditation. It’s also worth mentioning that during the morning meditation, it was sometimes possible to hear a not-so-quiet snore. The place where the TC was held is picturesque, secluded and surrounded by forest and a lake. This amazing nature accompanied us on our journeys into ourselves and helped us to push our limits. Thanks to the daily exercises and practices, we felt greater calmness and openness each day. This exchange showed me how my confidence developed thanks to some work on myself. From the perspective of a student of psychology, I can definitely give this exchange a 10/10, because it was based on an innovative and well-developed psychological theory. The knowledge was conveyed to us in a way that was reliable and understandable even for people outside the industry.
For me, the most interesting event was the journey into my primal nature. We were encouraged to do crazy things in the bosom of nature. I, myself, despite the rain and being alone in a dense and fabulous forest, decided, at one point, to take off my clothes and shoes, and start running. Following my instincts, I started hugging the trees or touching the moss. It was an amazing experience which will definitely stay with me for a long time. And I just want to add that I SAW A MOOSE.
I would definitely recommend the exchanges to everyone, as you can not only meet great people, but also you can get to know yourself and your limits.
Natalia, 23 years old, training in Sweden – Guided by Nature
See further: More about the Guided by Nature project
This trip has changed me…
This was my first fully independent trip abroad. This trip changed me: I developed incredible confidence, overcame my language barrier and met lots of interesting people. The best moments for me were between classes, when we sat in a group, laughed, and it didn’t matter at all what cultural or religious background we had. We were just young people having a fun time. I think the Organisers also deserve some attention. It’s been a long time since I met such kind, considerate and caring people. I also really enjoyed the atmosphere – these people were more like colleagues, rather than teachers or mentors. The classes they led helped me to catch my balance, find peace and get in closer contact with nature.
Trips like these are amazing! I sincerely recommend them. This is a truly wonderful opportunity to see something new, get to know yourself better and have a truly incredible adventure.
Joanna, 23 years old, training in Sweden – Guided by Nature
See further: More about the Guided by Nature project
It is the people and, most importantly, their openness, understanding and willingness to help that surprised me the most…
The whole project turned out to be an amazing experience that will stay in my memories for a long time. By spending more than a week in a beautiful Sweden, I had the opportunity to commune with wildlife or learn relaxation and meditation techniques. Thanks to the initiative, I was given a unique opportunity to network and meet dozens of people from all over the Europe, not just the European Union.
It is the people and, most importantly, their openness, understanding and willingness to help that surprised me the most. All the participants, who came to the small Swedish town of Floda, were distinguished by similar character traits. As a member of the mighty Erasmus+ family, I am grateful for every training, workshop and free time dedicated to get to know the country better.
When I think of the ‘Guided by nature’ project, what comes to mind is exchanging opinions, learning about new cultures through the eyes of the indigenous people, trying local products, organising free time together, canoeing, sauna, swimming in icy lake, getting lost several times in the forest. Living in a charming cottage in the middle of the forest I felt that it didn’t take much to be happy. I also saw the trip as the perfect excuse to cut down on social media use which was a perfect idea.
I highly recommend such projects. I think that a good form of encouragement is to share your experiences, show pictures or organise meetings with friends.
Błażej, training in Sweden – Guided by Nature
See further: More about the Guided by Nature project
It was probably the first time I really wanted to talk and listen as a part of the refection time…
Here are some of my observations / memories from the training in Sweden.
We stayed in a very natural scenery, in the middle of a forest, far from civilisation and right by the lake. I will also remember the view of the lake from the workshop room. What was great was that we started almost every day with various forms of meditation. Although I slept through the first two I did much better later. I had a good time working in different teams, especially in the evaluation one, which didn’t change and we met every day. It was probably the first time I really wanted to talk and listen as a part of the refection time. This is probably thanks to the fact that we talked little and did a lot during the workshops, the silence was used and we had a well-prepared facilitator.
The training itself was interesting / smartly organized thanks to a very good balance of the activities, meditation classes, practices, talks and group work.
The Polish team was very friendly. I could always count on contact with people from Poland and they were always willing to exchange a few sentences and perceptions with the compatriots. During the training I learned some new things. Among others I learned how to communicate better from an ‘ME, MYSELF & I’ perspective. We were prepared to do so and also we were corrected if necessary. I also learned some exercises, practices and activities that I will use in my personal and professional development.
Arkadiusz, training in Sweden – Guided by Nature
See further: More about the Guided by Nature project
