What good is a room full of PWS?

Yes, that is a valid question from a novice. Unless there are some EXPERTS, what good is meeting each other? How would National conference help me, a stammerer speak better? To answer this frequent question, we share a private feedback from a participant of the recent Delhi workshop. This is just an inkling of what a bigger conference can achieve- with YOUR participation.
———

I
would like to raise some of the improvement aspects (regarding the
workshop) puzzling in my mind… but, only after sharing the long list of
positive points.

Now coming to the actual workshop content, having attended a
communication workshop earlier this year at chandigarh, being
facilitated by JP, I enjoyed most of the familiar activities, carried on
from the chandigarh workshop.

Going outside with TISA banner & posters (pasted on
shirt n trouser) was a new experience, quite exciting actually. The
company of TISA members throughout this activity made it a wonderful
experience, which, might had been a terrible experience if I would had
to do it alone.

Seeing India Gate sparkling in artificial lights was a
wonderful experience. I always enjoyed traveling in metro whenever I get
a chance. Meeting with some wonderful youngsters who listened to us
patiently & agreed to help us creating awareness about stammering
was a healthy dose of positiveness for me.

This opportunity of getting connected to more than 20
members, having a blend of new members & old ones including
yourself, JP & nitin; students as well as working people enriched me
with a whole lot of new observations about stammerers.

Some of the incidents have a deep impact on me. I think
they are going to make significant changes in me with time. Your words
“if you feel pain for someone else’s stammering, it means you have not
accepted your stammering yet. You still feel pain for your own
stammering.” True words!! Actual acceptance will be accomplished only
after draining all the pain of stammering.

Nitin’s words “a severe stammerer like me can’t hide my
stammering by any means. So what is the point of any efforts to pretend
to be a fluent speaker” What a genuine & straight forward point!!!

I am trying to re-discover my lost genuineness & innocence
that I used to carry in my childhood towards my stammering so that I can
rise above my fear of stammering.

Now I would like to
mention some suggestions/improvement points which we may refer in our
forthcoming workshops, considering atleast a 3 days workshop.

We must put more focus on meditation part, stammering being
more of a mind game for most of the stammerers. We may try devoting a
half day session to mental health exploring various meditation
techniques ranging from very short to lengthy sittings, from active
meditation to passive meditation techniques…

Ashish