Capacitar's vision (which means "to empower" in Spanish) is to heal ourselves and to heal our world. Using a hands-on popular education approach. Capacitar teaches simple wellness practices that lead to healing, wholeness and peace in the individual and in the world. Capacitar is committed to communities affected by violence, poverty and trauma, uniting people across borders in solidarity, understanding and reconciliation.
My first introduction to this work was again through a friend who talked to me about the finger holds and some of the massage techniques. I used them in my own life and loved them, so I became interested to study more. I am now undergoing a year long training with Pat Cane, the founder of Capcitar. All of the Capcitar techniques are simple and accessible to all which is why I love them. Pat Cane is an amazing example of how one woman can bring about change in a global way, by affecting change on a grassroute level. I look forward to sharing these techniques with everyone, both clients and friends.
Capacitar body-mind-spirit practices include:
Tai Chi meditation,
Pal Dan Gum and body movement
Visualization and breathwork
Active Listening and simple psychotherapeutic skills
Acupressure for alleviating pain and stress
Fingerholds for managing emotions
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and Thought Field Therapy (TAT)
Hand massage, seated massage and
Polarity Work with the energy system and Chakras
And other wellness modalities
The Capacitar Organisation was founded by Pat Cane and is an International network of empowerment and solidarity. Capacitar began in Nicaragua in 1988 in response to violence and war trauma. While collaborating on a solidarity art project at a popular education centre in Managua, the community invited founder Pat Cane to teach them what she practiced herself to heal the stress of daily life. As news of Capacitar reached other places, union leaders in Guatemala, popular education centres in Chile, and base communities in Peru requested workshops.
The first Capacitar manuals were developed in English and in Spanish to make materials available for grassroots leaders. In 1995 a Capacitar team from twelve countries coordinated the Healing Tent in China for the NGO World Forum on Women. Capacitar currently works in countries on 5 continents (North, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and Europe) collaborating especially with grassroots groups affected by poverty, violence, trauma and AIDS.
Capacitar Emergency Response Kit:
The Emergency Kit was Capacitar's response to the trauma of Hurricane Katrina. The kit includes simple basic practices taught by Capacitar to empower people to deal with the stress of challenging situations. Practices include: Tai Chi, Fingerholds, EFT, The Holds, Head-Neck-Shoulder Release, and Acupressure points for stress, crisis and depression.It can be downloaded for free from the Capacitar website.