Nature is always influencing our awareness, whether we know it or not– whether it is the brilliant sun lighting up the sky, a cold wind blowing from the north or a deep snow stopping traffic. The tides, seasons and migrations of wildlife affect how we feel and how we interact. Attention to the natural world stimulates the brain and body and can restore balance for healing and vitality.
There are many tools I use with nature awareness for learning and improving one’s life.
While the Feldenkrais Method® uses awareness of the bones, nature awareness tunes into elements in the natural world. Each element has a profound effect on the nervous system.
Elements of Nature Awareness see my webpage for the full list of topics/series I have recorded and check out the topics listed on my Patreon Page for an extensive library:
- Cardinal Directions of East, South, West and North
- Earth
- Moon
- Sky
- Sun & Stars
- Water
- Stone
- Animals (Bear, Coyote, Cat, Squirrel, Deer, Rabbit, etc)
- Birds (Eagle, Heron, Hummingbird, Robin, etc)
- Fish (Salmon)
- Sea Mammals (Seal, Otter)
- Reptiles
- Insects – (Dragonflies, Spider)
Placing attention on one or more of these elements affects the body in various ways. Similar to the Feldenkrais Method®, the practice of nature awareness places attention on elements in the natural world and senses how this connection affects choices and direction in life.
Guided attention to the natural world can quickly shift one’s mental, emotional, and physical space to a calmer and easier quality of moving in one’s environment. In my private practice, I use these elements in nature to guide and balance my work with the body-mind connection. My office at Greenlake in Seattle also privates clients access to take time before or after their lesson to connect with the natural world for strengthen this balance.
I have offered Nature Retreats to expand awareness using these elements from nature for guidance and problem-selving as well as integrating Feldenkrais lessons into the “larger field” of nature awareness. If you are interested in attending a nature retreat, sign up on my newsletter on this page with latest updates to my workshops and classes ahead. If you live in a good area of the world to hold a retreat, let me know and I may consider holding a retreat in your area.
(Below: My selfie with dragonfly while gardening one day….she stayed a long time on my gardening glove until I finally took her picture.)
