Life unfolds as a constant practice of staying in the corridor of aliveness.
– Mark Nepo
Any choice and action that helps us to become more unobstructed instruments of attunement, resonance, empathy, warmth, light, and love increases our ability to live in flow and fulfillment. It is also the most effective way we can energetically contribute to the healing of this precarious and precious world of ours.
In my 65th year of Wise Woman Training, facilitated by LIFE itself, I am blessed to journey along the choice and action path with dear friends, trusted colleagues, and amazing clients. As I explore new challenges, freedoms, and joys, opportunities to learn, unlearn, heal, and evolve are abundant. Throughout the year ahead I intend to share some realizations, discoveries, resources, tips and tools in preparation for my rite-of-passage to elderhood.
Together, we can all courageously (sometimes hesitantly) approach or embrace aging into the Eldering season of our lives with eyes wide open (often with joyful surprise).
Whatever our gender, age, or circumstances we can grow our capacity to stay in the corridor of aliveness, as healthy, inspired, evolving and playful beings. We can realize how important it is to maintain our current alignment practices and be compassionate, remaining ever-open to new activities that generate radiance and unity consciousness.
In last month’s blog we tuned into the seasonal change of Autumn Equinox acknowledging the advent of the turning within time of Fall and Mother Nature’s growing cycle invitation to Harvest, Celebrate, & Rest. Taking my own medicine, I decided to do just that!
Recently, I participated in a wonder-full week-long Nature immersion retreat with Jamie McHugh, called Embodying Nature.
Jamie’s playful role modeling and inspired facilitation, complimented perfectly by the Redwood Earth, Forest, Sea, and Sky at Sea Ranch, California offered a potent container for a small group of spirited, poetic, sensitive and loving souls to “…take time to immerse ourselves in the living dreamscape of our bodies and the natural landscape, to remember, to explore and discover more of who we are and what we can be. Tree, sky, rock, and water – all elements reflect part of our being that can be embodied and expressed.
Each day of this experiential and embodiment retreat included time outside on a beach or redwood forest with the invitation to:
- Wander (exploring without a predetermined goal or destination)
- Focus (zooming in to something specific in Nature through the senses, fully present)
- Rest & Integration (sometimes the most challenging to allow ourselves)
Within these three basic activities were lots of suggested add-ons to encourage embodiment experiments merging with Nature (inner and outer). Deep full breathing, making sounds and songs in response to nature interactions, finding our dance, mirroring nature with body movements, and journaling were wonderful recommendations.
Imagine yourself breathing with, moving with, making sounds like, and dancing like …
a starfish
a deep, soft forest bed of fragrant earth at the foot of a redwood stump
a flock of pelicans
the subtle movements of a fern frond swaying in a gentle breeze
a luminous full “super” moon casting diamond sparkle on the night time sea
a wave sculpted rock formation
When at home, I can often be found wandering on back roads of the Pacific Northwest. Attunement with the vast Cosmos and beloved Mother Earth is my most consistent and powerful soul embodiment practice.
Today I’m happy to share some embodiment practices to cultivate aliveness through intimacy with the essence of Life itself, communion with the Natural World. While I highly recommend Jamie’s Embodying Nature retreat, these are easy activities you can incorporate into your daily routine.
Life Blessing’s October Integrative Activity Suggestions:
- Consider incorporating a little wandering into your day or evening. We can wander outside but we can also wander within through meditation, contemplation, art, any activity that allows us to flow effortlessly without a specific outcome, becoming a child of the Universe.
- Take some time to focus on something that brings your attention onto something specific that brings conscious aliveness of your moment, one leaf on a tree for example: Zoom in, with all your senses, breathe with it, become it.
- Give your precious body-mind 5 minutes of complete rest with deep full breathing.
These simple activities may sound basic but were surprisingly reorienting and connective. I’ve never felt so alive as I did after a week of these practices!
With all the demands, influences and pressures in our lives, let’s keep finding (and sharing) ways to encourage and support others to make choices that prioritize a full body “Yes” to ALIVENESS!!!
What embodiment practices have you integrated into your life? Let me know, I’d love to hear from you! georgette@lifeblessing.com