WILDLY FREE ELDER
The Artistry of Aging
Love With Your Whole Body
The vibrant energy of the pink blossoms continue to stop me in my tracks every time I come or go from my small home sanctuary. For this magnificent cherry tree in the image above is right outside the front door to my house.
This morning those 100’s of blossoms made me stop for more intimate moments of connection. To simply fall in love with the beauty of this light filled Spring day and my place in it. It was impossible to have an agenda even though I was on my way to a close by Farmer’s Market.
Instead it felt as if I was being made love to. In return I was loving with all of my being.
If I would have walked by without paying attention this experience would have been missed. The shift from thinking about where I was going….to being intimately present and embraced in the moment by this grand nature artistry shifted my entire day.
The tree wisdom I received in that moment taught me to connect with the beauty of the world around me within a space of gratefulness, curiosity and .discovery.
What does it feel like to “love something with your whole body”?
Nature is a perfect partner to learn with and from. This week it might be fun to explore what you can “befriend and court” and trust what happens. Tell the story to others….and even share it here if you are so moved!
Below is a practice that may teach you about how to “love with your whole body” with nature as the muse.
Earth Altars: A Practice for Grateful Living
By Laura Loescher
“What started as a “hobby” for my own healing and resiliency turned into something that could soothe and inspire others. It has connected me so much more deeply with the natural world and with my sense of place. I am so in love with this planet, more than ever before, as I get to know the names of what’s growing all around me. I walk through the world seeing color and shape and possibility everywhere.
If you’d like to explore creating your own earth altar or nature mandala, here are a few suggestions:
- Wander and gather: Whether in a park, your own yard, or around your neighborhood, take your time to wander and look around you with new eyes. Take in the colors, textures, and patterns all around. Look up into branches and look down onto the ground. Pick up, gather, and clip things that speak to you. Gather them in a basket or bag.
- Choose your ‘canvas’: Find a patch of dirt, or a stump, or any other background you wish to use for your altar. You can even work indoors if you prefer – using some soil you bring in from outside, or sand, or even a beautiful piece of fabric as your canvas. Even a plate or platter can work beautifully.
- Settle and begin: I often begin by placing something in the center and then working outward from there. You can also start with framing the outer edges of your altar and working inward. See what patterns emerge. You can create a mandala by placing items in concentric rings from the center to the outer edges. You can play with diamonds, squares, circles, hexagrams, stars, or any other shapes you wish. You can go for symmetry or not.
- Complete: As you continue to place items, building your earth altar, pay attention to when it feels done. Take a break. Sit with it. Ask whether it wants anything else. Sometimes I don’t notice when enough is enough, and end up taking some things away until it feels “just right.” Enough, but not too much.
- Take a picture: If you wish, take a photo. While the art is impermanent, the image you snap can be enjoyed in the future or shared with others. I would love to see your creations! Please feel free to describe your experience below and/or post photos in the Gratitude Lounge.””
*NOTE: Check out Andy Goldsworthy for some amazing earth art!
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Gaye Abbott, Natural Passages Consulting, 4/22/22. Please feel free to share this post!
OFFERINGS ON WILDLY FREE ELDER
Gaye,
Your latest post resonated with me.
I’m working with a writing prompt that requires me to actually talk to trees— and ask how they are feeling; it is a humbling experience and the feeling is sensed rather than heard.
Peace to you on this day!
Diana
Transforming the human spirit through dance, poetry and silence. http://www.dianaturnerforte.com dianaturnerforte.substack.com
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Trees have great wisdom to impart to humans if we would only be still enough to feel, sense and listen. As I watch the trees in wind I am also reminded what great dance teachers they are too! Thank you Diana for sharing your practice and experience! In appreciation, Gaye