EXERCISE, METHOD: Body, trees, elements, connection
Body, trees, elements, connection.
Activity instructions, Nordplus HBG August 12th 2023, Fiona Andersen.
Stand in a circle (5-20 mins)
Down:
Feel your feet on the ground, maybe barefoot
Sense the feet and contact with ground
Imagine roots far down into the ground
Sense the roots of the other human trees and real trees, feel we are connected
Now feel your body: ankles, legs, pelvis, back, shoulders, neck, head. Feel that you can release down through the body into the ground. Let tension go down and release it.
Feel your tailbone, and let it point to the ground, like if you had a tail which touches the ground
Bounce, let go of shoulders, neck, other places
Up:
Feel the top of your head, feel your neck is long, you have a long line from the top of your head to far up in the sky. Your head reaches for the sky.
You are connected to heaven and earth, your body connects these two polarities.
Maybe Snake and Bird movements (we didn't do this)
Breath:
Feel your breath, air entering through your nose, down into your abdomen. Feel the air all the way down and up again.
The air comes in from outside, into your body, fills the body with oxygen, releases co2, inbreathe, out breath. The trees and other plants around us take in the CO2 and release oxygen. This way we are closely connected and dependent on each other. Plants and animals live on each other's "out breaths".
We breathe air that is all around the globe. We all breathe the same air. No matter our nationality, race, gender, or species. All plants and animals breathe the same air, and convert it to something others can use.
Stretches:
Stretch up your arms and feel the breath all through your body, from finger tips to toes. From sky to ground.
Take down your arms, roll slowly down forward from the top of your head, so you stretch the neck and upper back. Then slowly roll up again, stretch up.
Do this again and again, a little bit further each time. Find your own speed. Breathe as you do it.
Then rotate around your spine, with loose arms and shoulders.
Connection:
Again feel the feet. Notice that they touch the same ground as all the other feet, and all other feet and paws and claws etc, here and around the whole planet. We all walk on the same Earth.
The same way, if the grass is a bit wet, the humidity connects with water in the soil, in the lake, in creeks, rivers, oceans, the water connects with water all around the globe, and with all the beings that touch the water, those who live in water and those who drink it. The water comes into every body, and out again with minerals that plants can live in and on, when the doses are right. The water circulates in all beings and on the surface of the earth, in the sky, deep down, all around the globe.
Feel or imagine the Sun shining on us and all beings, we all live under the same Sun.
Both our body and our essence are not separate from the planet and all other beings.
Dance with trees: (4-20 mins)
Find a place where you like to be, where you can see a tree, small or large.
Follow the shape of the tree……
With different body parts….
Back in the circle (4-20 mins)
Sit, feel this spot, share experiences….
Body, trees, elements, connection.
Sensory based description after the workshop, Nordplus HBG 08-23
Before going to workshop 1 at Himmelbjerggården, I planned this activity for the Nordplus group. It soon turns out that we have lots of things to do. Some time Friday I get the feeling that it would be good to share this activity with participants in the Permaculture festival as well, and we decide to do it at the end of the co-design workshop.
At the end of the co-design workshop I ask participants to go outside to get a bodily feeling of connection with nature, other beings and each other, as we had talked about in the workshop. Participants can join or leave the workshop as they like. About 10 people go with me to a place with trees and grass outside.
I ask people to stand in a circle, and feel the feet on the ground, maybe barefoot if they like, it gives a good sensation of the grass and soil beneath us, but you can also keep your shoes on if you want.
I guide participants to sense the ground - or the inside of the shoe - with their feet. Then imagine roots from the soles of the feet, far down into the ground. Then do slight movements forth and back, then to the sides, and round, from the ankles, like trees in the wind, sensing the balance that the leg muscles and muscles in the feet create by shifting between engaging and letting go.
Participants make smaller or bigger movements, some with eyes open, some closed. They can do this as they like. They are very engaged with body and awareness, I can see this in their faces and movements.
Now I ask participants to feel their roots connect to other roots from trees and other beings. And to imagine a tail from the tailbone down touching the ground. Move with this. Then notice that the earth connects us all. We who stand here, the trees, the ground connects all beings growing in it and standing, being and moving on it. We are all connected through the ground. We all walk on the same Earth.
Then I ask people to feel the top of their head, feel that the neck is long, you have a long line from the top of your head to far up in the sky. Your head reaches for the sky.
You are connected to heaven and earth, your body connects these two polarities.
Feel your breath, air entering through your nose, down into your abdomen. Feel the air all the way down and up again.
The air comes in from outside, into your body, fills the body with oxygen, releases co2, inbreathe, out breath. The trees and other plants around us take in the CO2 and release oxygen. This way we are closely connected and dependent on each other. Plants and animals live on each other's "out breaths". We are in a symbiotic relationship with the trees and all plants.
We breathe air that is all around the globe. We all breathe the same air. No matter our nationality, race, gender, or species. All plants and animals breathe the same air, and convert it to something others can use. We are all connected through the air.
Notice the grass beneath your feet. Maybe the grass is a bit wet, the humidity connects with water in the soil, in the lake, in creeks, rivers, oceans, the water connects with water all around the globe, and with all the beings that touch the water, those who live in water and those who drink it. The water circulates in all beings and on the surface of the earth, in the sky, deep down, all around the globe. We are all connected through the water.
Feel or imagine the Sun shining on us and all beings, we all live under the same Sun.
We are all connected in many ways, even at this very physical level.
During this, some participants have their eyes open, others closed. They all look very concentrated on what they are doing.
Then I tell them to round off and again turn their attention to the group. Everybody finishes, open their eyes and turn their attention to what comes next.
Now I tell that they can look around at the trees. And go to stand in a comfortable distance to a tree. I show what we will do: Follow the shape of a tree with one hand. I show this, following the stem up to the top with one hand, the body follows. Then all the way down to the roots, the body still follows. I ask participants to choose a tree and follow it with one hand, slowly, just be present in this movement.
Then try with the other hand.
Then with the nose. The whole body follows.
Then with one knee, this might be a challenge for the balance.
Then choose any body part, and follow the same tree. You decide if and when to change which bodypart follows the tree.
After some minutes, I ask participants to find an ending, and then to thank the tree for the dance.
Then we all sit down in a circle.
Those who want are invited to say something about their experiences, and it is also possible to not say anything and keep the experience to yourself.
Many experiences are shared. There is a good feeling of presence from everyone, no matter if they say anything or not. Someone have never done anything like this before and is surprised about it. Some say it is a very good way of finishing the co-creation workshop, as we now came from the head down into the body again, and embodied the wisdom of connection that we had talked about. Some feel more calm and relaxed.
If I had written down this immediately after the exercise, there would have been many more details.
Now after this part of the workshop, I notice that participants were very engaged in it, concentrated, and got something out of it that they could not have done without engaging their body this way. It could not have been done through talking alone, and not by doing ordinary physical exercise outside. It gave more connection to body, nature, and the group. It shows that this is a good way of learning / feeling / experiencing the connectedness that we want to grow stronger to be more able to benefit beings on this planet. It is in my heart to do more of this in situations where it enriches what is already being done.
Fiona
August 12, 2023