Examples of themes
Rhythms in wildflowers
Poem: Perspective without any point in which it might vanish
by Jane Hirshfield from her book The Beauty.
Each dil picking one flower as long as there were many, to bring to the Barn after our hour amongst the flowers. Using The Observer Book of Wild Flowers 1965
Attending and responding to the different rhythms inside our bodies and minds, and to the movements and patterns of what's around us especially the flowers
Poem: Perspective without any point in which it might vanish
by Jane Hirshfield from her book The Beauty.
Each dil picking one flower as long as there were many, to bring to the Barn after our hour amongst the flowers. Using The Observer Book of Wild Flowers 1965
Attending and responding to the different rhythms inside our bodies and minds, and to the movements and patterns of what's around us especially the flowers
Soundscape
Releasing in the space at the very top of our spines, between our ears, allowing more and more space for the bones to vibrate, the hairs to fluidly move. With our whole selves surrendering and responding to all the sounds around us. Pressing ears into trees and earth. What is to shift our hearing to wide open focus? To attend to a particular sound? Tuning in tuning out. How may other living entities be hearing us?
Releasing in the space at the very top of our spines, between our ears, allowing more and more space for the bones to vibrate, the hairs to fluidly move. With our whole selves surrendering and responding to all the sounds around us. Pressing ears into trees and earth. What is to shift our hearing to wide open focus? To attend to a particular sound? Tuning in tuning out. How may other living entities be hearing us?
Pine
Being and moving with the pine trees and making ointment out of pine sap
Being and moving with the pine trees and making ointment out of pine sap
Birds
A response to the new shooting of birds at Bunces Barn, walking with much time watching, listening and finding a way to be with birds, arriving in strong sun with the magic of presence unfolding the beauty inherent in the place.
Working with the image of the internal organs and the throat to imagine how the sounds were made and how to do that through the body, eyes closed, drawing closer together, in magnificent autumn gold sun, flying like birds in movement.
A response to the new shooting of birds at Bunces Barn, walking with much time watching, listening and finding a way to be with birds, arriving in strong sun with the magic of presence unfolding the beauty inherent in the place.
Working with the image of the internal organs and the throat to imagine how the sounds were made and how to do that through the body, eyes closed, drawing closer together, in magnificent autumn gold sun, flying like birds in movement.
Trees
Being drawn to a tree and spending time with it, bringing others to your tree
Being drawn to a tree and spending time with it, bringing others to your tree
Foraging
Learning about the properties of plants, making nettle soup and pesto, plantain cream.
Moving, picking, mixing, and tasting
Learning about the properties of plants, making nettle soup and pesto, plantain cream.
Moving, picking, mixing, and tasting
Touch
Different layers of our touch receptors in our skin, receiving sensory qualities through our skin from nature, from each other. How do the trees, plants and creatures experience our touch?
Different layers of our touch receptors in our skin, receiving sensory qualities through our skin from nature, from each other. How do the trees, plants and creatures experience our touch?
Shadows
Walking in silence noticing all shadows that surround and shape us and our environment...what is the furthest away shadow...perhaps the shadow of a cloud tracing a path across a field. Perhaps the underside of a branch. The shadow of a tree across our path. Sitting down in the grass, how many shadows surround us? What is the shadow of a buttercup upon our skin? Perhaps the flight of a bee casts a shadow across our hand. Noticing the shadows within and about our hands...the creases/lines on the palms of our hands contain shadows, and the underside of our fingernails.
Begin to explore, move and dance the quality of these shadows absorbed. Perhaps moving in and out of shadows...or dancing with a shadow....or climbing into a shadow and resting in stillness. Noticing how shadows give form, dimension and depth to all around us.
Walking in silence noticing all shadows that surround and shape us and our environment...what is the furthest away shadow...perhaps the shadow of a cloud tracing a path across a field. Perhaps the underside of a branch. The shadow of a tree across our path. Sitting down in the grass, how many shadows surround us? What is the shadow of a buttercup upon our skin? Perhaps the flight of a bee casts a shadow across our hand. Noticing the shadows within and about our hands...the creases/lines on the palms of our hands contain shadows, and the underside of our fingernails.
Begin to explore, move and dance the quality of these shadows absorbed. Perhaps moving in and out of shadows...or dancing with a shadow....or climbing into a shadow and resting in stillness. Noticing how shadows give form, dimension and depth to all around us.
Water
Connecting to the fluidity in our bodies and in the environment. Movements inspired by the remarkable qualities of water. Reflecting the fluid inherent in all matter.
Connecting to the fluidity in our bodies and in the environment. Movements inspired by the remarkable qualities of water. Reflecting the fluid inherent in all matter.
Branches
Noticing what it is to feel and notice branching out, connecting in. In trees and plants, in our blood vessels and nerves and the way we are in the world
Noticing what it is to feel and notice branching out, connecting in. In trees and plants, in our blood vessels and nerves and the way we are in the world
Near and far
Walking in silence noticing the furthest away noticeable movement, and the closest noticeable movement, pausing to observe and 'absorb'....for example, the distant movement of clouds, wind moving tree tops on the far horizon....noticing and 'absorbing'....changing attention to the nearest movement, perhaps an insect flying close by, or the movement of a hair blowing in the breeze close to your face. Beginning to explore, move and dance the quality of these near and far dimensions that you have absorbed.
Walking in silence noticing the furthest away noticeable movement, and the closest noticeable movement, pausing to observe and 'absorb'....for example, the distant movement of clouds, wind moving tree tops on the far horizon....noticing and 'absorbing'....changing attention to the nearest movement, perhaps an insect flying close by, or the movement of a hair blowing in the breeze close to your face. Beginning to explore, move and dance the quality of these near and far dimensions that you have absorbed.
Footsteps
Learning about how our feet move, our springy architecture, our whole selves sensing and communicating from our feet. Contemplating on the path the tread of miners and iron workers of a previous time. Walking barefoot.
Learning about how our feet move, our springy architecture, our whole selves sensing and communicating from our feet. Contemplating on the path the tread of miners and iron workers of a previous time. Walking barefoot.
Blossom
Paper blossoms, with the words enclosed in their ‘stamen’ – for a ritual in which we dressed a budding tree, an offering to this beautiful place, to nature in a wider context… to our own healing and rejuvenation.
Paper blossoms, with the words enclosed in their ‘stamen’ – for a ritual in which we dressed a budding tree, an offering to this beautiful place, to nature in a wider context… to our own healing and rejuvenation.
Seeds
Collecting and identifying seeds.
Learning about ourselves as embryos
Moving with the notion of seeds waiting and then the impulse to grow.
Collecting and identifying seeds.
Learning about ourselves as embryos
Moving with the notion of seeds waiting and then the impulse to grow.