This video is a quick register of an extended exercise I did this day, following my intuition during an intense week of inner work. Without going into the details of the previous phase that Led me here, I feel like sharing the exercise experience itself because it says a lot about the way I work as a psychotherapist and also, it may work as an invitation to anyone who would like to try approaching parts of themselves through such experiences in nature.
Every short walk on this reel actually took me a long time to follow through. The exercise is simple, but yet very powerful:
After tuning into yourself by connecting to your body through conscious breathing, you will start walking - barefoot and slowly- feeling the ground underneath your feet with all your attention.
Now, these walks can work on different levels:
This can be an exercise to practice mindfulness (that, for e.g., can bring you to the present moment moving you away from feelings of anxiety or strengthen your connection to creativity) or, if you're willing, you can start a conversation with the emotions and feelings that the ground underneath your feet can wake up within you.
If you choose to go for a dialogue with your emotions, step on the ground gently, with willingness to understand what your emotions will tell you. Maybe the ground will spontaneously bring you a memory. You can also start the conversation by associating a certain situation you would like to understand better to the ground you choose to walk on.
Then walk on and try to identify the strongest emotion you feel until you can name it. At this point you can pause and close your eyes (and only then, please! You don't want to walk with your eyes closed if you could get hurt ). So, pause and say the name of the strong emotion to yourself, silently or out loud.
Stay in place, observing, meeting this emotion with respect and openness. If you're willing, ask where it comes from, what might it need from you.
Stay with that feeling as long as you need, but do move on. Bring the "meeting" to a close the way it feels right to you, count 3 steps and "step out". Leave the space with the same respect you entered it.
Have a notebook with you, as you might want to write down your reflections!
*Feeling all that is to be felt is empowering, but can also be overwhelming if unconscious material finds its way to your conscious field without you being well grounded and prepared to deal with them by yourself. So, if you are someone who is struggling with trauma or has any concerns, that difficult emotions could came up on such an experience, look for a therapist who is experienced in the transpersonal realms of psychology to walk beside you and support you through this process. That's when a therapeutic exercise can support a therapy or synthesis process, as it can bring many shadows to light, where you can recognize them and respectfully find the right place for them within your being.
This is a profound and beautiful path in direction of an integral, authentic you.