[christy.a.gilmore]

Module 2
This week I enjoyed diving deeper into nature connectivity and the associated practices. I was struck by the idea of considering concentric rings not just when attuning to physical environments that we may be in, but considering the baseline and concentric rings for our internal landscapes as well. For example, our emotional baseline and any anomalies that may show up. Considering this helped me take the idea further, to consider the baseline of health and physical being as well as for relationships.
The meditative practices were enlightening, as is always the case when we remember to tune in to ourselves and the ways in which we are connected or disconnected from other entities in the universe. For the discussion topic exercise I made a few notes below.
What did I notice?
• Feelings of heaviness, fullness (in a excessive way), perceptions obscured
• Feelings of confined space
What does that show me?
• There have been presented a variety of signs and signals in my awareness for some time now
What does that teach me?
• I may need to let go of something
• I may need to create more empty space
• I may need to have openness so wisdom and clarity can enter in
• I may be avoiding the emptiness for some reason
• I have not asked for help (a la my coaching wheel assessment of extra high on self-reliance!)
The question from the breathing exercise around how do I heal this is still somewhat elusive for me. I will need to commit to follow through on repeating these exercises to solidify the path forward.
How has this been for others?
Christy

[christy.a.gilmore]

Hello, my name is Christy and I live in Portland, Oregon. I have always lived in Oregon and nature has been a place of retreat, renewal and adventure for me for as long as I can remember. In particular, mountains, rivers, lakes, stars and trees draw my attention and bring comfort and reflection. Professionally I am an organizational development and learning consultant and executive coach. I’m here in this course as a way of adding nature-based knowledge and awareness to my practice, as well as to learn more about those who are using nature-based approaches in coaching. I am currently working on a PhD with inquiry into applying nature based exercises in executive coaching. As knowledge and tools grow in my repertoire, I hope also to personally reflect and discover ways in which I can deepen my sense of connection.
In module one, key take-aways have been:
• “Nature-based” practices are about expansion of awareness and the deepening dimensions of connection–with self, others, the environment.
• One way in which nature can be healing and wisdom-building is that the external landscape seems to offer a metaphorical mapping of our internal landscapes.
• Throughout the materials of this module there is also the idea that nature is sentient and worthy of respect, awe and conscientious engagement.
Some of the challenges I face in maintaining my connection with nature are the perceived demands of work, which typically takes place in synthetic environments with lots of technology. Commuting, meetings, email, smart phones, ready-made food and the insulating structures of modern architecture all pull attention to more confined, restrictive places. Where I live the wetter, darker, cooler seasons mean I have tended to drive more often than ride my bike to work these past six months, further limiting the moments and glimpses I have of nature interactivity. I appreciate that in some of the reading a few ways to bring nature connection into domestic realms were shared:
• Gardening
• Meditations
• Movement practices
I have been doing more of these practices, as well as tuning my Pandora stream to music that weaves in nature sounds like bird song, waves, rain, and crackling fire.
I look forward to this journey and to learning from all of you.
Cheers,
Christy

[christy.a.gilmore]

Cindy,

Thank you for sharing your reflections from the week. I wanted to share some ideas just in case they may be helpful. I can’t seem to relax and settle in if I feel that I am being watched either. I was wondering if you could create a sit spot that is private and in your home, while incorporating elements from more expansive spaces? For example, listening to a soundtrack of nature sounds or even classical music to explore the layers and textures of awareness that might be found within? Or, putting on a slide show of natural landscapes? I have a tv in my office space and to my delight I have discovered that when it goes into screen saver mode it showcases the most beautiful photographs for a good 20 minutes or so. There are so many layers to explore in terms of visual textures, imagining tactile textures for what I am seeing, imagining smells, etc. It might be an interesting way to explore wide angle vision or 360 listening in a somewhat virtual environment.

I’m not sure if it’s my tv or the amazon fire box that is connected to it to be honest… but it’s very cool.

-Christy