chapter three
IMMERSE YOURSELF IN GAIA EXPERIENCES
Like Gaia, we are designed for life. Experiencing ourselves as aspects of nature, we have infinite capacity for expansion. Remembering that we each have a lush internal ecosystem, with deep blue oceans, abundant rainforests, wildflower-filled prairies, alpine peaks, everything you can imagine. When we spend time honoring and exploring that inner terrain, we find our living edges and create endless expansion.
We invite you to intentionally experience your own personal ecosystem, by giving deep meaningful attention to four aspects of Gaia that we have selected for you. This exploration is meant to enhance your capacity to see yourself as the natural wonder you are.
Experience the aspect of butterfly, kelp, waterfall and grass that you are by playing the video and allowing the images to wash over you. Spend some time reading the pieces we’ve shared. Watch Nancy as she creates an embodied experience and then create your own. Create some self-care time and space and listen to the relaxing guided meditaiton we refer to as the Song of Gaia. You can choose to experience each element all at once or space out your discoveries over several days or weeks. Have a journal ready to record your thoughts and feelings as they emerge throughout the experience.
Once you’ve spent time with each of the four aspects below create your own aspect of Gaia experience following the instructions at the bottom of the page.
Experience Butterfly
Experience yourself as a butterfly through video, writing, dance and a Song of Gaia meditation.
Video
Writing
Movement
Song of Gaia
Experience Wolf
Experience yourself as wolf through video, writing, dance and a Song of Gaia meditation.
Video
Writing
Movement
Song of Gaia
Experience Kelp
Experience yourself as a kelp through video, writing, dance and a Song of Gaia meditation.
Video
Writing
Movement
Song of Gaia
Experience Grass
Experience yourself as grass through video, writing, dance and a Song of Gaia meditation.
Video
Writing
Movement
Song of Gaia
Create your own Aspect of Gaia experience
Now that you’ve had a chance to experience four aspects of Gaia, we invite you to create an aspect of Gaia experience of your own. This is a very meaningful exercise and is also a lot of fun. Don’t be intimidated by the number of steps, this is best done a little bit at a time. Take your time, give yourself at least a week to complete this exercise.
To get started, choose an aspect of Gaia that you are curious about. Choose from anything that occurs naturally on this planet. It could be an animal like a lion or a plant like a rose bush, it could be something solid like a mountain or something flowing like a creek. It could be a natural occurrence like thunder or a hurricane or an insect like a firefly. The important part is to choose something that intrigues you and you want to know more about. Once you make your choice, follow the steps below to create your own aspect of Gaia experience.
1. Reseach
Begin researching your aspect of Gaia by looking up interesting facts and allow yourself to be amazed by all the things you learn. A good search term for google is “interesting facts about x”.
2. Relaxing Video
Find a relaxing video that will allow you to just observe without someone talking or teaching. A good way to do this is search within YouTube for videos of your element set to relaxing music. Refer to the video often to really see the element as you continue your adventure.
3. Interesting Writing
Find pieces of writing about that deepen your understanding. Poems can be very powerful and present a new way of seeing as can written articles and even blog posts.
4. Embodied Movement
Create an embodied movement dance. Allow the aspect to move your body in any way that calls to you. Perhaps it’s a dance in the forest or maybe a slow swaying in your favorite chair. Create whatever works for your body. Let all of the things you’ve learned move your body in new ways. Flow like a river, howl like a wolf, stretch like an earthworm, jump like a grasshopper.
5. Create a Song of Gaia
Now that you’ve been immersed in your aspect of Gaia for a period of time, it’s time to do something bold and amazing and create your own Song of Gaia. To do this be sure to create some quiet time so you can reflect on the things you’ve learned, seen, felt. Sit down with a recording device (your phone may have an app) and record what you’ve learned. Try adding in some prompts to breathe and relax your body so when you play the recording back to yourself you experience a calming feeling. Remember that this recording is just for you so allow yourself to express what’s there for you. This will be a beautiful way to hear yourself. If you need more ideas on how to do this, listen to any of the Songs of Gaia that were included in this chapter for ideas on how to make this recording. One thing to note is there is no right way to do this and you can’t do this wrong. Let this be as unique as you are and just let the words flow through you as you record them.
6. Celebrate
Congratulations, it’s time to celebrate! Listen to your Song of Gaia recording several times as you breathe deeply and relax into your own words. Notice what a natural wonder the aspect that you chose is. As you continue to listen, take the time to notice how this amazing aspect is a reflection of the amazing aspect of the natural world that you are!
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