Rewilding the Self – Foundations of Nature Connection.
A course to reconnect and rewild, rediscovering and remembering the path of resonance with nature through simple practices which connect.
Rewilding the Self is about returning to the natural, deep connections we all have with nature, with ourselves, and with each other. It is about remembering and understanding the human self as an interconnected piece of nature, equal to all beings; plant, fungi, animal, insect, microbe, river, and rock.
Through a series of tutorials and simple practices I will guide you in your remembering and reclamation of your place as a part of the community of nature. This course will empower you to learn through understanding and reconnecting to the innate power and responsibility held within you.This course is split into the four elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. These elements form a sacred circle in which and through which we will explore nature, the body, the self, and the interconnections between them.
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Each element section contains three audio recordings of the practices and journalling exercises. After each audio, allow the practice to assimilate fully into your being, taking time to pay attention to the changes you have created. Do not rush through the sections but instead allow at least a day between each practice.
You can repeat each audio as you wish over this time, and indeed for as long as you wish, some may become regular for you, some may not. Write in your journal any insights you have gained through the practice. Go outside, consciously connect with the element you are working with, and notice how you feel.
It is always a good idea to record your experiences in your journal, as you can return to this record and observe how your practice develops over time.
Introduction
Over the past fifteen years I have been committed to walking the path back home to myself, and have explored and collected many practices and learnings which have helped me to connect with my body, my environment, and my awareness of nature as the answer to all questions, the beginning, the end, and all things in between.
I bring together my learnings in Nature Resonance Medicine, my research into human-nature connection for an MA, many years of teaching and practicing yoga and meditation, studies in herbal medicine, wild, holistic, and vitalist nutrition, body work, iridology, natural healing protocols, and energy work to create a course which is both empowering and grounding and will introduce you to the wisdom of nature and the unwavering support and guidance she offers to all who humbly seek her communion.
These lessons are a guide to personal awakening. They are designed to expand your awareness of yourself as a connected and embodied being, and in so doing contribute positively to your life and to your awareness of your place as a free, responsible, connected Being of Nature.Through the explorations of the elements we will lay the foundations of a nature connection practice, which can open you up to healing, enlivening, awakening, profound and humbling experiences. Finding always the sacred in the ordinary, and the ordinary in the sacred.
Bernadette x
Rewilding the Self – foundations of nature connection (EARTH)
You are a being of the earth and of the body. A being with a firm foundation in solidity and strength. It is particularly vital at this time that humans remember that we belong here on this land, on this Earth. We are indigenous here; we are natural. Earth is our foundation, the ground beneath our feet; the stability on which we stand.The earth contains the seeds of all things, it is filled with potential and growth energy; it brings things forth from within. The body is the representation of earth in human form.
We hold within our bodies the potential to bring forth new life and to grow while at the same time being our own strong foundation and support. As the physical manifestation of earth our human bodies are both the mother of all things and the birth of all things; a sacred circle of creation, birth, growth, decay, and death.
Drum Meditation and Body scan with Yoga Nidra
Drum meditation links us directly with our real human nature through bringing us deep into the depths of the body, which represents the earth in human form, and as such has the power to reconnect us to the land. Surrendering ourselves to the transformative rhythm of the drum in meditation, we can walk through magical worlds within the imagination and connect with the wisdom held within the body. The rhythm of the drum opens the door to our earthly depths, bridges the inner and the outer worlds, the seen and the unseen, the conscious and the unconscious. The drum is a bridge between worlds, and a powerful tool for inner exploration.sunset, landscape, sunlight
Lie down for this meditation. Make yourself really comfortable and warm, maybe turn off the lights or draw the curtains. The yoga pose Savasana (corpse pose) is the position of choice, but if that is not available to you you may lie on your side in the foetal position. Both positions can be supported with blankets and pillows if that makes you more comfortable. If you are pregnant, be sure to lie on your left hand side. Covering yourself with a blanket will allow you to relax more deeply, as you will not be distracted by getting cold as you sink into deep relaxation. For Savasana lie on your back, bring your feet a few feet apart and let them fall out to the sides, bring the arms away from the body with arms straight and palms facing upwards towards the sky.
Lengthen the back of your neck by tucking the chin slightly down towards the chest, relax the shoulders. Make any small adjustments you need to your position so you feel relaxed and comfortable. Close your eyes. For the foetal position lie on your side, (left hand side if pregnant, right hand side for everyone else), use your arm as a pillow to support your head, draw your knees in so you feel supported and comfortable. Relax the shoulders. Close your eyes.
Allow this practice to assimilate fully into your being before moving on to the next. Repeat as many times as you like. Record in your journal any insights gained from this practice.
Exercise Two - Grounding - Connecting with the Earth energy from the heart.
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This grounding exercise can be practiced at any time when you feel a need to be grounded, to come back into the body and to connect with the earth and with yourself as an embodied being. The earth is the very heart of our lives, and the body is where the intuition resides. Use this technique to find and connect with the wisdom of your body and of the earth.
Below is an outline of the exercise followed by an audio recording which will guide you through the practice. Read through the outline so you have an understanding of what will be contained within the audio before listening.
Find a comfortable seat
Back straight
Chest open
Spine long
Shoulders back and broadened
Crown of the head lifting weightlessly upwards
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Close your eyes and either visualise or feel your spine lengthening, create space between each vertebrae
Roots reach down growing from your spine, down your legs and into the earth, reaching into the ground. The earth is cool and vital, nourishing and stable. As the roots grow down and reach their depths, energy comes back from the earth to your heart. A golden, loving and supportive energy reaches back into your body, expanding your heart energy and heart field. Stay with this sensation for a few minutes.
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Now leave your roots embedded and draw your attention to the spine, this time travelling upwards. Imagine, visualise, hear, or feel branches growing up from the spine through the crown of the head, and reaching up towards the sky. Feel the bright, open energy of the heavens and the sun. The sky is open and expansive, refreshing and bright. As the branches grow up and reach their height, the golden energy returns from the sky into your heart. Stay with this sensation for a few minutes.
Now draw your attention to the heart centre. There is now a looping of energy from your heart to the earth and back to the heart, to the sky and back to the heart again. This figure of eight loop is grounding, connecting, and expansive. The body fills with the golden light, feeling expanded, open, and supported. Stay with this sensation for as long as you wish.
Gently return from the meditation, bringing attention back to the breath, then the body, then slowly opening your eyes and returning fully. Sit quietly for a few minutes.
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Practice this technique whenever you feel ungrounded or unconnected, or if you would like to open up to deeper levels os of communication (communicating with plants, for example). Allow this exercise to assimilate fully before moving on to the next.
Making every step a prayer upon the Earth
Earth is the element of stability, foundations, and of the body. If you lay your hands upon the earth you can feel the vitality, stability, and the potential for growth and wisdom held within. The Earth represents wisdom, knowledge, strength, growth, stability, and prosperity. It is also the physical Earth on which we live and the heart of life. True intuition resides within the body.
The body is your internal guidance system. If you are in tune and learn to listen and heed, the wisdom of the earth and the wisdom of your body are one, and will guide you.
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We belong inside our bodies, but many of the aspects of modern society disconnect us, telling us we aren't worthy or acceptable as we naturally are. The same is true of the earth, if it must be made safe and clean and acceptable then it is not being embraced as it is, but bent to fit certain ideals.
The joy and magic in accepting the earth and the body exactly as they are while still understanding constant growth, renewal and change is a deeply profound experience of paradox. If you can see your body as an extension and representation of the earth, will your relationship to yourself change? If you see the earth as an extension of your body will you see it differently?
The idea of this exercise is to guide you through a walking meditation, the outline is below followed by an audio recording of a meditative walk. It is best to listen to the audio and then embark on a meditative walk yourself, although the audio can be used as a mediation in its own right if you are not able to get outside.
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We can meditate while walking in nature, making the actions and movements of our bodies part of our practice of awareness, reverence, and connection.
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If the weather and conditions are suitable and you feel called to, this walking meditation can be done barefoot.
A beach would be a wonderful place to practice this walking mediation, feeling the sand or the stones beneath your feet. You could take your walk on grass, on bare earth, on any natural surface.
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We walk slowly, mindfully, feeling the connection between the feet and the ground they walk on. Slowly placing the heel down with each step, rolling the foot from heel to toe, always taking a full step with one foot before lifting the other to start the cycle of step again.
We step into reverence for the earth and the body as we connect our feet and our conscious walking with the Earth.
Walking like this, in a state of profound awareness we are grounded in nature, and connecting through the movement and the physical body to the energy of the Earth.
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As we walk and connect in this way, we feel fully into the nourishment of this simple practice.
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Walking with attention and intention, taking conscious steps, and becoming aware of connection through the feet touching the earth as you walk.
We feel the energy of the earth as we walk barefoot or just in silent connection, we feel the earth energy coursing through our feet and up into the body. This becomes an exchange, we are in communication with the Earth, she feels our energy as we feel hers.
Stop, stand still, allow the feeling to deepen.
When it feels right to do so, lay your hands upon the earth, feel the same exchange of energy, feel the warmth of the Earth, tune in to the support and nourishment she offers. With your hands in connection with the Earth, offer her your allegiance, notice any insight you recieve.
Listen, feel, look around you, use your senses to experience the energy of the Earth in all her living wonder and magic.
Entering into a place of reverence and gratitude through these practices, we understand the connection between the Earth and the body and all they do to support our human experience.
We are in a place of understanding that a life without grounding is a life without foundation.
As you walk, stand, or lay your hands, you may feel that some aspects of yourself are shifting and releasing. If you feel you are letting go of something, be sure to offer back what you release as compost for the earth to transmute into good things. Remembering always that what you shed can be used by another, or recycled and returned to source.
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Giving thanks as you end your meditative walk, offering your love and gratitude in return for the same.
Allow this practice to assimilate into your being. Record in your journal your experiences.
Journalling exercise
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How does the energy of the Earth affect the mind? How does the Earth's energy affect the body? What do you feel when you consciously engage with the element of earth in an embodied way? How do you feel when you connect with the element of earth?
What aspects of earth and embodiment are you grateful for? How can gratitude for the Earth on which you live, the element of earth, and the body in which you reside inform your practice of connection and embodiment?
In what ways will you connect with the element of earth? What will you assimilate into your daily practice of connection, gratitude and reverence for life?
Write in your journal the experience of these observations.