When we look at uncovering material through alternative techniques, we do not want to get lost down the rabbit hole of over-interpretation and symbolic meaning.  These avenues of investigation are rich with color meaning and allow access to areas that may be easily disguised by intellectualization and rationalization. They allow access to deep material.  We can respect the impact of this material and the ability it has to allow release and transformation without having to know exactly how it works.  There are many things that happen at the level of quantum physics that defy logic and explanation; yet, they still occur.  Things that happen within a gestalt or whole, cannot always be replicated by taking them apart with analysis.  The whole is often greater than the sum of the parts due to interaction between the parts. 

Four practices are essential to this work:  Words, Art, Movement and Silence

And the word became flesh.  (The Bible, John 1:14)

WORDS are where we honor our minds and the message from our souls.   Our words give form and construct to our reality.  We need to be conscious of the words that are running through our minds.  Please give yourself an honored time and place to write each day.  This may be for 5 minutes or 50 minutes, whatever you can afford.  Just don’t skip the practice.  Allow yourself the gift of being seen on the page.  Express all the things you would like to say.  If you find yourself in an endless cycle of regret, complaint, and venting, try and persevere to reach to the other side to arrive at the essence of what you truly need to express.   Although there may have been things you missed as a child, as an adult , you can provide yourself with what you believe was missing.  If you identify relationship with another as what is missing, remember that your primary relationship must be with yourself.  You must love and respect yourself before you can find that in another.  You must live a lifestyle and in an environment that invites the purest love into your life.  If you cannot treasure yourself, it will be hard to find another to treasure.

        is where we honor our hearts and the messages from our innermost being: our soul.  Art expresses images that affirm our being on an entirely different level than words. Images enter a different side of the brain from words.  Allow time for both.   Art touches and transforms us on the soul level. It allows a part of us to speak that may not have been given voice for many years. There is no right way here.  Your work is to allow a freedom where none may have existed for years.  In his work on the Power of Myth, The First Storytellers, the late Joseph Campbell recounts his experience of seeing the cave paintings in France.  He then talks about the difference between expressing and mastering and aesthetic and creating something that expresses the beauty of your soul.  Both are interesting and rewarding ways to approach art.  In this Innerlandscape work we are aiming for the soul's expression.  Allow yourself to play with images. Cut things from magazines or print images online.  Make space for your Self to have fun.  You may want to start with crayons or collage, which permit greater control and move to pastels or paint. Or try the reverse: allow yourself to experiment with the fluidity of watercolors before trying to control line and form.  Different art media and paper lead to variety of self expression.     I have met many healers along my journey who find their own healing through art.  I have practiced as a professional artist for 17 years and many of the exhibits, shows and fairs are populated with therapists, doctors, nurses, and psychologists. This must lend some credence to the healing properties of the creative process!  Below we have a bronze sculpture by Richard Ragle which centers around healing from a traumatic childhood.

 Through movement awareness,   we honor our bodies and the messages they bring.  Please give yourself time each day to enjoy your body through breath awareness and movement.  Breathing is our most natural movement.  It starts life. We exchange our breath with the universe.  Walking or sitting in a fresh, quiet environment renews the spirit.  The cross-crawl pattern of walking is known to have a relaxing and balancing effect on the brain.  Paying attention to your breath is the first step in listening to your body.  Walking forth into your vision, makes internal changes visible in the outer world.    Eating is another natural exchange.  When we listen to our bodies they will generally guide us to healthful life-promoting choices. Dance to music.  Feel the rhythm of your soul and let your body play with its movements and capability.  If you have limitations in this area, be gentle with yourself and make your movements small until they can expand in any direction.  Yoga is the Sanskrit word for union and practice develops a union between your breath, your mind, your body and spirit.  There are many styles of yoga, be gentle and make sure you choose a style where you feel connected, not hurt or harmed.  In our Innerlandscape workshops, Christell Thomas leads people of all ages and abilities in Yoga and Pilates creating a simultaneous sense of meditation and exercise.   In this workbook we will include her poses, asanas, for opening the different Chakras and inviting peace with the issues.   We also provide numerous other exercises to promote body awareness.

SILENCE

     The fourth practice is SILENCE . It is the space where your soul speaks the loudest. Give yourself a gift by unplugging: turn off the radio, the television, the telephone, the computer.  This may be difficult and you may need to start slowly.  The more room you make in your life for silence, the greater the space for your inner voice to speak and your inner truth to be heard. In his book Perfect Health, Deepak Chopra states, “Silence is the birthplace of happiness.”  Make a space for your journal, your artwork, and your sacred movement, and your silence.  Allow yourself space within your environment for sacred time and practice.  It can be a corner or a room.  There are examples of sacred space throughout the world that require very little physical space for their existence.   It is the intention and energy that is built through meditation and sacred activity that defines the healing energy of any space.  Decorate this space with precious objects that have meaning for you in your life.  Let this space affirm your hopes and dreams and visions for your brightest life.  Meditation is the key to silence.  It is important to allow the mind to rest with no goal and no purpose other than to be.  It renews your being on every level, when you take time to pause.

TIME , SPACE and All that  other stuff

So many people, commitments, and excuses will try to get in your way and keep you safe from making the changes and being happy.  You must be the warrior/protector of your right to this time and space.   I often think of the image of Buddha under the Bodhi Tree, as he is being confronted by temptation, sorrow and suffering.  In my world, I am confronted by family and children, kittens, fish, dogs, housework, bills and chocolate as I try to maintain a sacred space for myself. As with any exercise in self discipline, it gets easier with repetition.  When you notice a change, step back and treat yourself to a little time in order to absorb your learning.  Trying to hurry through and finish first is likely to lead to burnout and chaos rather than a feeling of clarity and calm.  If you feel disappointed when you are up against a pattern or issue, which you thought you had resolved years ago, don’t be harsh with yourself.  In family histories, we see behavior patterns and illnesses passed down through generations.  In astrology, we see patterns or issues repeated several times in one chart.  You have a lifetime to work with this material.  There is no hurry, in fact, impatience may be the obstacle keeping you in this place.  Each time you work on your inner walls, a tiny change is taking place.  The Buddhists use the metaphor of gentle rain on the mountains to teach that practice, repetition and gentle persistence can transform even the toughest, oldest and entrenched patterns.  I noticed in my study of psychology and then metaphysics that when you are supposed to be getting a message, it is repeated in several areas of your life.  Simple hint:  Wherever you have the strongest emotions is the best place to start. It won’t go away until it is addressed.   In this work, you are encouraged to stay aware and engaged with life’s simple beauty: The beauty and depth of your life.  To explore your own traumas and acknowledge the strength of the soul that emerged for the lessons learned and perspectives gained.  By sharing my own journey, I hope to encourage you to turn off the media, take a break, tune into yourself, rediscover your own life and appreciate it for its bold color, subtle nuance, and profound individuality.

      As you explore your Innerlandscape and discover a mountain where you wanted a plain, know that you can change it: this is your territory.  If you decide you miss the mountain, add it back.   You are the artist; the boss; the final word.    There is no right way to approach your own self- expression.  There is no right look for your Innerlandscape that can be judged by an outer authority.  The true measure of your beauty will emanate from your heart and be reflected into the world around you.  If life is working for you on all levels and you are not experiencing an inner longing for something different, treasure your experience; relish it. Always be grateful for any moment of contentment.  If, on the other hand, you still find your self searching for an elusive piece of who you are in life, love, work, or play, please come explore your Innerlandscape and discover tools that may help you on the next leg of your journey. To explore your Innerlandscape, we must first look at where we use our life’s energy. Stand back and observe your  life.  Our time on the planet is limited: how are you spending yours? 

                         CONTINUE TO CHAPTER IV