Here are some specific ways to Ecoutearth:
Ecoutearth as a combination of mindfulness, ecopsychology, and expressive arts.
Mindfulness is a practice of bringing our awareness into the present moment. This can be done in many ways. One technique that is often taught is to notice the breath and continue to bring our attention back to the breath when we notice our mind drifting off with our thoughts.
When we add ecopsychology to mindfulness it becomes noticing more than just our breath. Maybe we notice the air on our skin, the temperature outside, the sounds around us, the colors and light, textures, openness or closeness of our surroundings, smells.... There are endless things to notice. We can notice these things and notice how they affect us. For instance what do you notice in your body when you hear a bird sing? What do you notice when the fog rolls in? A big part of this is how we relate to our surroundings.
When we add expressive arts it brings in a new way of relating. Maybe we become present by drawing a tree that we see. By doing that we see so much more of the tree than if we just glance at it. By drawing it we spend time studying it and becoming present to this tree. Or maybe we do movement in relation to a tree. We start by standing and stretching like the tree and feeling what it would be like to extend into the earth and into the sky. Or maybe we dance like the wind. Music can be used as a form of communication or gift. Like birds we can share our voices or musical instruments to send vibrations to animals, plants, etc... Or perhaps our surroundings inspired poetic words that want to be spoken, sung, or written.
The main idea is to listen. So listen with your heart, with your ears, your eyes, your toes and feet, your nose. Listen with your whole being. The possibilities are endless. Let the earth inspire you!
Mindfulness is a practice of bringing our awareness into the present moment. This can be done in many ways. One technique that is often taught is to notice the breath and continue to bring our attention back to the breath when we notice our mind drifting off with our thoughts.
When we add ecopsychology to mindfulness it becomes noticing more than just our breath. Maybe we notice the air on our skin, the temperature outside, the sounds around us, the colors and light, textures, openness or closeness of our surroundings, smells.... There are endless things to notice. We can notice these things and notice how they affect us. For instance what do you notice in your body when you hear a bird sing? What do you notice when the fog rolls in? A big part of this is how we relate to our surroundings.
When we add expressive arts it brings in a new way of relating. Maybe we become present by drawing a tree that we see. By doing that we see so much more of the tree than if we just glance at it. By drawing it we spend time studying it and becoming present to this tree. Or maybe we do movement in relation to a tree. We start by standing and stretching like the tree and feeling what it would be like to extend into the earth and into the sky. Or maybe we dance like the wind. Music can be used as a form of communication or gift. Like birds we can share our voices or musical instruments to send vibrations to animals, plants, etc... Or perhaps our surroundings inspired poetic words that want to be spoken, sung, or written.
The main idea is to listen. So listen with your heart, with your ears, your eyes, your toes and feet, your nose. Listen with your whole being. The possibilities are endless. Let the earth inspire you!