Type of activity: Creative Practical

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Location: Outdoors

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Materials: Collected Natural Materials

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Length 30-45 minutes

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Take your journal or a piece of paper and walk to an area outdoors where you can collect lots of natural materials. For example, fallen leaves and branches, rocks, moss, acorns, or conkers.

 

Begin by following this simple meditation.

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• Make yourself comfortable, perhaps sitting cross-legged or lying flat on your back.

 

• Close your eyes and start focusing on your breath. Notice the changes in your body as you breathe in and out. If your mind wanders bring it gently back to your breath.

 

• Once your breath has settled into a gentle rhythm, bring your attention to your body.

 

• Starting with your feet, explore any sensations you have – heat, cold, a breeze on your skin.

 

• Slowly move your awareness up through your body, from your feet up to your knees, hips, belly, fingertips, arms, shoulders, back, neck, head, continuing to breathe in a gentle rhythm.

 

• Remain in this position for as long as you wish then slowly bring your attention back to your surrounding and open your eyes when you are ready.

 

Now you are feeling relaxed and ready to start the exercise.

 

• Slowly walk around the area you have selected and pick out some materials which you find yourself drawn to.

 

• Find a clear space on the ground and start to arrange the materials as a representation of yourself. This may physically resemble your body or may be more abstract.

 

• Collect extra materials if you need to.

 

• Once you have finished take some time to contemplate your representation.

 

• Using your journal explore the following questions.

 

 

1. How does your representation make you feel?

2. What do each of the different elements represent?

3. Why were you drawn to each of the elements you chose?

4. How does the representation relate to you?

5. What have you learnt about yourself?

6. Are there any aspects of your representation which you would want to change or let go of?

 

Once you have finished the activity you may choose what to do with your representation. You may want to leave it where it is, or you may find it cathartic to destroy it. You could throw the materials into a river or throw them up into the air. You may also want to take a picture of it or draw it in your journal.