Lupine Embodyworks

Hello friends,

Greetings and Happy Earth Month. As the spring bulbs poke through the carpet of decaying leaves and a surprise snow flurry falls, I am reminded that two or more things can be true at the same time.

Spring plants awaken as winter displays one last (we hope) hurrah. Children are strong and resilient, while at the same time, abrupt change or absence of support can cause stress and anxiety. While many corners of the world suffer from war, violence, humanitarian crises, or natural disasters, I sit here in the safety and warmth of my own home, typing this missive about conscious awareness in the daily life of humans.

How do we hold awareness of so many truths without feeling overwhelmed? How do we embody that awareness with our whole self: mind, heart, body, and spirit? The Alexander Technique offers a beautiful concept that supports resilience amidst the overwhelm of personal and planetary chaos: the expanded field of awareness.

Take a moment to notice what occupies your attention at this present moment. Perhaps the task of reading emails? Your to-do list? That project with the looming deadline? An unfinished conversation? Excitement about weekend plans? Pangs of hunger or a creaky body part?

Then pause and widen your field of awareness. Notice how air flows in through your nose and drops into your lungs without you needing to do anything. Notice where you feel ease and contentment. Notice how you are supported by your chair and the floor beneath it.

Take it a step further and expand your field of awareness to include the environment around you. Take a look around your room and open your senses to receive more of what is here, right now. Allow your gaze and your sense of hearing to expand as you receive information from the world outside the window.

See if you can toggle back and forth between the thing that initially held your attention and this wider field of awareness. Can you bring awareness to your feet at the same time that you read an email? Play around and challenge yourself!

Notice how this short practice affects your nervous system. Does your state of being change when you shift your attention from one narrow, focused goal to an expanded sense of self? Do you notice any changes in breathing, or shifts in muscular tension? How is your vision? Notice without any preconceived expectations or self-judgement.

I often lead students through these practices indoors, but I have been itching to lead a class outside. Imagine how you feel walking along the beach on a sunny day or at the top of a mountain with a 360-degree view of the surrounding land.

For me, being in nature quickens the expansion of my field of awareness. My mind slows, my vision expands, and I feel more connected to plants, animals, and the Earth. Often, I am able to digest worries or birth creative ideas more readily when I am outside.

I start to feel more spaciousness in my body as well as an expanded capacity to regulate myself in the face of myriad stresses and demands.

If any of this resonates with you, come join me at my first Awareness in Nature event on Sat., April 18 at Nara Park in Acton. Details are below.

And save the date for a two-hour workshop on May 9th specially designed for parents and caregivers: Managing the Overwhelm.

With gratitude,

Hannah

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Cover photo credit: Joerg Mangelsen via Pexels

Note: The “expanded field of awareness” or “unified field of awareness” was described by Alexander teacher Frank Pierce Jones in his book Freedom to Change.