TOOL BOX

The toolbox is a collection of practices that we continue to find helpful, and thought you might as well. Explore them at your leisure, they are relevant mostly always. 

Waterfall practice  

The waterfall practice is a verbal or written purge of all the stories, thoughts, narratives, why me, I want to fix it, can't get rid of it, why is this happening – it's all of that.  

Visualize a waterfall - the water erupting into the plunge pool where it is eroding the sediment, soil and rocks and then moving stagnancy by flowing into something new - into the creek, the river, the ocean and is transmuted. That is what we do with our thoughts.

Step 1 : Either have a notebook, or be in a place where you can speak out loud

Step 2: Set a timer for 3 minutes

Step 3: Depending on where you are -- write it out, speak it out, scream it out, yell it out, move it out through your body

Step 4: If you are writing rip out the paper and throw it away, letting it go

If you are verbally/physically moving it out;  be still, put your hands on your body, breathe.

Gratitude Practice (with inspiration from Miriam’s Cup)

Blessing the waters changes the molecular structure!  Dr. Emoto discovered through his research that molecules of water are affected by our thoughts, words, and feelings.

Step 1:  Fill a cup with water (you may choose to use a “special” cup or ‘chalice’ for this practice) 

Step 2: Start with just saying Thank you , thank you thank you… this will allow your gratitude to flow.  Spend some time blessing the waters with gratitude - the big, the small, the simple and often overlooked things that you are grateful for or appreciate.  What do you appreciate, what is there to be grateful for right now, in this moment.  What are life’s simple pleasures that you appreciate? Speak them to the waters. 

Step 3: Now, spend some time speaking to the waters the blessings you would like to welcome into your life.  What are you open to receiving?

Step 4:  When you have finished, return the blessed water back to the earth and allow the plants, the dirt, mycelium, the little critters in the soil to receive your blessings and allow your gratitude to help enliven the earth. 

Sit with the Light (inspired by the teachings of Rabbi Jacobson) 

The flame is a reflection of our soul. The flame is a reminder that even in our darkest moments there is always a spark of light within us. This practice offers an opportunity to sit with the light.  Just as each of us have our own stories to tell, each flame tells a story.      

Step 1: Light a candle and begin by sitting with the flame and watching it.  

Step 2: Observe the way it moves, notice the light and the way the flame dispels the darkness without effort.  

Step 3: As you continue to gaze at the flame let the flame be the storyteller.   

Step 4: Free write about your experience, what you hear, feel, see and sense as you listen to the story the flame has to tell. 

Body as a Natural Wonder 

Step 1: Gather paper, crayons/chalk/watercolour/markers/ magazines

Step 2: Draw an outline of your hand on a piece of paper, if your artistic skills are strong, draw an outline of your body, or chest and head.

Step 3: Create. Colour, draw, paint, collage the area of your body with Nature - Flowers, mountain, lakes, forest... However you see YOU. 

Step 4: Admire the beauty of the world that lives within

River Practice

Imagine a river after a rainstorm.  The water is flowing.  Moving downstream, this isn’t an uphill battle.  Like the movement of the river,  run the energy of that which you chose. What is an energy you would like to embody more of right now?

Step 1: Set a timer for 3-5 minutes

Step 2: Close your eyes, ground into a state that you would like to experience.

Ex; Awe, Beauty, Compassion, Kindness, Ease, Abundance etc..

Step 3: Bring an idea or a vision of what that looks like and feels like to mind

What starts to awaken? What are the words that come forward when you connect to the energy of this state?

Example: Ease

Energy of ease: gentle breeze, open field, water flows around rock, allowance, softness, rays of the sun

Step 4: Write down the words or speak them out loud, stream of consciousness. Feel into the vibration of the words that you speak or write.