What’Sap? Hyper focusing on tree sap to check in and self regulate.
- Mar 25, 2022
- 3 min read
pause. breathe. check in. finding our centre again
read below to find out how to join in
photos by Max
Today was a “gentle” day. Recovering from the extreme fatigue that came with yesterday’s lengthy dissociation. And also realising that staying present was actually a very fragile state. Whatever is triggering us, it hasn’t passed. And that’s ok, we can cope with that, as long as we stay grounded. In the past we would have soldiered on and pushed through and all the battle phrases. But we’re learning (very slowly) ignoring it and just bulldozing on always just provokes more dissociation or makes things worse. So today we allowed it. We accepted it. And we just focused on being ok and staying ok. BIG step for us. There was a time when we would have beaten ourselves up over a day like today. So I’m really very proud that we haven’t and we’ve come out in one “contained” and grounded piece.
writing by Leo
Self Regulation
We needed nature and some quiet solitude in which we could just center and find ourselves again. So we went on #thedailyartwalk to the park near our home and looked for something to inspire us. We saw the tree sap and sat on the ground beside it and began to photograph. It was the most wonderful activity! And we left feeling so calm and peaceful and regulated and self accepting.
writing by Nicola
Here is the original tree:
Saxon played with blurred background:
Nicola played with close ups:
Tyson worked at making it look like a painted canvas:
and Taylor had fun with how the sun bounced off it:
Liam recorded the sound of the birds and wind. How cool is this?
And there you have it, a complete, surround sound, multi dimensional self regulation activity and toolkit all done with an iPhone and #thedailyartwalk
#thedailyartwalk it’s a thing!
join the daily “challenge” (don’t love that word but it is kind of fun too, no?). And it’s as easy as committing to going for a wander each and every day and picking one thing, just one thing, and then photographing it or drawing or painting or scribbling or splotching or singing or dancing or writing or all and sundry or whatever entices you or excites you today. Make it ART. And let the whole experience serve you - to centre, to ground, to check in, to notice, to feel, to engage, to interact, to anchor, to invigorate, to enliven, to calm, to whatever it is you need to do TODAY. If you’re feeling brave, please share your version in the comments or on your own social media - don’t forget to us the hashtag #thedailyartwalk so we can find each other. Join our private community if you’d like to really get posting and sharing in a safe space.
Another option is to simply wait for our pic each day and then riff it - let it inspire you to create something that is yours with our piece as a starting point. We have one friend who has taken our daily leaves and made collages, pipe cleaner leaves, sketches and even polymer clay sculptures! How awesome is that?
How We Go About It (IF you’re looking for some more guidance)
We go outside (fresh air) and pay attention to nature and other details in the world around us (focusing tool). Each day we select one item or snap a photo with our phone and bring it home. On days we can’t get out, we investigate and pay new attention and find something in our home. We then select the medium that most matches our mood or that we feel will be the most regulating in that moment and we set to work drawing or photographing or sculpting or writing or singing or dancing or all of the above (regulating our nervous system and bringing ourselves back on line through hyper focusing)
We set an alarm for 20 minutes (our containment) but you figure out what works best for you. Sometimes a quick 5 will do; other times it feels like we need half a day, doesn't it? We do often repeat this exercise several times through the day when it's a real doozy of a day. Smile
Remember - there’s no good or bad or even in between! It’s all about process and experience and ANYONE and EVERYONE can do that.
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