September 12, 2024 • 24 mins
Rewilding is a strategy that can be used to find peace in the chaotic world around us.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Michelle Peva. You are listening to the Muddy
Path podcast. So today we're going to be talking about
chronic stress and nature and how all of this comes together.
And I have a ritual that I'm going to share
with you that might really help you. So first let's
talk a little bit about stress. So, chronic stress or
(00:21):
trauma pulls us away from our natural state of being.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
It keeps our bodies and minds in a constant.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
State of alertness, and you might feel like you just
can't sleep or you want to get things done and
you're feeling a little frazzled. But that's actually usually fight
or flight, and that is a survival mode, not something
that you want to keep doing all the time. So
it is designed for short term threats. It becomes harmful
when it's prolonged. It disconnects us from our inner calm
(00:51):
and our balance. Instead of being in tune with our
surroundings and our emotions, we become hyper focused on perceived
that can look like, oh, I need to clean the house,
I'm having company, or I need to get this or
that done, and yeah, I get it. We have obligations
and we have things that we need to do. But
if we are unable to fully relax or feel safe,
(01:15):
that is pulling ourselves away from our true nature. Over time,
this disconnection from our natural rhythm disrupts our ability to
process emotions, to heal, and to engage in life with
openness and trust, and that can really harm our relationships
and even our financial selves. It creates a cycle where
(01:37):
stress and anxiety dominate, and this prevents us from returning
to a grounded, peaceful state and really quickly. When I
just mentioned financial selves, I mean that we sometimes will
soothe ourselves with overspending or in purchasing in ways that
are not mindful. So we use finances just like we
(02:00):
would food or other addictions, and people don't often realize that.
I have a lot on that at thefinancetherapist dot com
if you want to visit me there. But today is
all about mindful wilding rituals. These are deeply connected to
the principles of Buddhism, particularly in the idea of mindfulness
(02:23):
of things being not permanent in us, needing to be
fully present, and also living in the moment without judgment.
So in Buddhism, nature is often seen as a teacher.
It reflects in our connectedness and the simplicity of being.
This ritual encourages us to let go of distractions, embrace stillness,
(02:47):
and observe the world without the need to change or
control it. This aligns with Buddhist teachings on non attachment
and acceptance. By immersing ourselves in nature and simply being,
we cultivate an awareness of our sensations and emotions, fostering
a much deeper connection to ourselves and our surroundings. This
(03:09):
practice is going to help you to mirror the Buddhist
path to enter peace and understanding, where we can learn
to observe our experiences without being overwhelmed by them, which
sometimes happens when someone is learning how to meditate, or
if you're stressed out and you're meditating, you sometimes can
get overwhelmed by what you're experiencing. So this creates a
(03:33):
space for healing and growth.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Okay, so the purpose of.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
This ritual is to da dah, do nothing.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
So I'll explain that in a minute.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
But I want you to think more about the word rewilding.
So the opposite of wild would be tame. And so
when we're tame, we've been taught to behave a certain
way and that teaching could have been very mild, or
it could have been really forceful and even abusive. So
(04:05):
being tame is doing things in a certain way according
to someone else's authenticity or desires. So rewilding is bringing
who you are back. A lot of times in trauma,
there's a lot of individuals when I say, well, who
are you and what is your truth? They have no
idea because they've spent so much of their life being
(04:27):
and I'm using air quotes, you're tamed by other people
being what other people want it, and that can be
really distracting to our truth, and it disconnects us from
what is important. So I want you just to take
a moment right now, and I want you to imagine
that you're sitting in a beautiful misty meadow and you're
(04:49):
just allowing yourself to just take in this experience. So
first we're going to choose the wilding space. If you
don't have something, feel free to imagine a beautiful misty meadow.
And I always like to say miss because it softens
things up a little bit. So in your daily life, though,
I want you to try to think of different spaces.
(05:14):
This might be a garden, or maybe even just a
potted plant near your mailbox or sitting in your home
if you don't have a space to go walk or
you can't, So your wilding space doesn't specifically have to
be out.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
In the wild.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
You are the rewilding, So your space, though, and your
connection to nature is a little bit different. So, like
I said, it can just be a potted plant near you,
or if you don't have that, just the visualization of
a meadow with trees and some flowers and a light
mist and a light breeze.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
But if you can, I.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Want you to choose a space outside that you can
commit to, at least for seven days, walking outside and
experiencing whatever that is. Now for some people, it might
be just opening your front door and sitting on your
front patio or step or porch. Or maybe it's walking
to a mailbox if you live in a more suburban
(06:18):
or a rural area, or maybe it's walking to a
park or driving to a park. It can be anything
that you want that you can commit seven days too.
And when I say commit, you're just gonna try. You
don't have to do the full seven days. The idea
is to experience the seven days and make it a challenge.
(06:39):
So I want you to find that place, and I
want you to think about it as not having to
be grand. It doesn't have to be a huge garden,
like I said, it could be a potted plant near
you that you're just mindfully visiting. And so if you
could have a spot that you already love, that you
(06:59):
are already go to, you can also choose that. I
don't want you to feel like it has to be
something new, and I want you to think about what
the space feels like for you even just thinking about it,
and you probably have something in your mind, and that's
why I was kind of babbling a little bit, so
that you could start to think of the different spaces
(07:20):
around you. Why did you choose this space? How do
you feel about returning to it on a regular basis?
So I want you to make this a daily ritual.
I want you to pick a specific time every day
that you are going to visit this space. This time
is sacred to you for your self care and your healing.
(07:43):
Over the next few weeks or days, I want you
to think about how this could become a regular part
of your life. And like I said, you only really
need to do about seven days, but I would love
for you to take this further and make this an
ongoing part of your life, just like brushing your teeth
or having your morning tea or coffee. I want you
(08:04):
to practice just being. So just think about the space.
So even if you're not there, even if you're just
imagining the space that you're going to have, I want
you to think about what it feels like the practice
of just being. For a lot of people that have
had trauma or stress, it's not easy to come to
(08:25):
that space, right.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
It's not easy just to sit.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
With your thoughts or sit with yourself because you were
taught that who you are either isn't right, isn't valuable,
isn't worthy, isn't worth protecting. So the practice of being
can feel a little uncomfortable sometimes, which is why sometimes
people when they meditate or try to be silent, they
(08:51):
get a little anxious. I don't want you to get
to that space. We're not meditating in the space, we're
just being mindful. So even if it's a plant that
you're looking at from across the room, or you're just
looking out of a window at the sky. Maybe you're
in a hospital bed and the sky is all you
have for your rewilding. That's fine. Or maybe you do,
(09:13):
maybe you live on a farm. But your choice is
just to look out the window and look at the sky.
You're committing to that.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
That's great.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Just commit to something and make that a challenge to
stay committed to that, because you're really committing to yourself here.
You're not committing to something external. You are nature, and
you are just bringing yourself back to nature where you
might have, because of your trauma or your stress, you
might have been navigating your days not even realizing how
(09:42):
beautiful the sky is, or the little nuances of the
plant next to your table or on your table, or
the trees. You might not notice the seasons as much.
Even so, you know, just practice being and what does
that feel like? What does that sound like to you.
There's no goal, there's no need to achieve anything. You're
(10:05):
not here to get to some meditative space. I don't
want you to not have thoughts floating around. I want
you to just be mindful of what's in front of you,
the nature, the sky, the plant, the trees, taking a
walk somewhere, noticing the sounds. And I want you to
notice what happens when you stop doing and you just are.
(10:32):
So a lot of times when you've had trauma or stress,
or if you're in trauma and stress right now, and
I hope you're not, but if you are, it really
can be hard for us to just be because we're
just constantly thinking about the stuff that's happening around us
and all of the distractions, and we don't know what
it is to just be, and so that can be
(10:55):
a little bit uncomfortable. So if that's uncomfortable, I want
you to do this next part. And even if it's not,
even if this is enjoyable to you, do this next
part anyway, which is engage with your senses. This will
only deepen your practice of rewilding and getting to know
who you really are underneath of the trauma, underneath, of
the stress, underneath, of all the things that everyone has said.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
And done that hurt.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
You take all of that away and rewild yourself. So
as you begin to engage your senses, I want you
to draw from soundbathing.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
So soundbathing is.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Where you kind of close your eyes and you take
in the different sounds. So as I am sitting here
right now, I am aware of my own voice. I
am aware of when I take that inhale. I can
hear it much more than you can. You can hear
it a little bit, but I can hear it a
lot more. I am very aware that I'm doing this
(11:55):
podcast right now in my office, but I'm aware of
the birds outside. I can hear them a little bit.
You can't because of the equipment that I have. But
I'm also aware of my pets that are walking around upstairs.
I am aware of the sites around me. I can
(12:15):
see things, I can experience things through my senses. So
sound bathing is all about recognizing what sounds are close
to you and what sounds are farther away. So if
you're listening to this with say EarPods, then I am
a sound that's very close to you. If you're not,
(12:38):
I'm probably a sound that is a little bit more
a part of your environment, and you might be hearing
other sounds, maybe cars, birds, your pet, you're breathing, people
in the home or people in your workplace, wherever you are.
So soundbathing, the techniques of it are continually focusing on
(12:59):
what the sounds close to me, What are the sounds
far away from me, what are the sounds that are
louder what are the sounds.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
That are softer? What about the pitch?
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Are there some pitches that are higher or lower? What
about like I said before, the volume. So you take
all of this in and then with soundbathing you can
take it a step further and you can start to go, Okay, well,
I'm only going to listen to the sounds close to me.
Now I'm going to focus on the sounds far away.
Now I'm going to focus on only the high pitches, now, only.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
The lower pitches.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
So when I say to engage your senses and draw
from soundbathing, you're going to get really micro aware of
your senses here. So you're going to start with sound,
because we just talked about it. So when you go
into your place of rewilding, and that might be just visually,
(13:56):
I still want you to engage sound. So you're going
to if you're looking out a window, you're going to
be very aware of the sounds in your space, in
your particular maybe Homer office, or if you're outside, and
then you're going to also be aware of the sounds
that are farther away from you. And this is whether
you're looking at the sky or you're connecting with a plant,
(14:18):
next to you, or you're walking in a garden, whatever
it is. Focus on those sounds, and then I want
you to go to sight. What do you see is
their texture? Is there a flickering of a light somewhere?
Is are you aware of maybe the colors of green?
So I'm looking outside right now. This is not my
(14:39):
specific space, but just to give you an idea. If
I'm not really aware, I look outside and I'm like, oh, yeah,
there's trees outside. But if I get more deep with this,
I go, oh, okay, well there's trees and there's lighters
of green and it's beautiful. Now what if I go
deeper with that? With each leaf that is green, there's
(15:00):
maybe shadows and light. So there's a lot of different
shades of green. So that's what I mean when I
say sight. I want you to really get in depth
there in your rewilding. As you engage your senses, I
want you to also focus on touch. Are you able
to touch anything? If you're by a window, of course
you can't touch the sky, but.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
You could touch the window.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Maybe you could touch the pottt plant, you could touch
the dirt maybe. So see what you can touch or
is it just the warmth of the sun, or is
the coldness of the air that you're actually touching or
the wind? So how does your body respond to these
sensations As someone who is stressed or in trauma, what
(15:42):
happens to you? Are you connecting with that and it
might be a little uncomfortable or it might feel really
good because you're rewilding yourself. You're getting back to your
truth and experiencing life on your terms. What about aroma?
What are the different sense that you can detec Is
there the smell of fresh grass or of just fresh
(16:04):
air or is it a little stale where you are
but you're imagining more earthy sense or the different smells
of you know, when the wind blows, there's a freshness
to the air. Maybe you're smelling pollen, or you know
it's a crisp snow, whatever it is. Think about how
smell is now becoming a part of your rewilding. And
(16:29):
then I want you to go to taste. I know
this is going to sound a little different because you're
not going to actually start eating up whenever you're around,
But is there something subtle in the air that you
can actually taste? Maybe the crispness of the wind. Is
it different for you to be indoors and outdoors? Now,
this is the hardest one, So I want you to
(16:50):
think about that one a little bit more. And speaking
of sound, you might have just heard my Apple watch
go off. It said, reflect on how you're feeling right now,
and how I'm feeling right now is really engaged with
this experience, And so that's what I mean when we
are getting really in touch. So I'm not doing an
(17:10):
ADHD moment or being frazzled by telling you about that.
I'm being very focused on the here and now and
sharing some of the experiences that I'm sharing or experiencing.
So I want to share them so that you understand
how deeply connected to the here and now I would
like you to be. So if something captures your curiosity
(17:32):
while you are in your rewilding, like your watch going
off or the wind blowing in different way, whether it
is maybe ants crawling on the ground or a bird
flying overhead, I want you to lose yourself in it
and observe it and experience it and find a playfulness
in it. Because part of rewilding isn't supposed to be
(17:53):
heavy and burdened. It's supposed to be nature pulling you in,
even if it's technology. So as I'm sitting here with
this podcast, I'm actually watching my screen and seeing if
my voice is going up or down too much. And
so this is part of my environment. But rewilding is
going to have you outdoors or connect it to nature
(18:17):
a little bit more. So I don't want you just
to sit in front of a screen and explain the screen.
So when you are rewilding, as opposed to focusing on
a watch or looking at a screen, which I have
to do right now, I want you to instead focus
on something else. So for me, right now, I am
in focus. But if I only did this all day
(18:40):
long and I didn't reconnect myself and I didn't rewild,
then I would be very disconnected to myself. And so
when you're working, or when when you are doing a
chore or an obligation, you are doing what you need
to do. We all do, right, But if we eliminate rewilding,
(19:00):
if we eliminate understanding who we are beyond all of this,
then we're not doing ourselves any favors.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
So I want you to.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Notice on this journey, what do you focus the most on?
Which sense is its sight? Is it hearing, touch, smell, taste?
And how do these sensory experiences make you feel in
the moment, So I know when I rewild. One thing
that I love to do is to sit in my backyard.
(19:32):
I'm going to tell you exactly where I like to sit.
I sit in my backyard on my patio, but I
look at a grapevine that I have, and that is
my rewilding space. That's where I get thoughts calm, and
that's where I feel at ease, and that's where I
can just sit and be.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
I'm protected enough because of the patio.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
And if there's any elements like wind and rain and
things like that, I'm protected enough.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
But I can can.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
Still see this beautiful grapevine that my mother actually started
growing my mother and father, So it's a beautiful space
for me to be. And so I want you to
focus on what kind of senses you feel when you're
in your space, and what kind of memories or experiences
come up for you. And I want you to notice
(20:21):
also your body and your emotions. So as you settle
into your surroundings, I want you to begin to turn
your attention inWORD notice any sensations maybe there's heat or cold,
the beating of your heart, you're breathing. Do you feel
tightness or lightness, or ease or chaos? And on any
(20:44):
given day you might feel a lot of those. If
you just spend one minute or five minutes, you might
feel a lot of different things happening. And that's okay,
and that's being in the moment.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
That's what it's supposed to feel like.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
You're not robotic, so arise for you, and how do
you connect to them, and how do you connect them
to the present moment. So, for instance, if I'm sitting
outside and I'm looking at this beautiful grape vine, and
I feel a little bit of a chill, and then
I have to remind myself, okay, breathe and that chill
(21:17):
could just be the air. But I bring myself back
to looking at the beauty, not focusing on the chill.
But then I have to think, why was I trying
to push the chill away? And then I might get
comfortable with the feeling of the air surrounding me and
knowing that I'm safe. So if you're not in any
of those kind of spaces and you're just imagining that
beautiful meadow, and the trees and the dew on the
(21:40):
grass and so forth. Then that's okay. I want you
to imagine that all of this is your experience and
you are connecting. So this practice will help you to
become more aware of how you respond to stress, how
you respond to fear, discomfort, joy, And every day you
(22:05):
will find yourself noticing more and more about the world
around you and your inner world. Do certain sounds or
sensations trigger memories.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Maybe you feel.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Your heart race more in the heat, as I once did,
realizing it also mirrored the fear of losing someone close.
Your body and emotions are interconnected, and through this exercise
you will learn to recognize these connections. So when we
experience trauma, whether it is from narcissistic abuse or relationship,
(22:40):
or something from our childhood or betrayal loss, our bodies
can remain on high alert long after that trauma, constantly
scanning for more danger because we don't want that to
happen to us again, so we scan all the more.
So having traumatic or betraying negative experiences do not mean
(23:01):
that we're constantly in trauma, but it might put us
on a little bit more of an awareness path of
the externals that could be dangerous, but as that happens,
it takes us away from the here and now that
are beautiful. So I'm not saying that I want you
to throw caution to the wind and do absolutely nothing
with scanning. I think scanning is very important to keep
(23:23):
us out of any kind of harm's way as much
as possible. But mindful wilding rituals help us to calm
the nervous system, bring us back to a place of
safety and stillness, and by connecting to nature's steady rhythm,
we allow our bodies and minds to begin the healing process.
(23:45):
So let me know how this has felt for you.
You can reach me at my muddypath dot com and
you will notice that when you get there it's going
to say Michelle Pava and the finance therapist, and you're
gonna have a lot of opps. You can click anything
there and still get in touch with me. So I
would love to hear how you felt about this, and
(24:07):
I will be checking in with you and if you
email me or contact me to see how you feel
about it as you go on to day three and
day seven, and if you're going to incorporate this into
your life, so you have been listening to the Muddy
Path podcast. I am your host, Michelle Peva, and I
will talk to you again soon.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Bye bye,
Hi, I'm Michelle Peva. You are listening to the Muddy
Path podcast. So today we're going to be talking about
chronic stress and nature and how all of this comes together.
And I have a ritual that I'm going to share
with you that might really help you. So first let's
talk a little bit about stress. So, chronic stress or
(00:21):
trauma pulls us away from our natural state of being.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
It keeps our bodies and minds in a constant.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
State of alertness, and you might feel like you just
can't sleep or you want to get things done and
you're feeling a little frazzled. But that's actually usually fight
or flight, and that is a survival mode, not something
that you want to keep doing all the time. So
it is designed for short term threats. It becomes harmful
when it's prolonged. It disconnects us from our inner calm
(00:51):
and our balance. Instead of being in tune with our
surroundings and our emotions, we become hyper focused on perceived
that can look like, oh, I need to clean the house,
I'm having company, or I need to get this or
that done, and yeah, I get it. We have obligations
and we have things that we need to do. But
if we are unable to fully relax or feel safe,
(01:15):
that is pulling ourselves away from our true nature. Over time,
this disconnection from our natural rhythm disrupts our ability to
process emotions, to heal, and to engage in life with
openness and trust, and that can really harm our relationships
and even our financial selves. It creates a cycle where
(01:37):
stress and anxiety dominate, and this prevents us from returning
to a grounded, peaceful state and really quickly. When I
just mentioned financial selves, I mean that we sometimes will
soothe ourselves with overspending or in purchasing in ways that
are not mindful. So we use finances just like we
(02:00):
would food or other addictions, and people don't often realize that.
I have a lot on that at thefinancetherapist dot com
if you want to visit me there. But today is
all about mindful wilding rituals. These are deeply connected to
the principles of Buddhism, particularly in the idea of mindfulness
(02:23):
of things being not permanent in us, needing to be
fully present, and also living in the moment without judgment.
So in Buddhism, nature is often seen as a teacher.
It reflects in our connectedness and the simplicity of being.
This ritual encourages us to let go of distractions, embrace stillness,
(02:47):
and observe the world without the need to change or
control it. This aligns with Buddhist teachings on non attachment
and acceptance. By immersing ourselves in nature and simply being,
we cultivate an awareness of our sensations and emotions, fostering
a much deeper connection to ourselves and our surroundings. This
(03:09):
practice is going to help you to mirror the Buddhist
path to enter peace and understanding, where we can learn
to observe our experiences without being overwhelmed by them, which
sometimes happens when someone is learning how to meditate, or
if you're stressed out and you're meditating, you sometimes can
get overwhelmed by what you're experiencing. So this creates a
(03:33):
space for healing and growth.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Okay, so the purpose of.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
This ritual is to da dah, do nothing.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
So I'll explain that in a minute.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
But I want you to think more about the word rewilding.
So the opposite of wild would be tame. And so
when we're tame, we've been taught to behave a certain
way and that teaching could have been very mild, or
it could have been really forceful and even abusive. So
(04:05):
being tame is doing things in a certain way according
to someone else's authenticity or desires. So rewilding is bringing
who you are back. A lot of times in trauma,
there's a lot of individuals when I say, well, who
are you and what is your truth? They have no
idea because they've spent so much of their life being
(04:27):
and I'm using air quotes, you're tamed by other people
being what other people want it, and that can be
really distracting to our truth, and it disconnects us from
what is important. So I want you just to take
a moment right now, and I want you to imagine
that you're sitting in a beautiful misty meadow and you're
(04:49):
just allowing yourself to just take in this experience. So
first we're going to choose the wilding space. If you
don't have something, feel free to imagine a beautiful misty meadow.
And I always like to say miss because it softens
things up a little bit. So in your daily life, though,
I want you to try to think of different spaces.
(05:14):
This might be a garden, or maybe even just a
potted plant near your mailbox or sitting in your home
if you don't have a space to go walk or
you can't, So your wilding space doesn't specifically have to
be out.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
In the wild.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
You are the rewilding, So your space, though, and your
connection to nature is a little bit different. So, like
I said, it can just be a potted plant near you,
or if you don't have that, just the visualization of
a meadow with trees and some flowers and a light
mist and a light breeze.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
But if you can, I.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Want you to choose a space outside that you can
commit to, at least for seven days, walking outside and
experiencing whatever that is. Now for some people, it might
be just opening your front door and sitting on your
front patio or step or porch. Or maybe it's walking
to a mailbox if you live in a more suburban
(06:18):
or a rural area, or maybe it's walking to a
park or driving to a park. It can be anything
that you want that you can commit seven days too.
And when I say commit, you're just gonna try. You
don't have to do the full seven days. The idea
is to experience the seven days and make it a challenge.
(06:39):
So I want you to find that place, and I
want you to think about it as not having to
be grand. It doesn't have to be a huge garden,
like I said, it could be a potted plant near
you that you're just mindfully visiting. And so if you
could have a spot that you already love, that you
(06:59):
are already go to, you can also choose that. I
don't want you to feel like it has to be
something new, and I want you to think about what
the space feels like for you even just thinking about it,
and you probably have something in your mind, and that's
why I was kind of babbling a little bit, so
that you could start to think of the different spaces
(07:20):
around you. Why did you choose this space? How do
you feel about returning to it on a regular basis?
So I want you to make this a daily ritual.
I want you to pick a specific time every day
that you are going to visit this space. This time
is sacred to you for your self care and your healing.
(07:43):
Over the next few weeks or days, I want you
to think about how this could become a regular part
of your life. And like I said, you only really
need to do about seven days, but I would love
for you to take this further and make this an
ongoing part of your life, just like brushing your teeth
or having your morning tea or coffee. I want you
(08:04):
to practice just being. So just think about the space.
So even if you're not there, even if you're just
imagining the space that you're going to have, I want
you to think about what it feels like the practice
of just being. For a lot of people that have
had trauma or stress, it's not easy to come to
(08:25):
that space, right.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
It's not easy just to sit.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
With your thoughts or sit with yourself because you were
taught that who you are either isn't right, isn't valuable,
isn't worthy, isn't worth protecting. So the practice of being
can feel a little uncomfortable sometimes, which is why sometimes
people when they meditate or try to be silent, they
(08:51):
get a little anxious. I don't want you to get
to that space. We're not meditating in the space, we're
just being mindful. So even if it's a plant that
you're looking at from across the room, or you're just
looking out of a window at the sky. Maybe you're
in a hospital bed and the sky is all you
have for your rewilding. That's fine. Or maybe you do,
(09:13):
maybe you live on a farm. But your choice is
just to look out the window and look at the sky.
You're committing to that.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
That's great.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Just commit to something and make that a challenge to
stay committed to that, because you're really committing to yourself here.
You're not committing to something external. You are nature, and
you are just bringing yourself back to nature where you
might have, because of your trauma or your stress, you
might have been navigating your days not even realizing how
(09:42):
beautiful the sky is, or the little nuances of the
plant next to your table or on your table, or
the trees. You might not notice the seasons as much.
Even so, you know, just practice being and what does
that feel like? What does that sound like to you.
There's no goal, there's no need to achieve anything. You're
(10:05):
not here to get to some meditative space. I don't
want you to not have thoughts floating around. I want
you to just be mindful of what's in front of you,
the nature, the sky, the plant, the trees, taking a
walk somewhere, noticing the sounds. And I want you to
notice what happens when you stop doing and you just are.
(10:32):
So a lot of times when you've had trauma or stress,
or if you're in trauma and stress right now, and
I hope you're not, but if you are, it really
can be hard for us to just be because we're
just constantly thinking about the stuff that's happening around us
and all of the distractions, and we don't know what
it is to just be, and so that can be
(10:55):
a little bit uncomfortable. So if that's uncomfortable, I want
you to do this next part. And even if it's not,
even if this is enjoyable to you, do this next
part anyway, which is engage with your senses. This will
only deepen your practice of rewilding and getting to know
who you really are underneath of the trauma, underneath, of
the stress, underneath, of all the things that everyone has said.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
And done that hurt.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
You take all of that away and rewild yourself. So
as you begin to engage your senses, I want you
to draw from soundbathing.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
So soundbathing is.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Where you kind of close your eyes and you take
in the different sounds. So as I am sitting here
right now, I am aware of my own voice. I
am aware of when I take that inhale. I can
hear it much more than you can. You can hear
it a little bit, but I can hear it a
lot more. I am very aware that I'm doing this
(11:55):
podcast right now in my office, but I'm aware of
the birds outside. I can hear them a little bit.
You can't because of the equipment that I have. But
I'm also aware of my pets that are walking around upstairs.
I am aware of the sites around me. I can
(12:15):
see things, I can experience things through my senses. So
sound bathing is all about recognizing what sounds are close
to you and what sounds are farther away. So if
you're listening to this with say EarPods, then I am
a sound that's very close to you. If you're not,
(12:38):
I'm probably a sound that is a little bit more
a part of your environment, and you might be hearing
other sounds, maybe cars, birds, your pet, you're breathing, people
in the home or people in your workplace, wherever you are.
So soundbathing, the techniques of it are continually focusing on
(12:59):
what the sounds close to me, What are the sounds
far away from me, what are the sounds that are
louder what are the sounds.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
That are softer? What about the pitch?
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Are there some pitches that are higher or lower? What
about like I said before, the volume. So you take
all of this in and then with soundbathing you can
take it a step further and you can start to go, Okay, well,
I'm only going to listen to the sounds close to me.
Now I'm going to focus on the sounds far away.
Now I'm going to focus on only the high pitches, now, only.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
The lower pitches.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
So when I say to engage your senses and draw
from soundbathing, you're going to get really micro aware of
your senses here. So you're going to start with sound,
because we just talked about it. So when you go
into your place of rewilding, and that might be just visually,
(13:56):
I still want you to engage sound. So you're going
to if you're looking out a window, you're going to
be very aware of the sounds in your space, in
your particular maybe Homer office, or if you're outside, and
then you're going to also be aware of the sounds
that are farther away from you. And this is whether
you're looking at the sky or you're connecting with a plant,
(14:18):
next to you, or you're walking in a garden, whatever
it is. Focus on those sounds, and then I want
you to go to sight. What do you see is
their texture? Is there a flickering of a light somewhere?
Is are you aware of maybe the colors of green?
So I'm looking outside right now. This is not my
(14:39):
specific space, but just to give you an idea. If
I'm not really aware, I look outside and I'm like, oh, yeah,
there's trees outside. But if I get more deep with this,
I go, oh, okay, well there's trees and there's lighters
of green and it's beautiful. Now what if I go
deeper with that? With each leaf that is green, there's
(15:00):
maybe shadows and light. So there's a lot of different
shades of green. So that's what I mean when I
say sight. I want you to really get in depth
there in your rewilding. As you engage your senses, I
want you to also focus on touch. Are you able
to touch anything? If you're by a window, of course
you can't touch the sky, but.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
You could touch the window.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Maybe you could touch the pottt plant, you could touch
the dirt maybe. So see what you can touch or
is it just the warmth of the sun, or is
the coldness of the air that you're actually touching or
the wind? So how does your body respond to these
sensations As someone who is stressed or in trauma, what
(15:42):
happens to you? Are you connecting with that and it
might be a little uncomfortable or it might feel really
good because you're rewilding yourself. You're getting back to your
truth and experiencing life on your terms. What about aroma?
What are the different sense that you can detec Is
there the smell of fresh grass or of just fresh
(16:04):
air or is it a little stale where you are
but you're imagining more earthy sense or the different smells
of you know, when the wind blows, there's a freshness
to the air. Maybe you're smelling pollen, or you know
it's a crisp snow, whatever it is. Think about how
smell is now becoming a part of your rewilding. And
(16:29):
then I want you to go to taste. I know
this is going to sound a little different because you're
not going to actually start eating up whenever you're around,
But is there something subtle in the air that you
can actually taste? Maybe the crispness of the wind. Is
it different for you to be indoors and outdoors? Now,
this is the hardest one, So I want you to
(16:50):
think about that one a little bit more. And speaking
of sound, you might have just heard my Apple watch
go off. It said, reflect on how you're feeling right now,
and how I'm feeling right now is really engaged with
this experience, And so that's what I mean when we
are getting really in touch. So I'm not doing an
(17:10):
ADHD moment or being frazzled by telling you about that.
I'm being very focused on the here and now and
sharing some of the experiences that I'm sharing or experiencing.
So I want to share them so that you understand
how deeply connected to the here and now I would
like you to be. So if something captures your curiosity
(17:32):
while you are in your rewilding, like your watch going
off or the wind blowing in different way, whether it
is maybe ants crawling on the ground or a bird
flying overhead, I want you to lose yourself in it
and observe it and experience it and find a playfulness
in it. Because part of rewilding isn't supposed to be
(17:53):
heavy and burdened. It's supposed to be nature pulling you in,
even if it's technology. So as I'm sitting here with
this podcast, I'm actually watching my screen and seeing if
my voice is going up or down too much. And
so this is part of my environment. But rewilding is
going to have you outdoors or connect it to nature
(18:17):
a little bit more. So I don't want you just
to sit in front of a screen and explain the screen.
So when you are rewilding, as opposed to focusing on
a watch or looking at a screen, which I have
to do right now, I want you to instead focus
on something else. So for me, right now, I am
in focus. But if I only did this all day
(18:40):
long and I didn't reconnect myself and I didn't rewild,
then I would be very disconnected to myself. And so
when you're working, or when when you are doing a
chore or an obligation, you are doing what you need
to do. We all do, right, But if we eliminate rewilding,
(19:00):
if we eliminate understanding who we are beyond all of this,
then we're not doing ourselves any favors.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
So I want you to.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Notice on this journey, what do you focus the most on?
Which sense is its sight? Is it hearing, touch, smell, taste?
And how do these sensory experiences make you feel in
the moment, So I know when I rewild. One thing
that I love to do is to sit in my backyard.
(19:32):
I'm going to tell you exactly where I like to sit.
I sit in my backyard on my patio, but I
look at a grapevine that I have, and that is
my rewilding space. That's where I get thoughts calm, and
that's where I feel at ease, and that's where I
can just sit and be.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
I'm protected enough because of the patio.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
And if there's any elements like wind and rain and
things like that, I'm protected enough.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
But I can can.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
Still see this beautiful grapevine that my mother actually started
growing my mother and father, So it's a beautiful space
for me to be. And so I want you to
focus on what kind of senses you feel when you're
in your space, and what kind of memories or experiences
come up for you. And I want you to notice
(20:21):
also your body and your emotions. So as you settle
into your surroundings, I want you to begin to turn
your attention inWORD notice any sensations maybe there's heat or cold,
the beating of your heart, you're breathing. Do you feel
tightness or lightness, or ease or chaos? And on any
(20:44):
given day you might feel a lot of those. If
you just spend one minute or five minutes, you might
feel a lot of different things happening. And that's okay,
and that's being in the moment.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
That's what it's supposed to feel like.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
You're not robotic, so arise for you, and how do
you connect to them, and how do you connect them
to the present moment. So, for instance, if I'm sitting
outside and I'm looking at this beautiful grape vine, and
I feel a little bit of a chill, and then
I have to remind myself, okay, breathe and that chill
(21:17):
could just be the air. But I bring myself back
to looking at the beauty, not focusing on the chill.
But then I have to think, why was I trying
to push the chill away? And then I might get
comfortable with the feeling of the air surrounding me and
knowing that I'm safe. So if you're not in any
of those kind of spaces and you're just imagining that
beautiful meadow, and the trees and the dew on the
(21:40):
grass and so forth. Then that's okay. I want you
to imagine that all of this is your experience and
you are connecting. So this practice will help you to
become more aware of how you respond to stress, how
you respond to fear, discomfort, joy, And every day you
(22:05):
will find yourself noticing more and more about the world
around you and your inner world. Do certain sounds or
sensations trigger memories.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Maybe you feel.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Your heart race more in the heat, as I once did,
realizing it also mirrored the fear of losing someone close.
Your body and emotions are interconnected, and through this exercise
you will learn to recognize these connections. So when we
experience trauma, whether it is from narcissistic abuse or relationship,
(22:40):
or something from our childhood or betrayal loss, our bodies
can remain on high alert long after that trauma, constantly
scanning for more danger because we don't want that to
happen to us again, so we scan all the more.
So having traumatic or betraying negative experiences do not mean
(23:01):
that we're constantly in trauma, but it might put us
on a little bit more of an awareness path of
the externals that could be dangerous, but as that happens,
it takes us away from the here and now that
are beautiful. So I'm not saying that I want you
to throw caution to the wind and do absolutely nothing
with scanning. I think scanning is very important to keep
(23:23):
us out of any kind of harm's way as much
as possible. But mindful wilding rituals help us to calm
the nervous system, bring us back to a place of
safety and stillness, and by connecting to nature's steady rhythm,
we allow our bodies and minds to begin the healing process.
(23:45):
So let me know how this has felt for you.
You can reach me at my muddypath dot com and
you will notice that when you get there it's going
to say Michelle Pava and the finance therapist, and you're
gonna have a lot of opps. You can click anything
there and still get in touch with me. So I
would love to hear how you felt about this, and
(24:07):
I will be checking in with you and if you
email me or contact me to see how you feel
about it as you go on to day three and
day seven, and if you're going to incorporate this into
your life, so you have been listening to the Muddy
Path podcast. I am your host, Michelle Peva, and I
will talk to you again soon.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Bye bye,
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