
Developing the Forces of Nature programme has been such a delight. I have been so fortunate to be working alongside an enthusiastic and open group of people who are seeking self insight and new ways of being.
This week the group undertook a Sea Quest. They created a vision for their future as a group using all the resources they had available on a quiet stretch of coastline. The race was on to work together to create a cohesive vision before the tide came in and erased their projected future (metaphorically speaking of course).
It was fascinating to see how the group worked individually and together and to see what the end result spoke of. As always, with any kind of nature therapy work, it was about having a sense of connection. It is in our psyches to connect because many years ago we needed to group together to survive. In other words we needed to connect to feel safe.
It is not only humans that have a deep seated need for connection. Certain species such as horses and sheep also need to be in groups. I feel a sense of sadness when I see an isolated horse. Horses require others to watch over them when they sleep - you will generally see one horse standing whilst another is lying down so they can keep an eye open for predators on the horizon. When kept alone horses can suffer from sleep deprivation and lapse into a what appears to be a state of gloom. However, they will readily bond with a different species in the absence of another horse.
Nature Therapy helps build this sense of connection. Not only with other humans but through building a connection with the natural world.