Tag Archives: Nature

Have you taken your #yyj Nature Break today?

To cut through resistance with a student, I suggested we transition our session to one of my local favorite hangouts, “Finnerty Gardens,” at the University of Victoria.

Strolling through a combination of forest and tames beds and lawns, I noticed the difference between being restful and at peace in this type of  environment and one that is nervous with a racing mind.  After investigating the landscape for a time we sat on a bench to integrate and continue our session.  Long periods of comfortable silence encouraged  a deeper opening and sharing.  Simple and transitional!

Nature, our healing partners!


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Self-Esteem, Confidence, Trusting Self


Renee Lindstrom, GCFP,
 Authored  Achieving your Goals  31 Day Program, Sleep Sweet Sleep, Kid’s Peace Bus Calendar of Values  Educational Program & InTouch with Your Values Self-Actualization Program.Feldenkrais® Practitioner since 2007, Communication & Empathy Coach since 2004, Art of Placement  since 2000, Labyrinths of Victoria since 2012, #yyj Peace Week Grassroots Calendar Founder, Vice-Chair of World Children’s Summit on Peace & Nature in 2015

 

 

Do you live in your own culture of love & respect?

Recently I have begun sharing how my spring and summer is spent planting, gathering of flowers, leave & roots to make wonderful remedies. The purpose comes from hearing my clients express their concern, guilt, resentment and dependency upon pharma care products a13466358_10207722029426878_7619154285081841108_ns my hope is to model a different pattern and experience. I believe that pharma care lacks love of any living thing and is teaching us not to value ourselves. Therefore my hope of intention is to bring back love and care that is the bases for a healing outcome. When I work with nature in such a personal way I love it and would like to say feel the love back. This is the foundation I would like for healing and support. To take something that I feel appreciation for empowered by being a partner in the process of making it equals loving oneself!


Renee Lindstrom, GCFP,
Feldenkrais® Practitioner since 2007, Value-Based Communication & Empathy Coach since 2004, Art of Placement  since 2000, Founder of Greater Victoria Peace & Intercultural Celebrations since 2010 & Greater Victoria Labyrinths since 2012, #yyj Peace Week Calendar Founder – 2014 & 2015

Earth Day spontaneously spent in unexpected & intimate way!

This year I spent Earth Day in a quieter more profound way that I have in years. Earlier in the year a natural shift to connecting in Earth in a quieter more personal way, from the inside out began naturally.  As life with children shifted into adult relationships, nature is beckoning me back in unusual ways which means an unplanned sabbatical from the interactions of a new thought community leader and activist?  Or,  an evolution out beyond right and wrong thinking into a more direct connection.  Maybe?

  • One unusual way is the reincarnation cycle of veggies,  which I write about in Shifting food focus – love your veggies!   Imagine if we all re-harvested our veggies instead of throwing them into the trash how it would affect the planet and our future!

However this article is about coming down with the worst cold/flu over this years Earth Day Celebrations I have experienced since nursing babies.  Not that I was run down physically, I have recently  been supporting someone close to me in their emotional pain in a more direct way than usual.  This was personal and  healing for both my child and myself.   Yet it left me vulnerable to picking up this nasty bug!  Uncomfortable, however lucky too!

With no energy to do anything physically commanding, yet too much energy to lay down and wallow in it, the only option was out to the garden for a silent exploration to see if there was anything that could support healing.  Thus making my Earth Day week celebrations solitary, intimate and personally meaningful by dusting off herbal books for identifying healing properties of the wild and domestic plants growing directly in my backyard.  With them making teas and remedies to support my healing.

Upon the first flu symptoms I went to a pharma remedy that one of my kids left and found it disturbed my energetic field.  There was a numb feeling.   Along came other symptoms of tension, aches and pains and I found myself impatient and disconnected.

Transferring from pharma to nature’s offerings from my backyard there was an immediate difference.  I discovered chewing on a fresh Bay Leaf soothed my throat instantly.  Making teas and remedies from living foods was calmer to my nervous system with more relief than with pharma products.

All the while a single male Robin has singled out four houses with their tall standing trees as his territory to sing his mating call.  He has been a steady and patient boy for over two weeks.  On the morning nature called me outdoors to explore its healing plants, this Robin began his song before day break.  It is the sound I woke up to and as I lay for a moment listening, I remembered his sound was the last one I heard before going to sleep long after the sun went down.

In previous years planning and organizing materials for community events was my focus of attention.  The challenge of these types of events has been interrelationship conflicts of right and wrong thinking, moral judgement’s, comparisons and personal opinions.  The biggest challenge I believe our culture has in saving the planet is their own limitations to valuing themselves and others in a way that there is environment sustainability.


Renee Lindstrom, GCFP,
Feldenkrais® Practitioner since 2007, Value-Based Communication & Empathy Coach since 2004, Art of Placement  since 2000, Founder of Greater Victoria Peace & Intercultural Celebrations since 2010 & Greater Victoria Labyrinths since 2012, #yyj Peace Week Calendar Founder – 2014 & 2015

 

Pathway Project @ #yyj’s Spring Ridge Commons

Spring Ridge is Canada`s oldest public food forest and Victoria’s largest public permaculture garden or community multi-layer food forest , located on a 1/2 acre city lot in Fernwood at the corner of Chambers and Gladstone. (Location Address is 1200 Gladstone Avenue. )

@insideawareness Summer Volunteer Focus, ’15

This summer Renee Lindstrom of @insideawareness spent time with a Coordinator of Spring Ridge Commons, in conversation about a focus for enhancing the community garden experience.  Through our discussions we began to  differentiate philosophy and practicality.  Both important influences upon each other, yet,  which comes first?  We decided to focus upon practicality and bring a change from the ground up!

After hosting  a clearing ceremony to voice the qualities community members would like to enhance in the garden,  we followed this up with creating some  new pathways.  The first pathway we started with was one that had become a shortcut through the gardens.  Our purpose was to change the superhighway experience this pathway had become.  Instead we created meandering garden pathways by adding curves to redirect walkers. This would slow people down and take them on another pathway through the garden and offer them choices.  In the process of changing this pathway an unexpected feature became a welcome focal point.  A plaque!

In creating these pathways the focus of attention was on:

  • the pathway as the experience
  • rock edging to define the pathway

Our next pathway challenge will be the front entrance pathways!  The challenge is the designated front entrance is diminished by other entrances to the gardens!  Watch for pics!


Read more:

5 Element Design – #yyj Spring Ridge Commons

5 Element Design – Sacred Clearing Ceremony 


If you are longing for a personal consultation please inquire privately:
renee@insideawareness.com.

Renee Lindstrom offers:

Indoor & Outdoor Landscape Life & Wellness Consulting & Coaching which enhances relationships, emotions and flexible movement awareness!

Follow the journey on TwitterInstagram or Facebook

Copyright 2024 Renee Lindstrom, GCFP
Feldenkrais®, Feldenkrais Method®, Awareness Through Movement®, Functional Integration®, are registered service marks of Feldenkrais Guild® of North America. Feldenkrais Method®

#yyj’s Spring Ridge Commons

by Renee Lindstrom, August 16th, ’15

I was asked to share my personal notes and experiences on my participation with #yyj’s Spring Ridge Commons this summer.  Off and on in the past few years I have been invited to join volunteers in conversations about this Greater Victoria Garden from a 5 Element Landscaping perspective.

This summer in a conversations in the garden hearing and seeing its needs, I offered  some considerations based upon 5 element theories.   Sometimes quite strongly.  One of the biggest alarms that went off for me was when I heard there had been ceremonies held without a formal opening and closing, and that the members of this gardens community had not been included in stating the practical qualities they requested for the space during the ceremony.  For me this reflects a flood of open water that isn’t contained.  It isn’t achievable practically by the members within the  community itself.  There is no clarity or connection to the intention of the ceremony and of what is being asked for.   It remains in the ether’s.  This inspired an offer to lead a ritual clearing ceremony designed for the participants to show up,  be present and take part at their comfort zone level.  Why? To encourages leaders versus an audience.  The exact thing the garden needs – practical boots on the ground gardening support.

Here are some of the things that came up during our preparations:

  1.  The strongest point made was the need for the garden to reflect respect.   Strategies of signage and rules of conduct were bounced around yet from a natures perspective if there was a need for the community to respect the needs of the garden,  the garden itself needed to reflect it and carry this essence itself.  This meant – clear walkways without weeds and tall grass hiding the clear boundaries of the beds, cared for garden beds and caring people in the garden working more often.
  2. It also meant no garbage dumping.
  3. An address with a number – one that the mail man would deliver mail to if he had to.  On all the marketing it does not have a property number.  This is important to define the main entrance to the commons.  This is where one would find the facing cardinal direction using the 5 elements.  From a western perspective it also makes it an entity.

The biggest learning for me in this project has been that nature is practical and has specific needs from humans and one of them isn’t perspective.  Nature doesn’t care about the lofty ideals of humans!  To be in a cycle of success with nature the primary focus starts with caring for nature.  Caring for nature respects nature and this is the core of Spring Ridge Commons.

Wandering through the gardens and sitting in our first meeting this summer my observation was that it was overwhelmingly un-cared for.  All beauty was hidden from view.  To me it reflected conflict and unfulfilled idealism’s.    My recommendations focused on nature in the garden so that it reflected beauty and respect and practical doable personal qualities.  The analogy that kept coming up is;  water needs boundaries, as water without boundaries is a flood.  A flood destroys.

A number of weeks after our original tour and meetings, coming back to talk about the intention of the ceremony I observed Spring Ridge Commons had transformed.   The walkway and borders had been weeded and tightened up.  The beds cleaned up and thinned.  The whole essence of the garden had shifted.  Being a sensitive the only way I can describe it is that it shifted from the agitation of  dry dying land becoming a dessert into a wet nurturing experience of a forest.  What had also shifted was the community coming into the commons.  They were staying a spell and not using it as a sidewalk to get from one point to the other as quickly as possible!  Local children community groups brought children in to plant seeds and again to use nature to draw.  Musicians were sitting and  playing flutes, guitars and other instruments.   Beautiful benches had shown up!

One of the requests for change had been to bring in sound and children!  It had begun already prior to our ceremony.  Did our ceremonies purpose begin with the first meeting?  Well then, worth the struggle of competing perspectives and opinions and realizing nature doesn’t care about what we think!  It provides based upon our actions!

Each time I go to Spring Ridge Commons, I am able to see beautiful aspects that were not visible before.  Unique plants, signs describing the plants and the meandering pathways themselves.  Also the thought that has gone into creating a native plant garden, a Bee garden and more.  I also hear the depth of knowledge and caring by the current stewards of this garden.  Amazing commitment and contribution.

The main entrance to Spring Ridge is the first one on Gladstone as you turn off Chambers.   We believe the number is 1200.   This is a 3 in numerology and standing inside facing out, this entrance it is a south facing entrance.

  • A 3 reflects:  body, mind & spirit,  communication, expression, optimism, fun, creativity
  • A south facing entrance is the fame doorway and it represents reputations and recognition

Using this entrance the life map reflection of this property would be:

Spring Ridge Commons

So the next time you are in Spring Ridge Gardens take time to consider these reflective life areas and how Spring Ridge Commons mirrors these characteristics in the community!

 

If you are longing for a personal consultation please inquire privately:
renee@insideawareness.com.

Renee Lindstrom offers:

Indoor & Outdoor Landscape Life & Wellness Consulting & Coaching which enhances relationships, emotions and flexible movement awareness!

Follow the journey on TwitterInstagram or Facebook

Copyright 2024 Renee Lindstrom, GCFP
Feldenkrais®, Feldenkrais Method®, Awareness Through Movement®, Functional Integration®, are registered service marks of Feldenkrais Guild® of North America. Feldenkrais Method®

Landscape Conversations – One becomes two

2015-06-21 10.40.36

Renee Lindstrom  & Guest Writer ~ Dyan Grant Francis

  • Observations Written by Renee Lindstrom,
  • Personal Perspectives by Renee Lindstrom &  Dyan Grant Francis individually

Observations of Property

These two houses replaced one house on a corner lot creating two house numbers replacing one.   Each similar yet different!  Different roof lines, one has a garage in front and one appears to have a larger lot.  Each have wood  and grey siding features yet opposite of each other with black framing. Front Doors feature glass windows as does the one with front  facing garage.  The one that does not have a front facing garage, there are two windows.      The wood element  is represented by the rectangular house and window shapes,  metal in the color grey, water in the black trim color and the windows and fire in shape angles of the roof.  The wood side represents the wood element, yet the horizontal angle represents earth.  Viewing these two homes together one can see one is more yang and one more yin.  The roof design and shift in colors to opposite sides of the house and addition of garage change create these differences.    

Numerological House Number

  • Yin house:  1  reflects – new beginnings, independence, one with life, individuality, self-development, creativity,  progress
  • Yang House:  4 reflects – security,  foundation, 4 directions, 5 elements, discipline, productivity, organization, work & service

Read more on the meaning of house numbers….

Cardinal Direction of Front Doors – North-East

A North – East  facing front door is considered a yin and yang balance.

This  is consider the doorway direction of  spirituality and personal growth that represents higher education.  It is  considered an earth element.  

Read more on the 5 elements


Personal Perspectives by Renee Lindstrom

These two homes took between one and two years to sell once completed.  This influence could have been human, landscape or a bit of both!  The pre-existing house prior was in the process of having the interior re-constructed when it was blocked by city stop and closure permit.  The original owner lost the property in the process and it sat vacant as an empty shell for a year.  When the property changed hands the house was torn down and a large hole was left where the basement was and  sat gaping for another year.      My curiosity always; how does the relationship with landscape affect human experiences!  Is there a connection to the length of time of the sale of these two homes contingent to the history?  Or is it the story of design and placement  that is creating a new history?

These two homes are minimalist style houses with slight variations in their similar design features.  These variations and placements make each unique.  The corner house appears to be sitting on a larger part of the property and with its high-peaked roof that seems to tower over the second one.  This is enhanced by the lack of a front facing garage and how closely placed it is to the second one.  This house has three sharp angles  to create a missing corner on the upper level of the house facing the intersection it sits on.   This house is the more dominant one of the two and with its number 4 the experience of its occupants may be focused on working and service.  A 4 out of balance may be working too hard.

The second house has a smaller footprint on the property and more than half their front yard is driveway.  This together with dominant siding painted grey and black, metal and water, this  essence is of a more inward and reflective quality.  A yin experience!  There are also three sharp corners, yet visually more subtle with the roof angles and siding choices.  The upward angle of the roof is a slight action statement of  fire,  yet, it is a negative roof line influence, it  suggests stagnant water sitting on the  flat roof gathered by the angle.  While in the first house the angled corners are aimed at the intersection, this one has angles aimed at the large unsightly power pole in the corner of the property.  Again a reflection between the two qualities – obvious and illusive!  The number one in this house represents being one with life that fits in with this house style that reflects a more contemplative lifestyle.

The North-East facing doors of these two houses reflect Yin and Yang balance.  This is a nice example of two homes side by side reflecting both yin and yang.  I suspect an example of spiritual personal growth and higher education reflected by these  two houses could be in the Yang house the dominant occupant may be a University Professor, Spiritual Leader, or Philosopher and in the Yin house they may practice contemplation.


Personal Perspectives by Dyan Grant Francis

These homes are a good example of the lifestyle choices that we are making as a society these days.  The large corner lot has been subdivided into two small lots.  This has resulted in the demolition of the large home with its history and character, mature trees and old gardens.  The result is two modern, small units placed side-by-side with virtually no side yard between them and no appreciable front and back yards.
With the change in zoning, it becomes a case of ‘in-fill’.  Land, especially urban land, is at a premium and building practices/choices are showing this.  Without knowing the square footage, its difficult to categorize the style as a ‘tiny home’ or a ‘laneway home’.
In terms of 5 Element theory, the initial observations is that one home reflects the wood element (cedar siding and green ‘stucco’), one reflects the water element (blue ‘stucco’ and black trim with some cedar siding).  Their design is complementary and trim colour is black (water) in both cases.  The water element strengthens wood.  The exterior treatment creates a harmonious impression.
The water house has a large stone driveway strengthening metal and draining water to some extent.  The wood house has a small stone walkway and dark stone facing on the street level which is not large enough to significantly drain the wood element.  The landscaping does not either enhance or detract from the key elements of water and wood.

If you are longing for a personal consultation please inquire privately:
renee@insideawareness.com.

Renee Lindstrom offers:
Indoor & Outdoor Landscape Life & Wellness Consulting & Coaching which enhances relationships, emotions and flexible movement awareness!

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Thinking of a Roof Top Gardens

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5 Element Theory is a philosophy based upon connection with nature and a perspective that nature includes both natural elements and their cultural meanings. With this in mind a roof top garden is situated on the top of an image of ones head.  In the design of a building the windows are the eyes and the door is the door and the foundation are the feet.  Therefore the top or roof of the building is the loftier function of achievement and intelligence.

Garden plants and colors are in the element of wood which supports the element of fire.  Fire is a favorable roof element.   However, earth drains fire!  Too much earth will drain the energy out of the fire element and water will extinguish it.

A roof top garden should be one that does not need much watering or hold standing water.  Ideally it would be one that is inviting to come out onto the roof to sit and enjoy alone or gather in groups.  Keep in mind that any sitting areas would be enhanced by adding a roof, ie. umbrella over tables.

One exception could be the roof top garden on top of Fenway Stadium that is supplying the food vendors at the stadium with fresh greens.  The stadium now sells only healthy foods made from this garden replacing the greasy fat foods previously sold  This is a fundamental educative experience!


For more:

 


If you are longing for a personal consultation please inquire privately:
renee@insideawareness.com.

Renee Lindstrom offers:
Indoor & Outdoor Landscape Life & Wellness Consulting & Coaching which enhances relationships, emotions and flexible movement awareness!