What's in Motion?

"What’s in Motion" is an invitation that’s commonly used at the beginning of a Shinrin-Yoku (forest therapy) walk here in the United States. It’s a great way to center participants into their place in space and get them attuned to the environment around them. It is a simple invitation that draws folks into the present moment and encourages them to notice what’s in motion in the world around them quietly and consciously. 

​During this particular invitation, I like to shift my perspective as I notice what’s in motion around me. For example, on a recent walk I focused on the hawks soaring above the ridge line in the distance as well as the tree branches swaying in the breeze above my head and the tiny insects crawling thru the blades of grass at my feet. I really enjoy this invitation as it centers and grounds participants of Shinrin-Yoku into the moment and the experience at hand.

While hiking in the Tahoe Basin this past weekend I stopped to notice what’s in motion and was fascinated by a group of blue dragonflies skimming the shoreline of an alpine lake. I took a video of their movement and I invite you now to take a moment to watch this short clip and notice what's in motion. (It's kind of fun to watch it full screen!)

Focusing on the dragonflies zooming around and the gentle lapping of the water was definitely centering for me in the mountains. But at the same time I was very aware that they were harnessing their momentum over the water as they defended their territory, found food and kept themselves moving. Their lives, in that moment, were in constant motion.

I then realized the possibility of expanding this forest therapy invitation of “what’s in motion” to explore our own individual lives - to help awaken us to living consciously and with awareness.

So I invite you to take a moment and consider:

What’s in motion in your own life?
​Where do you notice movement and momentum?

As you step into this moment of examination, consider shifting your perspective to different areas in your life.
​

• What's in motion in your professional life? 
• What's in motion in your relationships?
• What's in motion as you work towards personal goals?
• Is this motion serving to move you forward or are you simply moving in a circle?
• In what areas of each might you be feeling stuck?

Once you recognize these areas of motion, take a moment to consider how you can harness the motion and forward momentum to move you from a place of “stuckness” and into a fresh new moment. How might you continue to lean into the flow of your life and shed those areas that are holding you back and keeping you stuck in an eddy?

As human beings, we are able to examine what’s in motion around us and be grounded in a particular moment but we can also look inward to what’s in motion in our personal lives and harness that energy to propel us forward. 

So I invite you today to really examine what’s in motion around you. Seek out the dragonflies, the fluttering leaves and the soaring hawks. Be consciously centered in your place in space, but also look inward to see what’s in motion in your life. How can you harness and fuel that momentum to move forward as you live into your best life each and every day?

Return from What's In Motion to Rebecca Brown Coaching Home