Photo by Don Pierce
Personal boundaries are the invisible lines we draw to define how others may treat us and how we respond when those lines are crossed. When these boundaries become unhealthy, they blur and overlap with others’ boundaries, a state known as “enmeshment.”
Healthy boundaries encourage growth, intimacy, and meaningful interaction. They foster bonding rather than bondage, relationships rather than isolation.
Self-care, often mistaken for narcissism, is a vital practice that nurtures the Authentic Self. Narcissism, by contrast, drains and harms. A telltale sign of excessive narcissism is an overemphasis on appearance, such as numerous facelifts that create a frozen, fearful expression.
Your Authentic Self sets and protects your boundaries. Yet, when upset or scared, you might regress to a childlike state, acting helpless. Though often embarrassing, this “age regression” can be a powerful opportunity to learn about your Authentic Self and adjust your boundaries positively.
To Age-Appropriate Actions…
HumaNatureConnect Activity
If today isn’t ideal for unstructured time in nature, try this guided exercise:
Start-up Protocol: Read this text attentively, engaging your literary, mental, and reasoning senses to guide you toward happiness and sustainability. Activate your natural senses by spending time outdoors, moving toward Gladandgreen Junction.
Attractive Natural Being: With pen and journal in hand, find a natural being that draws your attention.
Appreciation and Gratefulness: While observing this being, breathe in appreciation and breathe out gratitude.
Consent: After focusing on this being for at least ten seconds, consider your sustained attraction as consent to connect deeply, fostering your optimal functioning.
The Natural Senses: Use a variety of senses—radiation, feeling, chemical, and mental—to broaden your perception and enrich your experience.
HumaNatureConnect Activity: With heightened awareness, engage in the activity and any follow-up components you choose.
Managing Age Regression
Reflect on a relationship in your life that feels strained. Acknowledge if you are experiencing age regression. Take slow, purposeful breaths and say to yourself:
“I was hurt before. I am hurt now. I do not want to be hurt anymore. I am going to take a break from this hurtful relationship (for minutes, hours, days, weeks, a lifetime). I can free myself from this pain. I am learning from this age regression. In doing so, I am healing my Authentic Self.”
Reflective Journaling and Sharing
Natural Systems Reflection Process
For best results, journal your impressions of this activity, using any of the following prompts, and share your insights with others.
Journal Components:
General Description: Describe how you did the activity and what occurred.
Freeform: Write freely about what attracted you to your natural being.
Three Qualities: List three qualities you found most appealing.
Three Learnings: Note three things you learned.
Self-esteem & Trust: Reflect on any changes in your self-esteem or trust in Nature.
Changes To Self: Describe any personal changes resulting from the activity.
Honor Yourself: Praise your commitment to progressing along the Heartwood Path.
I’m A Person Who...: Write three “G/G Statements” starting with “This connection experience tells me that I am a person who... ”
Feelings If Activity Taken: Write how you’d feel if you lost this connection ability.
Nature Compared To Self: Compose two sentences: “I love this [natural being] because it is [qualities],” and “I love myself because I am [same qualities].” This is a powerful prompt for quick insight and group discussion.
Ride The Green Wave: Review the Ten Green Wave Validation Statements, marking plus (+) or minus (-) in your journal to indicate agreement or disagreement.
Two-Word Summary: Summarize your response to this activity in two words.
Nocturnal Pilgrimage
Continue to look for Dream Council participants in your dreams and in your dream journal. If you already have candidates, make the figures. Give them names and create a way to remember each so you can distinguish them later. Consider creating a Dream Council seating chart.
When ready, move to the next waypoint: “Mining For Gold.” Before you do the next activity, spend time outdoors with no agenda. Notice how having nothing to do in nature changes you. Repeat often to avoid seeing nature as a personal hospital or psyche lab.
