Caro Jonas - Finding Our Life Force: Finding Peace and Embracing Life with Cancer

Week 2

The Island of Trees and Forest

The Feet: Connecting with Stable Reality

You are taken to an island. You are taken ashore by longboat. As you glide you begin to focus on your breathing.

Take your time as you head towards the shore to connect with your breathing. You are being rowed slowly but steadily. You breath matches the dipping of the oars in the water. It is slow and rhythmical, and your breathing is in tune with it.

You begin to feel relaxed and at ease. You land on the shore and begin to walk up the beach. You see many tall and beautiful trees. You walk towards the trees. As you walk to the centre of the island you begin to see that there is a forest of very tall and strong trees. You walk amongst them and you marvel at their height. You marvel at the strength of their roots and of their ability to hold these mammoth trees strongly in the ground.

You spend some time touching the trees. You feel the many types of surfaces. You touch the leaves, smell the many smells, listen to the sounds of the wind through the trees and hear the birds sing. You look at the many insects, the nests of the birds, the spider webs, the insect holes, the ants on the trees and on the ground. Touch the moss. Sniff it. Feel its moisture. Rest on the moist ground and experience being deeply in that moment.

As you do this, you take off your shoes and rest your feet on the soil between the roots.

You begin to feel from your whole being, and then through your feet, a great connection to the earth. You feel your energy go deep beneath the ground, as deep as the roots of the trees.

It gives you great strength. You gain great stability from this. You feel deeply connected to this earth, to this reality, to this world. Strong winds wouldnt shift you. You would sway but you would never fall. Feel that strong resilience deep inside you.

Close your eyes and enjoy this feeling of strength, of connectedness, of stability within this real world. When you open your eyes you find that you have been lifted up into the highest tree, on a solid platform. Safe you sit comfortably and are stunned by the silence. You sit and enjoy the beauty and the stability of this silence.

You are then taken down and return to the beach, then to the boat and back to your ship.

Week 1

Inheriting the Ship

Preparation for the Journey

You are on a beach. A longboat moves slowly towards the shore. Six men are rowing. They wear the leggings of the time. They are all good men and women. They give you the deeds to the boat.

You look and see a huge Spanish Galleon.

They take you to reclaim your ship. You feel secure. It seems right. There is nostalgia, as though it is something that is rightfully yours. You are amazed and excited.

You dont worry that you are to leave on the ship. You know that you will be safe and that you will not be missed and will return at the right time. All is well.

You row back to the ship, board and are introduced to the massive crew. They cheer you. You are the captain and they are there to serve and protect you.

The ship hasnt sailed for a while. All are working hard to repair, renew, and service the ropes, the planks and the sails. There is now much hard work to do. You join in and take much pleasure from this preparation.

Working with your team of men and women you work on the following things:

• Food and supplies are taken on board.
• The galley is stacked with boxes of food.
• Sails are checked.
• Decks are painted and waterproofed.
• Sails are mended and checked.
• Anchors are checked.
• Rudder and steering are checked.
• Sleeping compartments are checked.
• Medicine chests are filled.
• Navigation instruments are checked.
• The mast is checked and secured.
• The decks are scrubbed.

You are preparing for a beautiful journey. You work hard. You feel no fear but you feel great confidence and excitement. All the people on the ship support you and you feel very safe.

Week 3

The Island of Soft Waters

The Pelvic Area: Creative Inspiration

You are taken to another island. As you glide in the longboat you get in touch with your breathing. By the time you get to the shore you feel deeply relaxed. Take your time. Rowing to the shore and breathing with the slow dipping of the oars should take some time.

As you walk up the beach you see that it is a rocky place but with rocks that are smooth and easy to walk on. These rocks dominate the landscape. Running through the area of smooth rocks is a gently flowing watercourse. It runs in a gentle stream but flows over a large area of the rocks so that it creates endless rock pools. You look into one or two and see lichens and small creatures swimming. You see life. You begin to see that they are like mini-worlds.

You spend your time looking, sensing the smoothness of the rocks and the warmth of the sun within them. You realise that the sun is actually within the rocks and therefore in all things around you. You look at them all; the water, the plants, the birds and small animals.

You see that this is a big version of the rock pool. All connected to the sun, even the shade. You begin to feel connected to all that is around you. And begin to feel a deep love for the world, for this creation. You sit and enjoy. It fills you with a wonder. You stay for a long time with this.

You then walk back to the shore, to the longboat and crew and return to your ship. On your journey back, you feel a creative urge deep within, which you take with you to create something. You are filled with great creative energy.

Week 4

The Island of Swirling Winds

The Navel and the Solar Plexus: The Will to Do

You are taken to another island. As you are taken to the island in the longboat, the rhythm of the dipping oars relaxes you and you become attuned to your breathing. By the time you arrive at the shore you are deeply relaxed. Take time to travel with the dipping oars.

As you alight from the boat you look up and see a great mountain in the centre of the island.

You know that you have to climb this mountain and that you have a great challenge ahead. With courage you relax and decide to enjoy this climb and are determined to learn all that you can from it.

As you climb you begin to feel a growing excitement. You see that as you climb you are going deep within yourself and finding something that youve lost. You dont know yet what it is but you know that it is something important and your heart warms to the task of getting to the top.