Extended Practice — Yielding as an ecologically sensitive and somatic practice

By Tamara Ashley

These yielding practices are designed to anchor your perception of nature in your senses. They enable you to focus on different senses in the natural environment and observe the emerging relationships. Most practices in this Toolkit are available as recordings, which you can listen to through your device or headphones. However, to benefit most from the sensory immersion in a natural environment that the yielding practice advocates, we recommend that you read the PDF script in advance (link below), print it, and then go outdoors with this score as your guide. Take your time with each invitation: perhaps only try 1 or 2 of the practices at first. Repetition of the practices can be helpful in observing changing perceptual and experiential relationships with nature over time.

PDF link to Yielding Script, to read, print, and take outdoors with you.

Link to Tamara Ashley’s Blog post, for further information on this practice.

Further Reading

Bateson, G. (1972) Steps towards an Ecology of Mind. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Clark, A. (2003) Natural Born Cyborgs: Minds, Technology and the Future of Human
Intelligence. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Feuerstein, G (1998) Tantra: The Path of Ecstasy. London: Shambhala Publications.

Marks, L. (2002). Touch: Sensuous Theory and Multi-sensory Media. USA: University
of Minnesota Press.

Marks, L. (2004). Haptic Visuality: Touching with the Eyes. Framework Finnish Art
Review,Available: http://www.framework.fi/2_2004/visitor/artikkelit/marks.html

Reynolds, A. (2000). Casting Glances. Art in the Landscape, Marfa, TX:
Chinati Foundation [symposium publication].