IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

World renowned founder and facilitator of Original Play is to present In Touch with Nature at the Wilderness Leadership School.

Fred Donaldson has a gift that he received from playing with children (including autistic children) and animals such as bears, wolves, dolphins and lions. Now he wants to share it with all who want a different relationship to life, people and nature.

Featured with Marc Bekoff in the National Geographic video The Power of Play, as well as in The Intelligence of Play (Touch the Future), he brings the gift of play as a different way of relating to life.

“Nature lives two looks away”, says Donaldson. “If I want to truly “see” nature I must learn how to look with my heart, and not just my eyes. Original Play is an invitation to come out, get down and play with the world. The practice of original play requires an open heart, flexible mind and resilient body to get back in touch with the world.”

Original Play’s skills are developed through giving and receiving. The workshop teaches a pattern of relationship not only with each other but with nature as well. It will focus on such ideas/skills such as stillness, connection, touch, seeing and movement, playing by heart as the essence of the technique of kindness. Davidson teaches how to create safety with a “no fear” mindset and without becoming an aggressor or a victim. These skills can be used even with dangerous animals like spouses and co-workers!

“Do you remember colouring with crayons on blank paper?” adds Davidson. “Then it was impossible to colour outside the lines. But then someone gave us paper with outlines of animals and people. Like a wild horse in a corral, our colouring was tamed when forced inside the lines. This workshop is not intended as a way to struggle against the lines of culture, but to realize as we did when we first began to colour that the lines are unnecessary. We can relearn to interact as if there were no lines, no categories. We can truly play outside the lines.”

The workshop takes place on August 4 and 5 at the Wilderness Leadership School, Stainbank Nature Reserve, Coedmore Avenue, Yellowwood Park. Cost R700 per day payable upon booking. Those who may decide to stay for another day, can pay the additional R700 on August 4 or the full R1,400 can be paid up front. Attendees are advised to dress comfortably as the workshop actually entails playing! A light lunch and tea and coffee will be provided. Bookings and directions from Kathryn Brett kathryn@wildernessleadershipschool.co.za or call 031 462 8642