Clay Field!

I have recently returned from the Devine Claerwen Retreat which is located at Crows Nest lookout in Gadubanud (Katabanut) Country, Apollo Bay - attending a clay field intensive program facilitated by Cornelia Elbrecht, who worked directly as a client then professionally as a facilitator with Professor Heinz Deuser. What an honor it was to be able to do a 15-day intensive program with Cornelia who witnessed Heinz developed his haptic sensory process of working in a wooden window frame filled with clay.

What is Clay Field?

Clay field is not the action of setting out to create anything but the action of feeling impulses in the hands and following these to find sensory feedback. Moving it around so to speak with no end product in mind. All process not so much product - however the end usually has many messages and resonances for us to help in the next steps of our journey.

Take Aways from my time with Cornelia

It’s an amazing process in the clay field as it puts the client in full control of what they wish to do. How deep they wish to dive, how gently they wish to approach it, that is if they are able to place their hands onto the clay at all. It can take some clients many sessions to pop hands onto the field. I like Cornelia’s metaphor of being the therapist, the person on the boat who holds the line as the diver delves into the ocean's mysteries. Providing the occasional encouraging - 'yep', 'how’s that?' and 'I wonder...' 

It can be difficult interpret these sensory expressions, especially if the brain does not work in metaphors or visual concepts. However, I trust that the subconscious and body along with clay and therapist can provide a release, transformation, meditative and post-nurture parts of the self-needing to heal. Like one client said having hands in the clay for one hour would have benefits for the self just as it is.

There is a lot of research and theory into the sensory motor developmental stages and how restorative it is for gaps in one’s stages. This supports many children’s learning and social emotional skills at school and in life.

Want to give it a go?

One day this is all I wish to do as it truly is such powerful therapy - click below to discuss with me how this therapy can help you too!

How Clay Field helped me

I am blown away with the personal shifts I have felt inside my heart and body as well as my fellow facilitators journeys. This truly has the ability to tap into the subconscious inner world and allow the clients innate touch sense - to bring forth who they are in the world.

The reparative modality allows the embodiment of the whole self to take part placing the conscious thinking brain aside as best it can. Trusting the hands to follow what impulses they want to and slowly allowing them to share knowledge of the way we are in the world. If we can trust the process and continue forth throughout this session allowing the unknown to unfold there is an opportunity for us to gain in-sights into a supportive way of being in the world.

The inner part of us has a wish to heal so somehow during this we find it. For example, in my sessions I was taken to such deep insightful places in my internal landscape I could hardly believe it. After a guided grounding in which each time I placed in my thoughts,

 “Please may this help heal me, please may I find out what will help me move forward into my life with passion and peace. "

I went into the first session with a desperate need to heal and followed my impulses which lead me to literally rip out a very large lump of clay which I pulled close to me. I felt the weight quite significantly in my arms. I started rocking and soothing this clay with tears streaming down my eyes. Many bowls of warm water with a sponge aid helped me in pendulating between this intensity of past traumas and the ability to self sooth and move with the emotions and sensory feedback in order to continue yo find something useful to hold onto.  I was able to use the warm water to wash my large clay piece and feel my hands in the soothing warmth supporting my intense process. This piece was returned and transformed into a large mountain in which I was able to gain an affirmation of I can rise above my story.

I went in full force into this healing modality with a real intention to heal and grow.