“There is a great difference between simply living a long life and living a full and rewarding life. What’s really important is how much rich texture and color we can add to our lives…” -Daisaku Ikeda
Eight-year-old Lacey shared, “This is a picture of me after my mom died of AIDS. Everything is blue and closed. I know there is love somewhere, but I can’t get to it no matter how hard I try.” Daily I watch the numbers of the dead rise from COVID-19 and anticipate the devastating impact that […]
The Sandtray process I promote is rooted in the work of play-research pioneer Margaret Lowenfeld. She theorized that the physical sensations, emotions, memories, and thoughts are interwoven in young children’s minds, identifying our preverbal understanding. Lowenfeld called this form of thought “Picture Thinking.” She developed the Sandtray tools which allowed children to express themselves in an intensely personal, visual, and kinesthetic manner which circumvented the use of words. Her method became known as “Lowenfeld’s World Technique.” Her technique has been adopted by other theorists and used with people of all ages and in many cultures.
Lowenfeld’s approach resonates with me as the practitioner does not interpret or analyze the sand world. Instead, I function as a Witness or a guide to enrich the Creator’s focus, so that they can explore and harvest wisdom from the lesser-known parts of themselves. Sometimes our experiences are beyond words, and at other times our words cannot accurately reflect our experiences. The sand tray Creator makes their own discoveries. Control lies with the maker of the world, and with a practitioner’s aid, fresh personal perceptions and meanings may unfold. This Sandtray process can be a deeply intimate time with oneself that clarifies what actions we need to take to heal, recover, and grow.