Walking In Your Shoes®

About What We Do

“Don’t judge someone until you have walked a mile in their moccasins.”

– Native American Wisdom

The two sections below give a very brief overview of what WIYS is and how a Walk is generally conducted. I would like to emphasize though, that in order to really understand how this method works, one needs to experience it. And this is one of the main reasons why I am offering free introductary workshops for people who have never encountered this process before. Please see the events/register page on this site for already scheduled workshops/meetings you could participate in or use the contact form to inquire into creating an event for you together.

WIYS is still a process not very well known -yet- and is very much evolving. So, please join me for a workshop or meeting and see for yourself!

The Approach In General
WIYS is a method which allows us to go beyond our conventional ways of knowing and understanding. It is a body-based, transformational process of directly knowing oneself and others in a state of deep interconnectedness. It integrates empathy, mindfulness, intuitive movement, and somatic resourcing. The process is an opportunity for us to break out of our limiting self-concepts and getting past our rigid ideas of reality and more importantly, about ourselves. Imagine the possibility of letting go – at least temporarily – of the belief we all carry, that we are somehow inherently separate. We can be each other (or any element), because we already are.
This way of working is sometimes called ‘phenomenological’, as we look at and work with what arises in the very moment, rather than engaging with stories and believes, or analyzing past experiences.
 

Ways in which WIYS can support us:

  • A deeper understanding of ourselves, our bodies, life and health issues, and our relationships with others.
  • The facilitation of healing personal traumas, collective traumas, and other woundings.
  • Tapping into and activating our potential and (creative) resources.
  • Understanding another person (like a friend or colleague), their perspective or the state they are in.
  • Facilitating communication/reconciliation in a family or other group settings such as a class or team.
  • Giving a voice to beings not having their own or which are expressing themselves in a way we don’t understand.
  • Experiencing and realizing a (much) deeper empathy with all beings and the world around us.
  • … and much more
The Actual Walk
The work begins with the readiness of a participant to explore a specific subject: oneself, another person, or one of the many other possibilities. If a volunteer from the group agrees to do the walk, she or he states the intention to be this person (or element) and starts walking in the available space. The facilitator guides the walker to listen to the impulses of the “body-mind” and the walker “becomes” the person (or element), expressing – verbally or physically – all that which arises in the moment. It is of astounding accuracy what the walker ‘manifests’ in regards to life themes, emotions, physical conditions and many other important qualities of the subject being walked. The walk usually concludes when a certain sense of fullness in what needs be known has been reached. People who have been “walked”, frequently report that they have never before felt so understood and accepted.

Should I walk myself or someone else for me?
Feel into what is right for you. Generally speaking you would do the walk yourself but occasionally it is better to have a representative do it for you. As the facilitator I can help you to determine which way serves you best.
How long are walks?
Many walks are somewhere between 20-30 minutes, occasionally a little longer. Another great way of working is using timed walks which are about 10 minutes long and have shown to be very effective.
Can I walk … ?
You can walk (or have someone walk) yourself, loved ones, your boss, a neighbor, a person of public interest, an archetype, a fictional character, parts of your body, your blind-spot/calling/inner child/longing/next step, projects, relationships (to people, to money, etc), political systems, the environment, countries and much more.
And what about …?
A walk is an energetic experience, felt in your body and expressed through it. So if you’d like an answer to the question “How much money should I invest in company X?”, a walk will not give you a numerical answer. There are ways though to still explore the subject via a Walk.  The motivation for a walk comes from the heart and is with a benign intent. I reserve the right to decline any walk which seems ill intended.
Any other questions? 
Just go to contact and send if off to me.