Peace-of-Eden Eco-therapy Experiences Mental Preparation for Western Province and Stormers Rugby Teams 2005 / 2006

Mandy Young, Psychotherapist with 26 years of privileged experience working with healing, maturation, relationships and self-discovery, also has 11 year of experience as an Eco-therapist, taking people into wilderness spaces to observe animals with social behavior. It is a journey of re-connection with our intuition, passion and creativity. She facilitates 4 tailor-made experiences with wild Meerkats. Wild Dogs, Elephants and Dolphins. She encourages you to de-stress and discover yourself so as to better define your place in the team.

Why is there a need for Mental Preparation?

1. Mandy believes that man evolved in adaptation to nature - genetically, soulfully and spiritually.

   We are not best adapted for the stresses and strains of city life and the many striven-after aspects of our westernized lifestyles. World-renowned biologist, Edward Wilson, reminds us:

   The human species has had some 3 million years of survival-programming in how to interact constructively with nature…love and connectedness with the natural world is rooted in our genes - as much a part of our history as love and bonding and having children. We know at a deep body-mind level, however dimly, that if we continue to reject this programming and do not establish a respectful interaction with nature, we will lose not only a vital dimension of our humanness, but eventually our planet home as a self-renewing, life-nurturing organism. (The Diversity of Life, 1992).

2. Mandy believes that modern man has increasingly deviated from human species-specific ways of behaving.

   Since the advent of agriculturalization, land became divided and peoples ways of relating to each other changed from a shared, tribal, clan-like way of relating to something that was more controlling, competitive and patriarchal: there were those who had (the Feudal Lords) and those who 'had not' (the Serfs). Then with the advent of Industrialization, ways of relating changed again: families no longer farmed the land together, they became more divided, as different family members worked and were educated in separate places and specialized institutions. People increasingly lost their sense of heritage and belonging in a clan, a place and in terms of their interdependence with nature.

   Philosopher, Simon Weill (1991), emphasizes the significance of this process when he says: 'to be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul"

   Mandy believes most South African people and rugby teams have lost a sense of heritage, continuity, national and personal pride as a result of these processes, as well as our current climate of ongoing political change and changes within national and local rugby boards with their constantly re-newing procedures and goals.

   The Age of Reason encouraged an even further deviation from those ways in which we were meant to live and relate, as man became increasingly left-brain focused. Right brain attributes of compassion, intuition and integrative sharing and thinking became second cousins to that which was factual, scientifically 'proven' or academic. Peter and Beverly Pickford, husband and wife team, ask the following question in their book about the Okavonga Delta, called 'Miracle Rivers':

   'If we cannot use our reason to hold ourselves in humility and accept with grace our partnership with all the earth (and each other), then we will not be able to perceive that man, like the dinosaur, is expendable. Ultimately in the vastness of time, man is on trial here, not only as a species, but also as a vehicle to determine whether reason was an advance or a tragic evolutionary mistake?

   Consequently, when mental preparation programs only enhance physical training and academic, left-brained techniques and game planning, without developing the right brain capabilities of intuitive, connecting self-knowledge and team co-ordination then being successful and competent only happens when outcomes are dependent on prescribed preparations for specific situations. Encouraging right brain capabilities further enhances the development of the innate ability of each member within the team, individually and co-operatively, to be able to adapt and connect in a flowing way to each unique situation. The strength of the team is not only dependent on the right pre-planned strategy and match plan, but is inherent within each player, and the knowledge each player has of himself and of others in his team. These capabilities, being inherent, continue over time and across matches.

3. Mandy believes emotional underdevelopment has been an increasingly significant impediment in our human society; evidenced in:

   • 'deprivation rage', which results in vandalism, bullying, anti-social behavior, road rage, wars, unnecessary acts of aggression on the rugby field, etc.;
   • 'inner emptiness' evidenced in the increase of alcoholism, drugging, promiscuity and Aids, even workaholism, excessive ambition and greed and the striving for grandiosity, heroism and perfection; and finally
   • a breakdown in longterm, supportive and nurturing family and cultural relationships.

In conclusion:

I believe that any mental preparation programs that do not take these psycho-social and historical relationships dynamics into account; as well as the many cultural and political changes on national levels and within rugby boards and unions, cannot offer long-term and foundational outcomes for the performance of rugby players within provincial or national South African rugby teams. Eco-therapy Experiences I facilitate with wild Meerkats, Elephants, Dolphins and Wild Dogs are based on an understanding of these concepts and relationship dynamics.

How can Eco-therapy help in terms of Mental Preparation?

Eco-therapy paradigms for personality development and psychological wellbeing are built on the extrapolation and integration of 3 theoretical models: The extension of Object-Relations theory, a Social Systems theory that includes an interconnectedness with all living things (the biosphere) as well as with the interpersonal community, and a spiritual dimension that is derived from the Psychology of Religion.

1. The extension of Object-Relations theory:

   In layman's terms: Normal human development necessitates the right amount of appropriate physical and emotional responsiveness between primary caretakers, usually parents, and their children. Any neglect, abuse or fragility in this primary bonding and relating will significantly impact on how a person perceives himself, his world, other people he relates to and consequently affects the decisions he makes and how he takes care of himself. The 'self' is a core of any rugby players being. A little change in 'self' perception can be quite life transforming and can facilitate huge shifts in terms of rugby playing perfomance. The eco-therapy experiences I facilitate have at their core, a focus on self-discovery and consequent self-care, a good knowledge of oneself so as to know how to fit together as a team.

   Early man was not perfect, but knew how to live in a conservationary relationship with the world, without destroying it. Daily, he lived with supportive clan-group-team relationships, deeply wise and knowing of his early heritage and reasons for existing . Unfortunately we do not have many tribal societies left in the world to learn from and observe. We do, however, still have animals with social behavior that highlight ways of relating we have forgotten about or compromised, ways of surviving as a group or team. In times of quiet reflective observation animals can also make us aware of our own 'internal landscape' - the filter through which we see ourselves and the world, and the filter through which we act on the external world in which we live and play.

   From a more theoretical perspective: Object relations has as its' central theme the understanding that human personality and identity is formed as children internalize their most important 'objects' (their parents), and their relationship experiences with these 'objects', upon which they are initially - for better or for worse - completely dependent. 'Environment' in this theoretical context is the interpersonal relationship between the infant and their primary caregiver, especially the mother. It does not refer to the natural environment. Thus, the ecotherapy extension of this theory is to consider a person's relationship with both 'environments' as they establish their identity, in other words, as they experience "…the internalized unloving, undependable "bad" mother or loving, dependable "good" mother (as well as)… interact with the internalized fearful and threatening "bad" earth experiences and the security-giving, nurturing experiences with the "good earth".

   Thus attachment and bonding with our own mothering person, when obscured, also impacts on our ability to access opportunities to 'be held' in the balanced, nurturing 'arms' of 'Mother Nature'.

   It is Lynda Wheelwright Schmidt, a Jungian analyst, who makes us aware that most men and women suffer from a double abandonment wound: initially we are removed too early from the 'safe place' of our 'mothering person' - mother and/or father - due to westernized lifestyles that value materialistic gain or career ambition, or because of economic necessity or even divorce. Many adults deal with this abandonment wound, and the consequent deprivation rage, inner emptiness and poor relationships that result, seek healing and maturation through various therapeutic interventions and religious pursuits. The other abandonment wound this Jungian analyst advocates we all experience is the result of not living in close interaction with nature anymore. She says:

   "Entering the wilderness and its microcosms - (even) gardens and parks - gives us an opportunity to reconnect with this instinct and rest our fragile psyches from the exhaustion of trying to stay intact in the civilized world, which is so alien to many of us…Merger with a therapist can heal our abandonment wound, but merger with nature can reconnect us to the ancient roots of the Self as well." (1991, The Long Shore: A Psychological Experience of the Wilderness.)

   The Eco-therapy Experiences Mandy facilitates are so effective because 1) she integrates a personal, self-discovery focus that is impaired when we are not adequately parented; 2) a re-connection with a sense of being a team through group discussions and, 3) when people are in wilderness settings they relax, access more of their right-brained functioning and development and re-connect with their ancient human roots and heritage.

2. Social systems theory:

   Social Systems theory advocates that humans are essentially relational beings, and that our personalities are formed in and by familial and socio-cultural contexts. The ecotherapy extension of this theory is an understanding that we are also an integral part of nature.

   When reflecting on the socio-political, cultural and educational institutions that colour our identities, hopes and desires, Jungian analyst, Steven Aizenstat (1992) encourages us to consider that:

   '…human behavior is rooted most deeply in nature's intentions…The rhythms of nature underlie all human interaction, religious tradition, economic systems, cultural and political organization. When these human forms betray the natural psychic pulse, people and societies get sick, nature is exploited, and entire species are threatened.'

   According to the ecotherapy extension of Systems Theory, the heart of human identity is defined within these interactive interpersonal, socio-cultural, political and educational relationships nested within our natural context. Often when there is much ongoing political and social change, people who are individual team members, are no different to anyone else, they are left with a sense of futurelesness. The consequence is an underlying feeling of insecurity and vulnerability, as opposed to confidence and a sense of continuity, that is evident in New Zealand, Australian and English rugby teams. These other national teams are not experiencing the same degree of socio-political change and instability that South African rugby teams have endured over the last decade.

3. The Psychology of Religion

   Ecotherapy upholds a belief that a central and essential dimension of being human is the capacity for self-transcendence and the valuing of spiritual insights and experiences. As there are many different, very personalized, spiritual paths and beliefs that human beings can pursue, this is something I leave up to each individual rugby player to integrate as a 'meaningful or not' aspect of their personality and interaction with others. But having hope and faith in a wisdom and strength beyond our own, that we perceive to be creative and supportive can greatly enhance one's sense of worth and connectedness with ourselves, others, the world we live in, with other species and with a Creator that some may perceive made this all possible.

Overall Program Structure:

Pre-Ecotherapy Experience Preparation:

2 individual sessions with each player, coach and administrative staff member, to understand their early developmental history and consequently the 'filter' through which each player, coach or administrative staff member uniquely perceives himself, others and the context he lives in. The sessions also help Mandy gain specific understandings of the strengths and weaknesses of each player, coach and administrative staff member so as to be better able to facilitate an effective eco-therapy intervention experience and strengthening specific to each player with the aim of better individual performance and team interconnection.

Costs: R250 (normal price R310) per session x 80 = R20,000

A pre-program Seminaar to explain the purpose and process of the Eco-therapy Experiences so as to allay any fears or misunderstandings and to equip each player, coach and administrative staff member to gain the most they can from these experiences.

Costs: R80 (normal price R100) per player x 40 = R3,200

Peace-of-Eden Ecotherapy Experiences with wild Meerkats, Elephants, Dolphins and Wild Dogs:

Contact Mandy: 082 445 4142 | mandy@peace-of-eden.co.za | Copyright © 2010 Mandy Young | Sitemap