Our Inner Companions are illustrated by Nomi Miller. Nomi is a believer in magic and the power of words. She likes to draw, dance, sing, be silly and do nothing at all.
Nomi lives in a garden colony in Denmark where she is entertained daily by her young son Ruben.
Introducing Hummah!
BEING is a way to remember Hummah.
Hummah! [HUMM-ahh] This companion is always monitoring our environment for us. She helps us access the present moment and understand our body's perspective. She says "I am a body!"
Hummah gives us access to all of our body senses: vision, sound, taste, smell, intuition (gut sense), touch and overall body wisdom. Most of the information passes quietly to our brain without our awareness. Key for those in schools is that we must be in our right hemisphere (with Hummah) to learn new things. With practice, we can rewire our brain to bring more creativity, playfulness and ability to learn new things into lives.
Introducing Sleuthin!
DOING is a way to remember Sleuthin.
Sleuthin! [Slu-THINN] This companion helps us access all that we have learned about being a human on this planet. He loves to separate and label things, solve problems and find missing pieces. He is always engaged in some purpose, enjoys helping others and is efficient in routine situations.
Sleuthin prefers and defends what he knows! When things are under control, he is happy! Sometimes he worries about the future. And boy, does Sleuthin like to talk! He has access to our language center and can fire off endless repetitive thoughts when he does not feel heard. A valuable awareness is that Sleuthin tends to ignore what he does not understand.
Sleuthin says “I have a body” and has lots of ideas to keep it busy.
Introducing Ashamaya!
BEING WITH is a way to remember Ashamaya.
Ashamaya! [AH-sha-my-ya] Who are we? Our third companion represents us as self-mentor to our body and mind. In our best moments, we are like Ashamaya, an owl with wings, able to stretch and hold what is within us and around us. Ashamaya understands that everything belongs. Everything. The owl’s eyes takes in an expansive mountain ridge view while its wings open wide to hold whatever is here right now with tenderness. We are in this together; the owl reminds us again and again. When we pause, open our wings with both kindness and clarity, we allow ourselves to grow toward our highest potential.
And here is an excerpt of the Inner Companions as Ashamaya leads them in planning how they will support Wendy in Book 1...
Prologue
It’s story time, my Companions! Let’s gather around.
Ashamaya fluffs its wings out to each side. Hummah takes a seat on one side. Sleuthin follows. The owl waits as they settle in.
Ashamaya smiles and then speaks. “It is time to help Smartview Village tell another set of Focusing stories. Our mission for this book involves awkward moments. I wonder what comes for each of you when you hear the phrase ‘Awkward Moments’.
Sleuthin starts. “Ugh. Clumsy. Difficult. Unmanageable. No skill. Very annoying.”
The owl nods. “Yes, I hear this phrase brings up a lot that can annoy you.”
Hummah chimes in, “For me, awkward brings an image of tripping over my
own arms or tying them in knots. It’s downright embarrassing and might even be painful.”
Ashamaya’s face softens as it imagines this experience. “Oh, my! And for you, awkward moments bring a sense of embarrassment, maybe even pain. Thank you for sharing. This is a splendid start. And, there is more I’d like you to watch for as we help our friend Wendy. Our story involves Wendy at her new school.”
And, together they form a plan…
Coming someday in the future...stuffed and other versions of our Inner Companions for you to hold and play with.
Here is our first prototype of this trio...