Underneath the Underneath

Uncovering what is shaping the moment—what the moment is really about

British artist Andy Goldsworthy uses elements of nature to create what have been described as “intricate and ephemeral” sculptures in forests, meadows, and water. He makes magical creations in the wilds of nature as well as in indoor spaces. He sees the world as energy in motion—my words, not his. Yet in his own way, he is constantly co-creating with energy, flow, dynamics, presence, and interaction.

Watching the 2001 documentary film Rivers and Tides again in the last couple of weeks—the first of two documentaries about Andy Goldsworthy’s work—I find his way of looking at the world in great alignment with Transformational Presence. And a good reminder for how we might look at the world and all that is happening around us and within us today.

“River of Earth” by Andy Goldsworthy—1999 clay wall installation at the Musée Gassendi in Digne-les-Bains, France

Towards the end of the film, Goldsworthy describes creating “River of Earth,” a 1999 clay wall installation at the Musée Gassendi in Digne-les-Bains, France. His intention in creating that wall was to capture the essence of the countryside landscape that lies beyond that wall. In talking about his process, he said :

When I made the first clay wall, I discovered that the architectural geology of the building—where beams were—affected the drying rate [of the clay] and formed cracks and patterns within the cracking. So, what lies below the surface affects the surface.

—Andy Goldsworthy

It was that last sentence that got my attention and won’t let go of me. On one level, it’s simply practical information—perhaps even common sense. Yet as events and circumstances of our lives and our world unfold around us, it’s easy to get swept up in what is happening on the surface—the newsflash or the unforeseen circumstance. And we neglect to pay attention to underlying causes, motivations, experiences, or emotions that might be shaping what we see and feel. We forget that what is happening on the surface is quite likely an expression or symptom of something much deeper—perhaps deeper within us, perhaps within the situation, maybe both. In fact, there could well be multiple layers of reality within what is happening as well as multiple layers of feelings and emotions.

In the complexities of our personal and collective realities, it’s important to look, sense, and feel beneath the surface story. To drop down underneath, and then underneath again. So, underneath the underneath. One of my favorite coaching questions is, “And what’s underneath that?”—inviting my client to drop down underneath the surface story. I ask the same question in my own life, reminding myself to drop underneath. Sometimes we have to drop down through several layers before we “reach the gold”—before we tap into the layer that reveals what the situation is really about and what is driving it.

Detail of Andy Goldsworthy’s “River of Earth”

One of the first reflective exercises I created more than 35 years ago is called “Point of Stillness”—a simple short practice for dropping down underneath the surface to find the “gold.” It continues to serve me today. Perhaps you will find it helpful as well.

Point of Stillness

What is demanding your attention right now? A challenge, a decision, a conflict, or perhaps a sense of unease that won’t let go of you. Let yourself to be present with it now. There is no need to analyze it or fix it or do anything about it. Just be willing to stay present with it and let it stay present with you.

To begin exploring, settle into your chair or stand tall yet relaxed, and let the chair or the floor support you. Let your breath find its own natural, steady, even rhythm. If it takes a few breaths to settle in, that’s ok. Take your time. This act alone is likely to calm your system.

Keep taking easy, full, deep breaths. As you inhale, allow the floor of your awareness to open. Then as you exhale, float down underneath what is happening to a deeper, quieter space. And take another breath here.

What gets your attention at this deeper quieter level? There may or may not be some new information or awareness. It’s ok either way. Yet what do you sense or know here? Just notice.

Then take another breath, allowing the floor of your awareness to open once again as you inhale. And as you exhale, float down to the next deeper, quieter level. Take another breath and rest here.

What gets your attention at this level? What new information or awareness shows itself? What do you know or sense here?

Continue allowing the floor to open as you inhale, and float down to the next deeper, quieter layer as you exhale until you feel like you have reached the “gold.” Sense the message. And if it feels like there still might be more, take another breath and float down yet another level. Trust that you will know when the exercise is complete for now.

What has shifted in your relationship to your situation? What is different now? What did you find underneath the underneath?

So often, it’s not until we are willing to drop down underneath the underneath that we discover what is really going on or what the moment is really about. Life’s deeper realities usually happen behind the scenes, under wraps, in the hidden chambers of our inner being. It’s up to us to plumb deeper, to explore further, and to not stop until we’ve come to the “gold.” Or at least as close as we can get in the moment. And then when we get to the “gold,” to partner with it. To listen, sense, and feel, letting the wisdom and truth underneath what is happening guide us.

Which takes me back to Andy Goldsworthy. In Rivers and Tides, we visit a great long stone wall he created in the late 1990s at Storm King Art Center in the Hudson River valley in upstate New York. This 500-acre outdoor “museum” is home to large-scale commissioned sculptures under the open sky. In describing his process of creating this wall, Goldsworthy said,

The dialogue with the stone is what makes the wall.

—Andy Goldsworthy

Andy Goldsworthy’s 1998 stone wall sculpture at the Storm King Art Center in the Hudson River Valley of New York.

He goes on to talk about his intuitive dialogue with the stones, the land, and its inhabitants over many generations past. He says the stones told him how they should be stacked; the land and generations of inhabitants guided him in his design as he sculpted the wall that now meanders through the woods, meadows, and ponds of Storm King. Stepping into the photograph above, it’s like I can hear the wall singing in its magical beauty and the wind whistling through the trees. Mystical music.

Throughout my life, I’ve learned that when I listen attentively to the worlds within me and around me, and engage in dialogue with those inner and outer worlds, I am shown the way forward. I’ve learned that Life will take care of me when I actively participate in the ongoing dialogue underneath the underneath. The underneath is always there waiting for me. Even when it feels completely silent, there’s still a message within or underneath the silence. There is never “nothing.”

It may not come immediately; I have to trust that it will come in its own time. My job is to stay in the dialogue—to remain present and keep listening, even in the silence. Underneath the underneath.

---

Invitations

• Free recorded Meditations for Changing Times led by Alan. More than 50 guided meditations. Choose the title that speaks to you and listen. Available for free to you anytime.

• Visit The Center for Transformational Presence website

• Consider reading one of Alan’s Books

• Explore Coaching and Mentoring with Alan

• Invite Alan to Speak to your organization or conference

• Explore Upcoming Programs in Transformational Presence

---