Sand in the Box: Building a Foundation

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Sand in the Box: Building a Foundation

by Anna Schwerdtfeger, Registered Creative Therapist, member of NVCT
“Scoop in the sand in order to live, or live in order to scoop in the sand”
(from a Japanese film by Hiroshi Toshigahara)

It is a week before Christmas. Outside, it is dark and still. I am sitting in the middle of my therapy room, looking around me, when I realize that there is something new gradually developing…….

I began my Sandplay training course four months ago. Each week, I let my hands glide through the cool, silky sand, touch and stroke it, make drawings with the water. I let myself be fascinated and bewitched by the miniature symbols of our universe. I find myself repeatedly being caught up in the flow towards the encounter with something primal and age-old. Doors open up and shapes from the whole universe emerge: inexplicable at first, but subsequently becoming clear to me.

Last summer, I became inspired by this form of therapy while I was working as Creative Therapist at the Foundation Les Vaux, France. It was a ‘déjá vu’ experience. About 25 years ago, I bought the book Sandplay (‘Das Sandspiel’) by Dora Kalff, one of my first therapy books. Little did I know then that this process concealed a seed from which the whole world in all its facets could develop.

Now that I feel intimately related to the ‘Sandplay Process’, I am surprised by my personal accompanying responses, such as ‘nest building’. During the last few weeks, there has been a lot of hammering and planning on the sandbox and several layers of paint are being applied to the inside, to achieve the right shade of blue for sky and water. Another new related form of my behavior has emerged: everywhere I walk, I seem to be concentrating on “looking” for objects for my collection!

I try to explain to my colleagues, friends and family, what Sandplay Therapy is all about, but just like the way we view the “unseen” baby in pregnancy, they do not really understand very much about it, but are aware of my special involvement and support me. Sometimes, someone may surprise me with a little gift from their own collection, each one having its own story.

Feeling very satisfied, I see the collection increasing in size, and I am often to be seen maneuvering new cupboards. I try to sort my collection of god icons, stones, animals, people, fruits, talismans, trees and stars into some kind of order related to the natural laws of hierarchy. In this way, I try to follow the work method of genuine Sandplayers who, in no systematic way, just put everything on to one heap.

I often sit in front of my collection just looking at and enjoying it. Then once again, something interesting springs to life, giving rise to rich, proud, possessive feelings. I enjoy feelings of anticipation at the sight of shelves, empty for the time being and still without shape or form.

I feel like a child again, a sort of Alice in Wonderland, with all the magic -- but without the trappings -- of foregone judgments. The collection shows diversity, substance and quality (for example, between collected Kitsch, items artifact-like, shabby, valuable, simple, complex, abstract and concrete). Then that magical focus of attention towards all things created comes into play, accompanied by an urge to explore further.

“Sand in the box”

The first days of the New Year are here and though it is winter-cold outside, the sky is getting lighter.

I stand in my Therapy Room, with the table before me on which stands the large sandbox, in all its virgin beauty, waiting patiently to be filled.

Then comes the special moment when I think “the time has come to put the sand in the box for the first time.” After this unique moment, filling and emptying will happen repeatedly.

I cut open the bag of silver sand and with hands dig deeply into this soft primal substance, sand. ‘Dig into it, hold it, let go!’ I hear. The eternal process of life; forming little mounds or islands in the water or just loose unconnected sand, begins. Scooping and spreading, pressing and smoothing, letting the fingers enjoy working through the sand, loosening it up, combing it trough and smoothing it over. My silent receptive sandgarden in its framework of light blue airspace is just waiting to be ‘played’.

I rub my hands free of sand and contentedly light a candle in the centre of the sandbox:

a festive new beginning is on its way.

Anna may be contacted through:
ART in Process Training and Coaching
Frederik Hendrikstraat 76 NL - 3583 VP Utrecht,
Netherlands (Holland)
e-mail: artinprocess@planet.nl

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