Why You Should Form a Relationship to Nature
There is a wisdom inherent in Nature. When we speak of people that have predilection towards a certain skill, we say that they have an innate talent; they’re a natural. Cuttlefish shells and sunflowers display perfect mathematical symmetry. Every piece of Her plays its essential part, from the trees, flowers, and grasses to the mycelial webs, arthropods, and animals. Our awareness, as peculiar as it is to these other elements, predisposes us to forget that we are derived from the same substance, that the perfection inherent in Her beauty is contained also in our own vessel. We are a part of Nature, and we suffer when we fall out of relationship with Her as we have collectively and individually. Our air is heavy with pollutants, our cities sparse with green, and our economic systems geared towards more more more rather than aimed at symbiosis. Reestablishing a personal connection to Nature is not transformative only for our own health, but that of our families, communities, and global civilization.
My spiritual awakening began when I took up residence near Austin’s Barton Creek Reserve. A particular valley called out to me in the summer of 2017, and I began taking regular visits in its woods where I would honor curiosity, wander through the cedars and oaks, inhale the scents, and come to know the relationships amongst its plants, critters, and fungi. While I was unaware of it at the time, a subtle but profound shift was developing in my psyche, one author Dr. Bill Plotkin would describe as a shift from an egocentric to an ecocentric viewpoint.
"Reestablishing a personal connection to Nature is not transformative only for our own health, but that of our families, communities, and global civilization."
I had the tremendous honor and privilege to be close to a protected piece of land, one that was permitted to remain in a state of harmonious wilderness, as well as the benefit of being less than five miles from the location of my physical birth. Circumstances are rarely so fortunate. As our populations are concentrated in urban areas, such an opportunity is a luxury for most. However, though Nature may be mitigated and sequestered in the cities there are no domains where She does not tread. The practice of being with and aware of Her can take place even within the various concrete labyrinths we may inhabit and pave the way for more intense immersion.
Cultivating a Relationship
Like the beginning of any new relationship, time and care should be applied to deepening our relationship with Mother Earth. This is best done by spending regular time with Her to as much extent as we are able. In addition to maintaining an awareness of Nature wherever we might tread, an area close to home should be selected that balances un-curated wilderness with our practical needs. A pristine forest is ideal, but not if it requires a journey that we cannot commit to week-to-week. For the labyrinth-locked, this may be a city park or a street with a higher-than-average number of trees. In addition to regularity, we strive to maintain our attention and focus on the experience at hand. Relinquishing our attention to our phone, social media, even books can be distracting. This is not to say that you cannot take to the trail with a good book or a friend, but time should be exercised maintaining awareness and observing. Learn the locale. Start to differentiate between different trees and plants, notice where they emerge throughout daily life and in new travels. Trees close to home can be powerful allies, and they will benefit from the bestowment of a name from us to them. They often have their own personalities that can be gleaned from their shapes and feelings evoked while admiring them.
Particularly if natural areas are sparse, we can invite plants into our homes and take responsibility for them. Select plants that are within our knowledge and skillset to nurture; begin with simplicity. Plants that thrive are a balm to the soul; plants that suffer and decay weigh on us. Succulents and various cacti have simple needs and are greatly suited to this purpose. This article provides an excellent overview if we are just beginning a horticultural journey. Welcome a few into the home; watch and feel as the space comes alive.
Recognizing Natural Rhythms
"As time proceeds, we lose ourselves in the seamless transitions of the seasons, of destruction and renewal, of deadness and vitality."
All existence is based on fluctuation, vibration, and cyclical process. As awareness shifts towards the ecological, pay attention to the various cycles and patterns that permeate our existence. The female-bodied readers have an advantage here due to their moon cycle which grounds and connects them to the Earth Mother in sacred manner. However, all humans go through daily, weekly, and yearly cycles. Our circadian rhythms are a great place to start. When does the body feel alert, when does it feel fatigued? What are the patterns we recognize in feeding, sex, grooming, doing? Observe the moon each night and knowledge of its phases will come intuitively. As time proceeds, we lose ourselves in the seamless transitions of the seasons, of destruction and renewal, of deadness and vitality. As time continues to pass and we return to our nearby nature spot to revel, we will watch Her go through these same transitions: the lushness of the Spring, the strength of the Summer, the gentle descent of the Fall, and the cold sleep of Winter. We are integral with this process, separate in no capacity except for the illusions we cast. With a comprehension of the seasons we gain another intuitive sense of our being. When we undergo periods of tragedy and despair, we can take solace in their fininity. Ecstatic highs can be tempered by the knowledge that it is the passing of high noon, that night will surely come again, and that this peak experience is to be relished and relinquished, rather than held with white knuckles.
Reestablishing a Sense of Wonder
We enter existence with a divine gift of wonder that permeates and propels us to discover the Mystery. Recall as a child the insects we watched like riveting films, how radiant were the details of leaves, and the fascination with Nature’s perfection and symmetry, how at home we could be in the lost play of the woods. Listen to the child within. It has never left us, though in our striving and building and judgment we may bury them beneath the image of who we think we are. As the practice deepens, synchronicities and affective experiences will increase in frequency and intensity. We may find other seekers along the path and join our journeys, become friends with particular animal spirits, or more deeply relish the detail and wonder of the rising innate.
Have Patience
Our world is one of have it done yesterday, where if we are not in perpetual hustle then we must be behind on some fabled ideal, trapped in the world of ceaseless doing. Nature does not operate this way. She does not do, She is. Do not be surprised if frustration and haste are encountered on the path. We have been conditioned over the course of many centuries, it will take more than a cycle of seasons to reach where we might want to be, to pull back the layers of façade lain like mud bricks over our eyes. Progress is incremental, and it will unfold beneath the blanket of our conscious awareness. It will defy our deductive powers, planning, and desire. It is nothing that ‘we’ the subject are responsible for, we need only to let it happen through us. Our best participation is getting out of the way. Notice when these feelings of lack of progress or efficacy arise and know that they are expected companions on the journey home.
The Sentient Soul
