 . Web Site Navigation Introduction Education Information Validation Contacts  |
||||
|
|
(Continued from Page 4)
Intelligence
I was very taken with this session. I had never thought about the intelligence of the senses before, and found that in the outdoor process for this section, that I really did percieve nature in a new way when I thought about the immense complexity, harmony, and mind of wild nature.
I went cross country skiing with Fritz by the Snake River levy, which goes on for a few miles, flat, open, and great for skiing and dogs. The day was sunny and brilliant, with what I call "stars" on the snow when the light hits it. As I first stepped out of my car, I felt the icy cold morning air on my left cheek, and thought, "Cold. What intelligence does this sensation have?" I thought about how cold is an intelligence guiding me to seek a healthy regulation of my body temperature. With a bit of a start, I realized that If not for the sense of cold, I could easily die in this climate! We skiied on for a couple of miles, and then skiied off the path to a grove of cottonwood trees, whom I asked consent from to be there with them. I felt them welcome me with the open arms of their bare, gray branches. Again, as in the activity last week, I felt the personhood of each tree, then each bush, then each blade of dried out last-year's grass poking up from the snow. I saw a rock near my foot, and sensed its personhood, too. It was a wonderful connecting feeling.
I looked for my attractions, and found many. "Water," I said to myself. The sound of the river
was such an attraction. I thought about the intelligence of that attraction, and realized that the sound of water is the sound of life. The sound signifies where food and drink are to be found, and a good place to camp. I realized that no settlement in early times happened where there was no access to water. The sound of running water means life. Up here, if you get lost, you can follow ANY stream downhill and come to houses and safety, and so the sound of water again is an intelligence that speaks to life and safety.
I was attracted to pools of green water in the river, and realized that my attraction to green, in that case, signified deep water. Deep river water means a place to swim, and a place to fish. My attraction to it was another intelligence signifying food, health, and enjoyment.
I felt the sun on my face, and sensed the intelligence that calls to plants, offering them life and abundant growth. The sun tells them which way to turn, where to sprout, and how fast they can grow. To me, the sun calls out "warmth" and if it is too warm, I know to move away from the sun.
In the cottonwood grove, I felt the sense of peace and beauty, and realized that this, too, is an intelligence calling to me to feed the "inner" me. I believe there is great healing power in peace and beauty, and that the look and feel of it sustain me for hours, days. Realizing the awesome power of this healing intelligence that is so completely overlooked and dismissed in our culture was a "felt" moment of insight for me.
Seeing all these intelligences was like hearing a completely different language in nature. I found a new respect and awe blossom inside of me when I acknowledged this deep, unspeakable intelligence.
Last year I sat on a hill overlooking the river as dawn approached in the eastern sky. The river at that place moved very slowly, and all of the animals that appeared to me on the banks that morning as the light arose also moved so slowly and so precisely. An eagle floated in lazy, almost still circles. The circular ripples on the river from surfacing trout moved outward almost in slow motion. A young beaver swam past me with the all the energy of a cap napping in the sun. Moose moved through the shallows, lifting one foot, placing it down, then lifting the other and placing it again. I remember then having a startling awareness of the pace of nature, and how different it was from my own hurried world at home. I thought, what would my life look like if I lived it at THIS pace? There was an intelligence in the motion, and how fast that motion occurred. The movement of the morning seemed to reflect the pace necessary for peace, contentment, and health. I was keenly aware of that intelligence, and it seemed to me that every creature on the river was aware of it, too, and respectul of it.
I thanked the cottonwood grove for allowing me to visit with it and for sharing its wisdom. One way I am going to show my personal appreciation for nature is that I have promised myself to begin carrying small squares of cloth in my jeans, and some bits of string, and some bird seeds. When I have participated in a nature activity, I am going to say a visable "thank you" by tying a colorful prayer tie filled with seeds, and hang in on a tree, branch, or bush. Maybe my gift will feed a hungry bird or squirrel along the way.
I felt that the three most important things I learned in this section were that nature senses are indeed intelligent. That without these intelligences, all life would simply perish, and that these intelligences are the same ones within me that I can use to guide my daily life and relationships. I have been working very dilegently to apply all these learnings to my personal relationships and the process has been both tumultuous and enlightening.
This activity certainly redefined my perceptions and beliefs about how the world thinks and works. What I will put into my new room (Its getting crowded...!) is a deeply felt sense of awareness of the awesome intelligence of the webstrings. As I said, this section of reading and doing seemed to affect me in a very deep way.
|
|
