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Accredited Nature-Connecting Online Alternative and Natural Holistic Degrees Courses and Career Training Education includes life experience and prior training, independent thinking and environmental sustainability social networking A Personal Key to the Universe That You Share with Everything Else: The Essence of Spiritual Life, Growth, Power and Health.
Synopsis The original attraction energy of nature is the essence of the universe and all life, including our own. Because it has purifying powers, this spirit energy sustains the health and integrity of all things as it flows through them. To our loss, our destructively excessive indoor lives disconnect our psyche, thoughts and feeling from nature's healing flow. Our great unsolvable problems result from this corruption. The addition of educating, counseling and healing with nature activities (ECHN) to the power of spiritual life and spiritual growth practices reverses this hurtful phenomenon. It increases the benefits of these spirituality practices to both client and practioner. The activities help participants consciously bring into play the balancing core and restorative energies of nature/universe, a form of spiritual health that sustains personal, social and environmental well-being. Select and read this short article: The Personal Key to the Universe That You Share with Everything Else BELOW ARE REACTIONS TO THE ARTICLE AND ITS RELATED ACTIVITES: "I was immediately struck by the beauty of the sky, and my breathing deepened and quickened at the sight. The sun was setting and as it did the light blue sky was dappled in fiery pink clouds. There were also rippled ribbons of blue and cotton candy pink in one area, and it just was a breathtaking experience to behold. I stood there gazing in awe for awhile, and then remembered to ask to be included in the sky's delightful process. I soon felt a sensation of belonging and acknowledged as part of this scene, not just an onlooker. My breathing deepened more at that point, and it seemed more nourishing. This seemed particularly fortuitous since the chapter was about air and breathing, one of my favorite topics and areas of expertise. I loved this quote about breathing, "Nature needs and wants you to help sustain the global community so, intelligently, it reconnects you." There is nothing more rewarding to me than a feeling of contributing ("Natural gifts of CO2 and water vapor") to something larger than me, such as the spiritual power of a beautiful sky. Then I was attracted to a large cluster of towering decorative grass in our yard. It was a lovely shade of yellow and the fuzzy tops reflected what was left of the light in the sky. I walked over and asked the grass for permission to be with it and touch it. The grass had been swaying in the light breeze, but after I asked permission it became very still. I felt as if it was listening to me, somehow, and this felt welcoming. I felt a stronger connection with the grass, as if it were an entity, not just something there to decorate my yard. I explored it gently, touching the fuzzy tops and stroking the blades. It felt good, a spiritual growth, as if I was making friends with the grass. I discovered new ways of talking about breathing, such as how it connects us to nature and ways to connect principles of Breathwork with those of Ecopsychology. I become uncomfortable much sooner than I would expect when I disconnect from nature by not breathing. I am grateful for this sensitivity. Without this experience I would have had a much less vibrant and inspiring day. The feeling of contributing to the sky enhanced my sense of self-worth, as did all the readings about breathing and nature, because it made me realize another benefit of my breathwork practice, personally and professionally. I now have more of a sense of commonality with nature, personally and professionally." ^^^ "During my early evening ritual time or nature time, I wondered past the garden area to a small area with trees, here I have a hammock that I was attracted to and lay in the evening sun with wind and sounds. I was attracted to the sun and air and the gentle swinging of the hammock. Safe and never alone for nature is always around. All of the acceptance, I had asked on my way to the area to share some time and space with the Earth/nature, and gave my permission of learning to take place if the balance so warranted. I would say that nature is a being onto itself but even this is not enough for although it is individual, it is also multiple for it encompasses everything. I believe to be part of something acceptance from it is needed. I do think a thing/being that is part asks permission in its own way to connect and allow connection. The thought of evolution being part of the permission and survival of the fittest is interesting. This is a question that I will ask nature's spiritual power to help me answer. For now I am leaning toward the answer of yes, as it is part of all connection. Connecting with nature is always a learning experience. It is always a validation of self worth and trust because nature doesn’t make garbage. Each thing and energy has a role in the web of life. Respect with nature is two ways, from nature and from us. We are one. Nature calls to us, not just interrupts us, and we do the same by asking or calling to nature. Sleeping after an activity gives me time to understand what has been shared by nature. Translating from "sense talk" to English words takes some time." ^^^ "I entered the garden and I thanked the natural attraction that always leads me there. Pausing, I recognized and acknowledged that the area had a right to exist, independently of me (Really? Sob!). I asked the area for its consent for me to be with it and I promised it that I would treat it honourably. Instantly I saw my usual passageway being used as a flight path for squadrons of birds hurtling after one another like World War II planes engaged in a dogfight. The possibility of being belted in the back of the head by this riotous mob was singularly unappealing and I thanked the area for its message to help me find another attraction way to obtain good feelings. Over the next few days I had the same signals of discouragement. I felt it to be too hot, too dry, too noisy and possessed with things fighting in their rush to establish territory, mate and breed; I am thankful that the deliriousness of spring is only here for a short time. Then, the mad melee of the day was gone. I was led, barefooted to the back door to enter the garden and I thanked the natural attraction that led me there. I saw the area as independent; I asked for consent and promised to treat it honourably. This time a silvery silence reached for me. I saw bare branches scribbled in black across the face of a blindingly bright moon and I listened to the pulsing, liquid calls of crickets punctuating the night. I longed for the smell of weighted wetness rolling down, down into damp dust and I could feel the earth longing for the same thing with me. I am with you during this time share. I do feel better about myself and more in touch and supported by this life community. I understand the mad rush to breed on the one hand and the desperate need the earth has for rain on the other. Exuberance and need juxtaposed, the fragile thread of life held in the loving arms of this Earth. There are different energies at work at different times of day and in different seasons. I knew this before of course but I never felt it so strongly before. Mutually supportive energies attract each other and when I listen with my heart, I understand. How would anyone survive without the webstrings? It is becoming apparent to me that these activities somehow put me into touch with parts of myself I was unaware of before. This new awareness is, increasingly, enhancing my sense of self-worth. It is an awareness of being an individual and being part of something else at the same time, the recognition and acceptance of my own unique identity and perceptions. I always felt slightly reticent about my own identity as if it was somehow, not really acceptable. Now, I have learned, I am more than acceptable..I am one with nature. I love being connected and I also love being an individual. This concept is so wonderful..individual and one..impressive!" ^^^ "It’s Thanksgiving morning. I am attracted to the gray, the cold, the quietness. I am immediately thinking about the activity for this week and get dressed and walk out the door. My usual routine is to stand at the beginning of the path to the woods and take a moment to be appreciative and give thanks. I really did not think there was much difference between this and asking permission. I reflected upon this as I walked to the special spot that I go to each day. I stood upon “my” rock thinking about the guiding metaphor for this activity and I realized that I was simply a polite intruder! I walked in, took the sandwich, said thanks, and left! I never asked this place for permission to walk each day and certainly not for permission to make an area my special place. So I returned and took the time to ask. I felt a feeling of respect, acknowledgement, and familiarity. Then I sent out a natural attraction sense of love and asked the extended area for permission, the plants, rocks, and especially the animals of the area. I stood still and listened. The rustling in the leaves around me was increasing. I opened my eyes and saw a deer about 200 feet away come out of hiding to take a look. After a while I became cold and impatient. Looking up I saw a great blue heron fly overhead. This signaled me to be still and patient. I waited in stillness and the rustling of the leaves increased even more. An entire flock of wild turkeys came walking down the ridge directly towards me. I continued to still myself and became more aware of the natural attraction sensations. The turkeys walked directly past me without a pause. Now that was an interesting Thanksgiving treat! On the return trip towards home, I felt a greater sense of connection with the woodlands and all it contained. No longer intruder, but invited community member. I tried to experience understanding without language. I wished I could experience nature without the labels, the words, that I had been taught as a way to “make sense” of what I was experiencing. I did manage to get caught up in the sound of the leaves experientially vs cognitively for a few moments…and that’s when the turkeys appeared. I finally realize deeply that our disconnect from nature causes personal distress and lack of global responsibility, that our inherent “old-brain” sensitivities are real, logical, and educate us. When permission is requested and granted, mutual recognition and respect leads to non-verbal communication with nature that enhances our understanding and healing. If this experience were removed, I would feel profound grief. My sense of self-worth and trustfulness of nature have been enhanced. I have a tool that will allow me to respect my natural surroundings even more and give me a sense of welcoming balance. The activity made me realize that although I was grateful for and enjoy nature and her gifts, I was originally imposing and thoughtless in my approach." ^^^ When I first participated in the Project NatureConnect courses, I was aware and unchallenged. As I love nature and being encompassed by it, I felt something missing. When the course mentions the “psyche”, a place in the mind which keeps learned material that changes one’s consciousness, I feel that I have placed some well worthy material there from this course. Such as, commemorating with other group members and allowing the deeper spritual connection between nature lovers adhere, and learning a new way to talk with nature. I mean as in actually asking nature to be with it, as another intuitional tool to use in connection with ones’ natural surroundings. A unique concept that supported a wanted challenge was 4-legged, 5-legged, and 9-legged thinking. How brilliant of an idea. Here is a way to give a name to an already unchallenged society, as in the 5-leggers way of thinking in a material, individualistic world, compared to the 4-legged—53 senses of here and now in ones natural environmental world. Now that’s being challenged! Challenged in a means to open ones mind and actually see, hear, know, understand, wake-up, and smell, what may be a totally whole new world to someone with only 5-legged thinking. Now, not all 5-legged thinking is unwanted, there is an intelligence and objective reasoning that we can balance with the here and now 4-legged sensitivity strategy. This brings in the balance of bringing 4-legged and 5-legged together equaling a balance of 9-legged thinking. NSTP in this course stands for Natural Systems Thinking Process- a powerful, sensory, nature reconnecting tool enables us to restore to health the numbed, nature-disconnected areas of our psyche that limit our reasoning and create our disorders. To think that I thought that connecting with other nature lovers would only happen in the context of meet-up groups for hikes or campouts, but now to happen across a school which enhances and brings out into the open, what is already deeply within, in an actual teaching course to connect ourselves this way, and then by teaching the knowledge to others. The NSTP concept is a necessary tool in the world of psychology. There are many tools of the trade in psychology to help individuals with depression, anxiety, stress-related issues, and many other ailing contributions from a desensitized hurting world, though there have been none addressing the issue of our Natural surroundings, such this one; NSTP. What better way to heal, then turning towards what attracts us in our natural environments…trees, rivers, birds flying in the sky, plants, flowers, and gardens. Our connections to these elements in nature have lessened to the degree of torturing our Earth with a desensitized attitude; in ways almost unbearable We need to be up to one of the biggest challenges in society today; to share the information with others, so that all us Nature lovers help open the hatch to nature-disconnected folks that have yet to find the secret Nature lover deep within them.
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INSTITUTE OF GLOBAL EDUCATION Special NGO consultant United Nations Economic and Social Council
PROJECT NATURECONNECT SUBSIDIZED EDUCATION, COUNSELING AND HEALING WITH NATURE
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All programs start with the Orientation Course contained in the books
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