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Program
Report:
an online program participant, shares her results from a nature-connecting
activity.
NATURAL LIFE IS SACRED,
EARTH IS A SACRED PLACE
I am going to San Francisco
with my kids and my parents next week. My dad, (who just retired
from his second career as a college professor) is taking me to
a Clean-Tech conference for a couple of days. We have really
discovered some parallels in our beliefs as we both have matured
and this is something I think it will be really fun to experience
with him. (Electrical engineer and Outdoor educator unit!) We
will also have some time to explore the big trees, go bird watching,
and go to the city!
I read the quote from the astronaut
about Earth looking like it was alive from the moon and my first
thought was you don't have to be in space to know the earth is
alive! With this in mind, I went for a long walk and after gaining
consent from a natural I began to inventory what was happening
around me and what I might learn from it.
Uphill climb: The pull on my
lungs and breath connected me to the mountain I was climbing.
The slope, gradient, and tilt all reminded me to continue to
see things from different angles and perspectives and projections
to have a fuller picture.
Wildflowers: The colors, scent,
and texture of the flowers reminded me of the natural beauty
all around and that I bring into the world.
Madrona tree: The strength
of a bent over Madrona that lost part of its trunk in a winter
storm reminded me that I am strong and able to flex and continue
to grow with changes in my environment.
Butterflies and bees in clover:
I observed how each organism knew its niche and what it needed
to do to be apart of the nurturing and pollination taking place
and how important they were for the life cycle. I am in the process
of finding my niche.
Carpenter ants on a Cedar tree:
I saw huge holes in the Cedar tree with an immense amount of
ants swarming all over the tree. The tree was very much alive
and at first I was upset by the ants. But I stayed and watched.
And as I watched I really got the sense that the tree was more
than okay and was full of life and the ants were one aspect of
that life.
Birds: Song and flight--how
much more magical does it get then that?
Miner's lettuce: With consent,
I enjoyed a snack of moist greens and found I was able to receive
a gift.
Half a Robin's egg: I move
this out of the path and it reminded me of the natural birth
and renewal we all experience in the springtime.
There was no one around today
to do this activity with. I am always amazed as I wander around
this island how few people I actually see! This is the area where
I often run into Mike.
I wouldn't violate anything
in a cathedral out of respect to the people it mattered to and
because it is just not how I act. Similarly, Earth is a sacred
place and my kids and I are looking at ways to design our daily
systems to work with, not against, Earth's rhythms. But even
more than that--natural life is a sacred thing--and we try to
live it with the intention of respect and honor for all living
things.
I like how Mary wrote: "This activity was difficult for
me as i have never been in a cathedral, nature as been the only
temple I have every known.
My Temple is sacred as the
cleansing, pure, quiet water flows through it, it's ceilings
are high, high as an open blue sky that allows the spirits above
to peer down to the earth. The decorations of grasses and
plants are rich in quality and craftsmanship. The structure
is old as it is strong, made up of the ancient roots of trees
and the foundation of stone, holding up the my temple in all
it's glory. The vast every reaching grandeur of each view
in each direction create the most beautiful stain glass windows
one has every seen, and are not only breath-taking but unbreakable.
The patrons of all shapes and sizes, colors and voices support
each other, awaiting their turn to serve nature's attraction
essence. The higher cause of love, life and unconditional
support flows through the veins of the river, touching everything
that is alive, encouraging it to live further with offerings
of sustenance. Each bird sings a song of prayer in honor
of the moment in life it is given.
The natural movement and stillness
of nature exists in the temple creating the balance and harmony
that is my love, my sprit, and my belief in myself as I am all
these things, I am the temple.
It is wonderful to think that there are others in the world who
worship in the same temple I do, that I am not alone in my belief
in nature."
Act now.
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