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Accredited Nature-Connecting Holistic Health and Wellness Degree Courses On Line: Natural Attraction Ecology Career Education Personal and Professional Whole Life System Training Grants and Jobs.
Project NatureConnect
Institute of Global Education
Organic
Psychology Applied Ecopsychology Ecotherapy
Special
NGO Consultant, United Nations Economic and Social Council
Practical distance learning to increase person/planet well being.
Natural Attraction Ecology Field Reports
Applied Ecopsychology in Action
| SYNOPSIS: These field reports describe outcomes of the funded sensory science of Natural Attraction Ecology. They are a sampling of the results from engaging in its organic ecopsychology tool. It helps us improve health wellness and counseling by enabling our thinking and feeling to safely tap into the nature's grace, balance and restorative powers. Participants benefit from and strengthen their inborn love of nature as they master ecotherapy activities that add to and strengthen their personal and professional relationships. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Educating Counseling and Healing With Nature Supportive Degrees, Career Training Courses and Jobs On Line Project NatureConnect offers nature-centered distant learning that enables you to add the benefits of nature-connecting methods and credentials to your degree program and/or your skills, interests and hobbies. We honor your prior training and life experience by providing grants and equivalent education credit for it. You may take accredited or professional CEU coursework and/or obtain a Nature-Connected Degree or Certificate in most disciplines or personal interests. A partial subject list is located at the bottom of this page.
FIELD REPORTS: on-line program participants share their results from doing the nature-connecting activities found in The Web of Life Imperative and Reconnecting With Nature books. (Continued from Educating, Counseling and Healing With Nature where "Webstrings" are identified as the natural attraction strands of the web of life that hold it as well as each of its individual members together) For additional reports visit our Search Engine and Survey of Participants Resonating with nature is my shawl. In every given moment nature wraps her love around me. I like the early morning sounds such as the song birds or the wrestling of the squirrels gathering their food for winter. Just the other day in the morning hours I looked outside my window and four deer with a huge wild turkey were standing in the middle of my yard. When I opened the door, the group of animals scurried down the hillside. I wandered out to the yard and there I saw several tracks' one was a cougar the other a bear (whom torn apart an old stump in the farthest part of my yard). I have been going outside during the night the radiant stars and the cool evening breeze soothes me. Resonating with the truth . . . the moment anyone can ask and/or receive any answer they are pondering. The silent moment where one can visualize thoughts and materialize them. A true mutual attraction where one finds peace within . . . a breath of fresh air. The twinkling of a star, the moon passing across the sky . . . answers that linger in the wind . . . I whisper to nature love, love, love as the universe gives me love, love, love so is love returned . . . inspiration creates new direction in my life as I breathe in the moment. I vision what I want in the future and together the abundance is shared. I discovered that tender words of wisdom and understanding spring forth from the soil of your heart. I am deathless and ageless, eternal; there is nothing a thing in life or light that I am not. Exchanging the goodness is that each person brings/ allow the heartstrings to sing. I found the ability to use my inner power of focus (thought) to attract what I want in life and the creator within you will move you to a desired outcome. Mutual attraction will dispel those thoughts that limit and hold me/you back. ^^^ Sitting in the pouring rain pounding my body like a natural massage, clearing my energies.the mind has the power to turn the immune system around without medicine, as long as it is aligned with natural principles and laws, as long as it is cooperatively integrated with a total system of life.it will only fail if that system fails, or if it opts to join with a collective that is cleaving off from that system, or if it is overwhelmed by the collective despite its own conformity to natural law and principle. I know what it feels like to be thrown into a strange and foreign world so I begin with me..That is exactly what it felt like to me when I was taken from the woods of my Grandmothers‚ farm still to live with her and her abusive ways, but in the city. It was foreign and frightening and offered no solace or comfort as I had known in the woods, the trees, the waterfalls, the creek, the lake near by, the flowers, the pear trees and apple trees, the walnut trees. Now I was supposed to find joy and comfort and peace and fulfillment in toys to play with in the ally, in wandering in lost „packs‚ with other kids with nothing to do, in eating candy with pennies scrounged, from the local store instead of fresh fruits right off the trees. I started getting in trouble going places I should not, sneaking into places I should not trespass, bored and with no natural cues of how to grow and nurture myself every curiosity leading to trouble. One thing led to another until it was smoking, or stealing wine from the neighborhood church, or stealing candy, or splattering someone‚s car with eggs getting whipped, but not being given healthy alternatives. In a world of consumption, obsessive consumption, and all the structures and scaffoldings and functions built around that there is nothing for a child to do but take part in that somehow or play a “delinquent” role of disrupting it somehow, which leads to punishment. The whole Orson Wells‚ reality is “conform‰, become another robot, or be punished for not conforming.” I have found as an adult there are oasis's of folks that have discovered the truth of what has real value and meaning, and who live in harmony with this planet, with Earth. I am very grateful for them. I feel at home in these communities ∑in Nature my home is the water. When I am swimming I am HOME. Now I know I could draw upon the sustenance of NIAL through even the tree in the yard, the lilac bush I remember in that city yard, and I could care deeply about the life of Nature trying to survive as I, in that cityscape now I would be an addition of Life and movement toward change for return to life, and not the lost child adding to the chaos. ^^^ Attractions to Nancy’s Chapter 2 responses “I
felt that it was burning along with millions of other flames in
churches, temples,ashrams and other sacred places around the
world at this very moment; felt that the universal intent of all those
little flames was to reach out to the invisible world, to
honour
the sacredness of life. The seat of my sensory
connections
suddenly moved from my mind to my heart”
Thank you for this exquisite vision! It reminded me of soothing nature- connecting moments I have had with candle flames, and broadened the scope of them in such an imaginative way. It is hard for me to even articulate the effect that this paragraph had on me, maybe because it resonated at such a deep level for me. “I
can't always articulate that pain to them, and now understand that
nature being illiterate, I have not learned to verbalize the wisdom
gained in silent contemplation. Therefore I am sometimes made to feel
that I may be wrong, that I am out of the mainstream, unrealistic and
inept.”
This resonated powerfully with me. I feel similar pain on an almost daily basis. The intensity of the fulfillment I find in moments connecting with nature is so hard for me to express to my fellows in conversations, and I am often left aching to communicate it, and wondering if I am somehow irrevocably different than my dearest human companions. “Instead,
when I would have a chance, I would hand pick
the
slugs and take them back to the forest.”
I so loved the image this created in my mind’s eye of you carefully bearing the slugs back to the forest. I have also respectfully handled slugs and admired their glistening slime trails. I love the idea that you fearlessly touch and preserve an animal that I believe people are conditioned to view as ‘gross’ and ‘slimy’ and ‘yucky.’ And I so admired and appreciated your willingness and initiative to change your way of coping with them to a much more harmonious one. And to Charley's responses: “The
green glow of evening Sunlight through tree leaves has endless and
life-giving respiration, sight, sense of belonging, and peace for
me---far more valuable than money.”
This touched me deeply. I have had many blessed moments colored by evening sunlight. Your profound connection with Earth here is magnificent “Golden
evening Sun.
Sparkles peacefully inside. My natural being.” ^^^ In the early morning, I walked slowly around the yard, brushing the heavy dew with my shoes, surrounded by the rising mist energized by the strengthening sunlight. In my limited Zen training we were taught to say the words 'clear mind, clear mind, clear mind' during the inhale, and 'don't know' during the exhale. I am reminded of this meditation practice by the suggestion to use the word 'nameless' as a way to quiet my mind and disconnect from the constant need to verbalize my experience. As I walk, there is a constant battle to mitigate this tendency. I realize my brain has at least two channels. Even while I repeat the word 'nameless' over and over, another part of my brain is verbalizing thoughts. I experience the briefest moments of more-direct experience. I am able to see some beauty in the shaggy grass. Having been on vacation, it has not been mowed and my civilized nature wants to control it. Yet, ever so briefly, I am able to look a the many different kinds of grass and plants living collaboratively in the lawn. I walk the entire perimeter of our modest property we have come to know it as home base. This quieted the chatter only to have it reappear moments later. I felt the lateness of the summer in the brown leaves appearing all over the ground, the spent plants leaning over, and the late reaching of the shrubs and bushes. I thought it was very quiet with only a bird or two singing. I stopped and noticed the rays of sunlight cutting through the early morning mist. The sound of insects opened up to my hearing. Other bird sounds entered in. A horse brayed in the distance and I realized there was indeed much sound and that I had crossed a threshold and become engaged with it. I felt a deep relaxation move through my body and realized a sense of peace and belonging that is separate and different from the words and symbols I use 99.9% of the time. I sensed a depth of experience and understanding as a result of the exercise. I realized, upon reflection, that the portal into this experience may have been facilitated by my awareness of the sun's rays through the mist - something that seems to have an ineffable quality, one that is difficult to put into words. Suddenly things made more sense: our more mystical experiences, those for which we do not readily have words to describe, and often think or experience as 'spiritual', can facilitate our reconnection with the natural web of life. The result is a sense of belonging, peace and relaxation that is fundamental and deep. I must confess, I forgot to ask the area for 'permission' to do this activity. My experience with remembering to do this, and forgetting, is always informative. I have thought a lot about this aspect of our work, how it seems 'silly', yet how it has a strong impact on my perception. What is the value of the shift in perspective? That, of course, is fundamental to this work! ^^^ The story of the woman who raised her daughter in a closet can represent so many of us. I have spent a lot time and study learning about my heritage and also…trying to make sense of why I was put in the social prison. As a woman of color --having been created by Mother Nature as part of so-called minority group in this country…when I was a child, I often felt imprisoned by all the rules based on “race.” They had SEGREGATED toilets, drinking fountains, places to eat and seats on the bus. When we wanted to go to the swimming pool in the summer -- they had one reserved for us (non Whites) -- away from the public pool. When we wanted to work...there were only certain jobs that they would hire us to do. These silly rules permeated the society…and was as surely a prison as one that has thick cement walls. And what is really worse...because people hide this problem... the Whites were also in prison because of the prisons that they created for us. They too were screwed up by the myths, silly rules and the cruelties. If you set up prisons for others...you also become imprisoned by trying to uphold the farce. Most people have some type of “closet” that effected them, because--SAD TO SAY-- our society if full of all kinds of wrangling “taboos” and prohibitions. There are myths and folklore that circulate like the blood in our veins-- some of them un-scientific and unfounded…ranging from the ideas that… “Black people have tails”-- to the other myths about laziness, craziness, and dishonesty. “Colored girls were not allowed….” There were so many when I was younger…that it would take a many pages to document them all. Often times, it was ridiculous to the point that many of us would get together and say some very ugly things about the “authorities” in this country…including the Mayor, police, teachers, and others who had wrangled us this way. It was just as bad (or worse) to those in authority that I was mixed race…part Indian. I don't know which ethnic group was more despised. And there were many others that revolved simply around my gender. We were admonished to act a certain way…and to want to grow up to do a certain job. When I was in high school…my Counselor asked me one time… “What do you want to do after you graduate?” I told her…”I am going to be an educator and write books.” This old hag…sat behind her big old dilapidated wooden desk and informed me….”Mavis, perhaps you should think about something more practical…may you could be a clerk…that is more acceptable for a colored girl.” I recall leaving her office furious….and thinking--- “acceptable to who????” And then this was followed with some silent profanity. Women may be more effected than men--on the job goals, but I think most of us have had some type of experience that resembled being imprisoned. I did survive and I did all that I had dreamed of doing that--”colored girls are not suppose to do…” ^^^ "When I allow myself, or make a conscious effort to soften my imaginary borders and let myself "feel" the life around me and in me, I am in awe. It gives life such richness that its hard to explain or find words for, its something that needs to be experienced to know or understand." Nadeen, From your comments above and others, it sounds like there's an awakening occurring in you that feels alive and fresh. I can really relate with this as it's been happening for me during these exercises as well. -Lenore "I could feel my head laying on the cool dirt resting. I could feel the smell of the dirt through my nose and mouth." " its clearer to me that as I trust Nature I am learning to trust myself." I, too, can feel the coolness of the rock and also had an attraction to a boulder. I'm sensing a gentleness in your trust in nature and yourself that also feels comforting to me. ^^^ I am not to sure if this is an intentional question or not… but it makes me think of this woman as me… I can tell you how I think, feel and act when at every age I have been finally discovered and required to leave the closet… I feel scared, I think the worst, and I act out with fear… I think that all these people who are outside the closet are so wonderful and have it all (not knowing that they too were raised in a closet) I feel that all these people will reject me because I am from the closet (not knowing that they too are from the closet) I run around cautious with my actions to not hurt these people and always please them but when I get hurt, I act out and react to protect and defend myself because deep down I am scared that I will be hurt or die… If I truly love someone, I worry that I would lose that person to death or someone in this crazy world would hurt them… perhaps the closet was a better place… at least I was safe… How I have survived this craziness is beyond me… It is painful to realize that I was raised in a closet… To me the closet was my school, the social system, the do's and don'ts, the rich and poor and finally the good and bad… I realized that I am a product of this society, there is nothing wrong with me and I can be in the world and leave the closet behind. I belong to earth and the earth belongs to me, I am made to rejoice earth and earth is made to rejoice me I love the earth and the earth loves me This activity has awakened perhaps the most wrangled self in me and at this moment I still feel its pain and discomfort…The heart has been hurting… it has anger and guilt from the closet living and it also has immense love as that is what it's true nature is… ^^^ In my experience as a member of a "change making" movement in our society for many years, I find that there are growing numbers of people who feel that they are marginal or weird and thus don't express their true feelings about their deep sadness about the plight of life on the planet due to the destructive behavior of our wayward species-and they are therefore greatly relieved and thankful when they meet kindred spirits who are open and speak from the heart. The heart is the key--otherwise our message comes off as preachy, which is very offputting. It is also helpful to have ways available for them to be involved in positive change available, for this is the element that provides a glimmer of hope as an antidote to total, debilitating despair. ^^^ I've been very laden down and upset about a situation that occurred recently with someone I've known for a very long time. I feel very upset, and she does too, and right now we are at a stand-still. I have been trying to find the right balance and a way forward. So, this activity which asks us to find a place in nature which consents to help with a wrangling situation was utterly perfect and badly needed! As I held my finger-frame out, I immediately began to notice what I was attracted to. I needed help from someone bigger, stronger, older and wiser than me…someone who will still be here after I am gone. Someone who knows better than me. That meant I needed a big, strong, old tree. I checked each one (quite a few within my view from my back steps), and there she was…a very massive one in my neighbor's yard…welcoming, cradling branches, glittery wafting leaves, and such a kind, mellow and wise, gentle grandmotherly “voice”. I took each of the words and things began just to happen: Sense - I saw here there from afar and sensed her kindness and visually saw her massive strength and also the lovely beauty of her leaves and branches. Enjoy - I felt a strong enjoyment watching her leaves flutter and sway, the dusky evening sunlight filtering through from the west. Her cradling branches seemed strong enough to hold a family- more than just me. They were pleasant, comforting, and cozy. I felt as if she were saying “You are safe here. You need a place to let your own feelings find safe expression. You need to heal your own wounds here and have permission to feel and be affected (I had been telling myself to think only of her feelings and how she must be feeling). Huge sigh… Validation. I felt understood and realized I deeply needed this. Next my attention was drawn to the leaves wafting in the breeze. Light, cheerful, floaty, social, talkative, happy, like a village of family members constantly communicating…no one holds on to anything- everything expressed immediately and gone on the breeze within the hour. I looked at my next word: Match. Yes, this feeling, this attitude is what I need to match. I don't even know whether this is the intended activity, but here I am doing one that works for me! I sat and matched my feelings and felt so good to feel light and expressive with nothing carrying too much weight because it's immediately expressed and then moving on. Resonate…first there was a series of messages: “Beginner's mind. Imperfect OK. You are young. Permission to make mistakes. Permission to feel and be affected.” I said, “I want to resonate with your wisdom, tree”. She said: “Come into my branches. Feel how strong we are. Lay down and let me hold you You are not going anywhere…see?” Solid. Wood, thick, built. BUILT TO LAST. Massive, alive, vital. I can feel that now in my bones. I am strong. I am built to last. I am massive, alive, vital. I am not going anywhere, see? That is the attitude I want to have in this relationship. Appreciate. Tree: “I appreciate all of our communications (leaves, branches, birds, insects, rain, wind, sun, earth). Happy, sad, scared…it is the warp and weft of life and this woven blanket wraps me in love. You are part of my family now. I love you, Barb. We are family.” Me: Melting with happiness, peace and joy…appreciation. Trust. “I was here yesterday, and I will be here tomorrow when you wake up. You can trust me.” This is what the solution to my problem is. I feel very grateful for it. It's simple, and the process helped me come to it free from the fog of confusion brought on by my distressed feelings. Celebrate! ^^^ I ended up doing the activity on my own, mainly because I was away on a retreat for a new group of students in a program I am teaching. During one of their solo activities, I went away as well, and wandered along the path in the woods, yet along the shores of the island. It was a sunny morning, yet it was still chilly, and I was called to go and find a sunny spot somewhere near the water. As I walked along, I saw an area of rocks, near the water, increasingly moving towards the light, and was called to go in that direction. As I walked closer and closer to the water, I asked for a permission to join and spend some time there. Within two steps, a beautiful corner presented itself to me - like a large armchair, with an invitation to sit in comfort. I spent some time connecting with myself, and with the area, and with the morning sun, and with the sound of the waves. I decided to focus on the sense of sound only, without moving around, and with my eyes closed, and had an interesting experience. The waves were gently lapping on the shore, and I became immersed in their sound. Yet, periodically, they sounded like someone walking along with flipflops, and I kept opening my eyes every so often. This caused me to ponder the strength of my programming to the unnatural sounds (sounds of “civilization”) and how quickly my senses bring me to those sounds - even when I am in nature, immersed in the natural sounds. It seems as though I still have a long way to go with my NSTP learning... It was an interesting experience, though I definitely want to do it again, with someone. The chapter highlighted to me the power of our cultural programming. "When we habitually learn something has little meaning, we lose sight of that thing until we break the habit" was a sentence that resonated strongly for me. In a lot of my own learning, as well as teaching, I play with the theme of "we don't know what we don't know" and it fits here as well. The programming has been so deep that it takes a LOT of ongoing conscious effort to peel these layers, one at a time. I am now thinking of my own journey to get to the place I am now, and how long it took - while knowing that I am not "there" yet (yes, I know there isn't one either...). I guess I am feeling the magnitude of the task of bringing this awareness of the natural world around us to everybody - starting with myself, and with something as simple as sounds. My experience in nature shows me that I get good feelings from being present with the elements of Nature around me, from listening to the sounds of the waves, and from trusting the webstrings I am sensing when I am outside and in contact with Nature. ^^^ I spent the session also by myself. I was also at a retreat, not teaching but learning. I did this exercise in my yard this morning. I when I did each of the sensory experiences I asked and received permission then, closed my eyes and saw with my other senses: I first took off my shoes and after checking for fire ants, Just stood and felt the ground with my feet: I experienced warmth of the ground, the softness of the sand and even noticed the textures as the sand, sticks and grass touched and pressed into my skin. I then moved to a large oak closed my eyes and touché its trunk, As stood there with my hands on the trees skin (bark) I felt its courseness, its hardness but also felt the powerful energy that coursed through it. It almost felt like a heart beat as the energy flowed. My third experience was to simply sit on the ground. As I sat there, I placed my hands on the ground and felt the ground with my fingers. As I moved my hands along the ground feeling, The combination of of the cool moisture combined with the silky smoothness of the blades was enjoyable. When I ran my hands over the tops of the blades it almost tickled. My fourth experience was a Norfolk Pine. Its been like a friend to me bringing it from Virginia 12 years ago it has grown from a 8 inch sapling to about 14 foot tree with branches extending up to 6 feet out. AS I grasped its needles and ran my hands down it lengths I noticed the combination of softness and harness combined. I tried to open my eyes quickly for a second or less. I found that what I noticed most was the sense of color and depth. I discovered that our sense of sight many times overrides our other senses and when we remove our sense of sight out other senses start to kick in, almost like they come alive and thank us for noticing them. When we use all the tools we have been given we see many more layers to nature that we often miss. The earths webstrings are always available to us and the healing energy of nature is real. The more exercises I do the deeper my understanding becomes and the more connected I feel to the earth. I see that I am the only person that can determine what is real for me. We should be wary of believing everything we read until we validate it with our experiences. ^^^ This was a lovely activity ... so positive and filled with gratitude. Sunshine, blue skies, and summer warmth have returned here for this last weekend of August. I decided on a lovely hilltop spot to welcome the dawn for this activity ~ as I know the dawn always welcomes me each day. It is my very favorite time of day ~ the beginning of a whole new day of new possibilities and life itself. I love first light, that time of pre-dawn when each moment brings more light, more beginnings. The birds begin to stir, not fly, but just stir with little chirps and, what I picture as, feather fluffs. Some birds are earlier risers than others, just like people. I can almost feel them stretching as the pre-dawn light grows. I am just so happy and content in the peacefulness of this hour. The vistas and distant hills on the horizon seem to open the day as the first glow of sunlight emerges along the horizon edge ... and I breathe in that first moment of sunrise .... and thank the Universe for all that is .... for all I sense and feel, for all I am, for all that surrounds me. I feel I am the happiest and richest person on earth in this moment and connected in oneness with all that surrounds me. And as I sit quietly, a mother deer and her 2 fawns emerge from the nearby trees, and I am filled with gratitude to share this sunrise and this moment with them. I barely breathe as they seem not to have noticed me, and I so much want to watch what they do. And they, like me, seem to turn their faces to the sunlight and breathe in appreciation for the dawn and the ease of a summer day of good weather. I am grateful for this dawn and all it brings. I am a person who enjoys greeting the dawn. I am a person who finds expansiveness of the mind and spirit when I am amidst nature. I am a person who find that nature supports my life energy. I am a person who finds the joy of nature all around me. I learned that nature and I have a mutual sense of gratitude for one another. Considering how nature within and around me is usually being exploited or harmed, I am sure nature is grateful to me for loving her so. That's why she gives me her gifts. I am grateful for my sensory gifts ....all of them; and I am grateful I am able to see those distant vistas through my sense of sight and now feel all the other senses that are involved in seeing this vista: light and sight; colors; moods of the dawn; temperature change as light increases; the changing of the season as the beginning of leaves around me show their colors as the light of dawn grows; the sense of both space and place before me; passing sense of time from dark to light of pre-dawn; so many .... My sense of self-worth is enhanced by knowing that all these senses are available to me at any moment in time .... that nature is always with me and I am grateful for it all. ^^^ I was born at a shed between sheep, cows, horses in a small poor village. I trust that I had a happy childhood with horses, sheep, in nature without underwear… they were using some kind of ash instead of baby diapers… playing out with children. I had real bread, onions, maybe cheese, too. At age two or three my aunts daughter came with her husband to our home to take away one of the children, as they had no child. I was the smallest of the four so they decided on me and took me away from the nature. When they asked my mother how she could give me away, she said "She went backwards and has fallen in a lake!" This meant that I had been in comfort (in a lake) without knowing it (backwards). They had me disconnected from NIAL, and wrangled me in "civilization". Remembering it still hurts me. I had been re-educated by my step family, abused in many ways with tough behaviors, closed in the house, my step mother always found an excuse to punish me, I had been to good schools, well educated, traveled around the earth for business connections… smoked three packages of Turkish tobacco… had four marriages … no satisfaction whatsoever… I was in deep need of nature. I wanted to go back to my village. My natural brothers told me that I would not be able to live there. I decided that I can find another village where I can manage to live and reconnect with nature where I belong. And here I am. Yes, injured natural senses demand satisfaction. I did not only read this chapter, all my cells know what it means. You really consume everything to have the love and fulfillment you would receive from your injured natural senses. You become like a beggar asking for love and fulfillment. When we came here, I felt myself to be in the compassionate arms of my mother. So calming. There were no fear, no panic, only trust. A deep trust followed by a deep surrender. I have learned a lot from this life… more than what is written in this chapter, so can easily say that every word of it is correct. I am a person that likes to share her experience and who found trust in nature for I am a person of nature. I know how it feels when these gifts are taken away from me… Like a passenger left in desert without water! I had fallen in a lake, without water! This activity enhanced my sense of self-worth, self-love. I looked again in my life, tried to understand why I was so drastically taken away from the Nature. I had to be back again. The wranglers in me, outside of me, decided to teach and train others to re-connect with nature, I had to have a deep understanding of both ends.. connectedness and disconnectedness… This must be the explanation of all my past problems . I liked this question a lot, … what connection would you feel between your personal desire to be and the natural world's consent for your being? Webhugs friends... My earth tribe ^^^ I found myself attracted to an area where there were tons of different flowers. It was around 5 in the early evening, the sun was kissing the land, everything was glowing. As I felt consent to be there and “pulled” the objects I did not feel good anymore. I had felt closer and balanced when I just held them or looked at them, this way I felt more respectful; but when I pulled them I felt bad like the life thought I may be trying to kill it or interrupt the peace it had. I get good feelings when I respect the natural environment, when I say thank you, when I liste ^^^ According to his Dad, the child's main presenting challenge is anger. The ten year old is enrolled at allegedly “the finest school in the county-1st class in elementary education.” He was open and cooperative to asking nature's permission to approach trees and plants. He feels nature is kind. He immediately recalled: “animals exhale CO2 so that plants and trees can live; they tell us that a lot in school.” In response to what trees and plants do for animals he said, “Give birds a place to live and I like to climb trees.” I asked him to hold his breath as long as he could. Following, he genuinely understood the attraction for air. I reminded him that plants provide animals with oxygen. He replied, “They tell us that a lot too, but I forgot---I won't forget know.” Next, I closed my eyes and asked the client to choose something natural in the yard to which he was attracted, lead me to it and then describe it aloud to me. He chose a tomato plant and when finished said, “I never thought about how much there is to a tomato plant.” I had to agree with him, for out of the exercise came a novel, proven treatment plan. I am certain this activity during intake will foster much faster relationship building. ^^^ Recap and (partial treatment plan): This student has only heard about animal/plant breathing in school. He has heard it so many times he finds it boring. Oh, he believes it, but similar to the way in which some of us believe there is life on other planets. This first session was the first time the child and I experienced this exact webstring lesson. The most rewarding facet is that no two people feel exactly the same under similar conditions. The client appeared excited about this kind of learning. I had to contain my excitement, but not my enthusiasm. The child appeared to feed off my enthusiasm. I promised we will learn many such things in similar ways. I am carefully and tentatively planning to practice more outdoor webstring connection activities with this client. I remain excited and very enthusiastic-a natural high, thank you. However, the challenge remains finding time and approach to stimulate parents to participate in group activities. I will resume Thursday night Care Givers' Group. I want to introduce the group to Educating, Counseling and Healing With Nature. Please, advice and suggestions are welcomed. ^^^ Possibly never before has the old cliché seemed so true: “When
it comes to viewing a new piece of art or architecture, we do not
always know what we like. Instead, we generally like what we
already know.”
I think this is from
History of Contemporary Architecture. Pelican
Press.Recently I started an informal survey of how much time people believe they spend indoors. Most say, “About 50%.” I am waiting to see if anyone rethinks her/his answer. Many of the people I ask are in treatment for “laundry lists” of DSM referenced disorders. Judging from appearances, behaviors, conversation, and clinical exploration (trying not to be prejudice) almost all of the people are products of industrial society. As soon as they get outdoors they start complaining and some state they hate to perspire. So what is the lesson? I need to learn and practice methods of familiarizing others with enjoyment/benefits of free outdoor offerings. I wonder if antiperspirant advertising and use of the product somehow dulls one's brain activity. Also, I wonder if “indoor-indoctrinates” given the choice of being indoors with a venomous animal or being outdoors with same animal would choose in or out. The indoor indoctrinates simply need to learn that they do not necessarily need to be “comfortable” in doors to relax, but instead they simply need to learn to “relax” in the kindness of nature in order to be comfortable. ^^^ Regarding my habits, I mostly choose to connect with trees. I have always been around trees. They are comfortable, like my best old work boots. Hence, I tried something new. I went out last night. It was relatively a darker night than most. I was tense, anxious and in pain. I sat on the grass, closed my eyes and began meditation. Upon hearing doves' soft cooing I slid into deepening relaxation. It was as thought the cooing was the stimulus and the operant conditioning reward gift wrapped into one lovely package just for me. Now, almost 24 hours later, I remain mellow, and regardless of pain better able to attend to tasks at hand---ahhhh. ^^^ This one hits home. Someone very close to me, now deceased (Bless his soul), was in the cigarette vending machine business. His family urged him to get out of the business because of proof of deadly effects of tobacco. He continually told his family, employees and the press that he was in the service business and fulfilling a need and a demanded service request. He was very well compensated with salary, bonuses and full health and retirement benefits. Until the day he became terminally ill with throat cancer, he also continually said, “You do not have anything unless you have your health.” A few months before his death he resigned as general manager, told his children to get jobs elsewhere and began continually telling everyone he could, “You do not have anything without having your honesty.” ^^^ The webstring connection experience I felt attracted to for this section was today impossible. I felt strongly attracted to and in need of being in the presence of mountains. The closest geography is the highest point on the farm. I sat there, felt the breeze, turned round and round until dizzy and realized this too will result in spiritual in monetary gains. If I think better, I will l feel better and therefore will work better. If I do this more often I will feel the freedom to heal and to work in cooperation with nature. It felt a better place to pray and to relax in order to be comfortable. ^^^ Others like me diagnosed with Post Polio Squeal, report adverse effects of indoor fluorescent lighting. Natural sunlight poses no problems. By the time of high school graduation, those with this physical condition suffered through more than 140,000 hours of eye and head pain. Sunglasses helped but were not allowed. Until recently, the medical community had, and continues to have little knowledge of the symptoms and easy ways to relief. My “bad” is that even after learning about the fluorescent light challenge, I continued to rough it and live in denial. Now, I enjoy natural lighting and as much time outdoors in sunlight as I can. Regarding my exercise, I more closely study and enjoy nature's lighting, shading and shadowing. Life/Nature becomes clear, less vague, more hope inspiring. The sight of a high altitude flight of a Turkey Vulture against a bright blue cloudless sky lends a lightness of flight to my mind and spirit. This concept remains as vivid in darkness as well as it had in sunlight. ^^^ This experiment is not recommended for others. It is potentially harmful to one's health. I had to perform an olfactory comparison test, kind of coffee taste comparisons. In cup “A,” I place a rich, dark all organic dirt. In cup “B”, I place a blend of commercial herbicide and fertilizer. Guess which sniff of which made me feel nauseous and dizzy and which sniff of each made me feel better (almost “normal” - ha, ha). Which one comes from 4-legs? Which one comes from 5-leg logic profiteers? I trust my 4-leg logic “snuffer” more than I trust 5-leg logic poison conglomerates. ^^^ It is not exactly rocket science, but can make you feel that smart. Any of us can receive and enjoy nature's rewards. My sense of belonging to nature, to this world is “regenerating”. With new knowledge of at least 48 additional natural senses, my five basic senses are becoming more heightened. I spend less time worrying needlessly and more time directing my activities of daily living toward living as we truly all are-connected by webstrings. I am promising clients they too will begin to see the webstrings and live healthier. The experience of enjoying nature and gently respecting nature is leading to enhanced self and other respect and appreciation. At the literal end of the day, the webstring realization and connection is the experience and the reward in itself. ^^^ My first awareness of abandonment came within the first month or two of life when my mother, a nurse, became ill and had to stop breast feeding me. The formula that they were giving me was of no consolation. I cried nonstop and was not willing to thrive on the substitute as it was offered. Mom, in her fear for my life, took me to the family doctor and declared that he must do something or I was surely going to die. His response was to add Karo syrup to my formula and as the story ends I was able to tolerate and thrive. I was missing the sweetness that comes from the connection to my mother and the natural sweetness, nutrients and health giving antibodies that is the perfection of breast milk. I remember not feeling safe, or understood. Crying babies are not fun to be around and so the tension that surfaced was scary. There is a reason why sweetness is a necessary part of our sensory wisdom, not only for physical satisfaction but for emotional and spiritual well-being. The incident above left me with the desire to find my way to safely connect to natural rhythms. The original abandonment left me unsure of how to be safe and who or what to trust. I have struggled with the feeling that something was preventing me from following my natural attractions. Here is where I cry, because my Being was presented this program in a very unexpected way. I was attracted to its philosophy and wisdom and by committing to its process my life has found real home again. By leaps and bounds it is clearing out the wrangled stories and has allowed me connect to a Source Love that is Nameless, Intelligent, Attraction, Love. It has reignited and awakened me to know source on an intimate level and continues to heal the separation and fear that existed. I am a wiser, more loving, more available and less frenetic being. I know I'm home, safe, loved and open. ^^^ I went to a small park down the street and sat in the sun facing one of the trees. I asked and then received permission to commune w/ the tree (I love visiting these familiar places and interacting on a whole other level w/ the natural world). Unable to resist the corniness of bad end rhyme, I playfully let the following flow from my mind and pen: I like this maple tree in front of me because it captures the symmetry of nature. Although not exceedingly grand and somewhat modest in size, there she stands, arms outstretched in praise of the sky. Her spaciousness allows some dappled light to reach the ground and some blue sky to constrast with her lively green. I like the dark, rich grey of the bark, the texture of her skin wearing the years with grace and serenity. I then played for some time reading outloud the above while replacing the opening phrase w/ "I like myself because I . . ." WOW! Something opened in me. I toyed further w/ metaphor, what I hold in common w/ this tree. I recorded, "I feel rooted, arms outstretched to sky in praise of life, celebrating the rich abundance of this moment." It sunk in a way never previously experienced. I realized, "I find nature beautiful. I am a part of nature. I am beautiful too." I better understand how my attractions to nature affirm me and how my attractions to others reflect me in that I can only see in the other what I carry in myself. Of course! I learned I have value because I am here. WOW! It does sound like you had a great experience--like a real shift in your awareness! I feel your joy and feel happy for you. I sense that I have had a similar shift with these exercises that continues to expand perceptions of our interconnectedness with nature. I enjoyed your comments, they reaffirm my own process. ^^^ I connected deeply and sincerely with your comment about your parents and the damage they did to your conscious that you are recovering from. your words have allowed me to finally be honest with myself in that i was too damaged by me parents conflicting and destructive behaviors, and that i will too need to do some healing so that i may become my true natural being. This quote is also quite motivational: "What came to mind is that once we label something - assign it a name - that is the beginning of controlling that thing, bringing it under our conscious control. We pin it down, objectify it, fix it in time and space (in reality, it is only fixed this way in our mind). In that way, we subdue the world." I loved your discussion about the ego, and adapting it to the evolution of our survival practices into one that resulted in marketing our united being in exchange for a isolated and damaged individuality. Not sure if that makes any sense, but your explanation resonated with mine. ^^^ "I feel that I drink it, not because it makes me “feel like me”, but because some sensory fulfillment is missing from my life." This is the epitome of addiction, or any substance use that is trying to fulfill a void. It is a good clarifier to check in with yourself from time to time. I also appreciate your statement about getting lost in our inner authorities, even though nature is so attractive and enticing in the moment that she allows you to linger in when you allow yourself to go there. But the addiction that I seem to call industrial life tends to still have its claws in me and as I pull them out one by one I see true glimpses of fulfillment. Thank you for the mirror. ^^^ I resonated with you sensitivity to the place of nature you cared so much for. The sadness can be overwhelming as you let in what we at time contribute to in our daily routine. I appreciate the energy you put towards learning from nature, and towards change in your life. It is very inspirational for me as i feel we have similar experiences, that cross time, space, and reason. Thank you for being a natural role model. It is so nice to have someone that is consistent in his intentions, you have created so much trust and comfort in this group, that is has allowed to experience the true essence of NSTP. This is what I feel you paper communicated through your sense of reason. It was the roots of what we strive for in living natural lives, and celebrating who we see in ourselves when we are with nature, physically, and mentally. Your paper also provoked thoughts and understanding in me that has inspired me to explore within myself to find the commitment and motivation that we push towards sharing the knowledge I have acquired from nature, my inner-child, you, and the group. You focus on the actual thinking process of NSTP reminded me were my passions lay, and that as I learn I am changing my thinking, but practice is necessary with change in order to make it reality. ^^^ I was deeply touched by your comments regarding Dr. Cohen's work and with your passion to make change within our educational system. I wish more educators felt the way you do. I have been disappointed in my experiences with our present educational system. My daughter just graduated high school and is off to college. If it weren't for my constant reminders to teachers and interventions throughout her 4 years of high school, she would have been totally lost in the system. She was not honored as a person nor was her learning style recognized. I had to remind them of who she was until her senior year when she took off on her own and stood up for herself. She finished her senior year strong and I am proud of the individual she has become. I commend you for your devotion to the inner city kids and for your life's work. Breaking through our present system will not be easy but every person , one by one, makes a difference. As Project NatureConnect has touched so many lives, I feel you have and will in the future. ^^^ The shift in our planet is affecting all of us. Those that understand what is going on at least understand. I am grateful for that. Think how this activation affects those who are not open and conscious. I feel it produces fear, depression, and doubt. For those spirits, I feel compassion. They are just spiritual beings having a human experience, each playing our their Karma while they are here. I hold a space in my heart for all that suffer right now and know that the best thing I can do for them is my own inner work. As we grow ,we affect others, therefore helping the planet. When others see and feel our joy, they will follow. It is contagious! Thank you for making the decision to join us. ^^^ There is a stillness tonight as I sit outside and let the day melt away. Grandmother Moon is smiling. There is a softness and warmth to the air. Like a blanket fresh off the line still warm from hanging in the sun. So comfortable. I am drawn to my two Sunflower plants that are fading into the fall of their life cycle. Initally I felt a bit of sadness for they are looking a bit worse for the wear. Knowing that their life force was ebbing away. I began to focus onto each part of the Sunflower, the petals once were great golden halos now slipping gently to the ground. The once upturned heads bowed in the reverence of life . Great gaping holes in the flesh of the leaves. Grasshoppers have had great feasts and within their life cycle, will fill the stomachs of the birds that have nested nearby. They will provide the much needed energy as the birds turn their thoughts to heading south for the winter. A small colony of ants have made them into fine high rise shelters. The Sunflower's stems are turning ashen as the nutrients from Mother Earth are depleted. Soon they will begin the final phase of their existence and return to nature, only to begin the cycle again. At the base of the Sunflowers I see young sprouts peeking through the soil, curled at the tips as if in slumber for the night. And the cycle continues. I have witnessed three seasons come and pass. I have seen the young sprout, the life radiant adult, and now the aged wise one in my Sunflowers. I have witnessed many webstrings and with each season I am reminded of my own life cycle. I have learned to appreciate more of the time that I have to share with nature in this robe. I have confimed more of my emotions and perspectives regarding nature. That coming into communion with nature, showing love, humility, honor and respect is not a weakness as others say, ...it's a discrete dignity. "In communion with the purity of nature, I am reconciled." ^^^ In the past few months, alongside doing this course online, I've had a multitude of change, challenge and discontent. I'm now beginning to see the natural intelligence of timing, that nature has a plan, even when we don‚t see it. In the midst of all the change, challenge and discontent, I've let my balancing ways of meditation and journaling, fall by the wayside to be replaced with these little islands of activity called Reconnecting with Nature. The natural intelligence of this timing that I've just come to realize, is that I would not have experienced these activities as profoundly and appreciated and valued them as much as I do, in a different set of circumstances. They have proved to me the sanctuary to be found in nature. ^^^ As I went outside in the morning sun, it is the sun that immediately attracted me. I sat, with my eyes closed, face to the sun and soaked in the warmth. As I quieted my mind, the sensations I was experiencing went from localized, feeling the heat on my skin and the brightness that shone through my closed eyelids, to expanding outward to all that the sun touches. I felt the connection that sunlight has to all of creation, that all of creation exists because of the intimate relationship between the Sun and the Earth, a love affair, a natural attraction that is the source of all that we know. In this journey outward, the sunlight no longer felt hot on my skin, I just felt the light. I could feel the energy of the light. I could feel how it nourishes and heals. I felt the light go into every cell of my body bringing peace and an indescribable feeling that resembled serenity, magnified. It created a balance and a feeling of connection with every other being that loves the sun. I hardly wanted to open my eyes, but when I did, I could see all that I felt a connection with through our love for the sun. I could see every leaf illuminated and could almost see the little mechanisms inside doing their photosynthesis work, an entire food factory in every single leaf. Quite miraculous! I could see my dog, who always follows her natural attractions, find a sunny spot in the yard to sunbathe in complete contentment. I could look at the clouds drift by and see the wind saunter through the trees and know that they too, their movement and timing, are dependant on the sun. I can recognize how all life has adapted to and evolved from the natural rhythms of the unconditional love and timeless dance between the Earth and the Sun. ^^^ You can begin at the link below. Read about it. Keep an open mind. Try the experiences on your own. I am reading all I can get my hands on. I am in the second week of the online course and already remarkable results for me and three of my clients. I am only practicing what I am doing correctly. With natural, honest “4-leg” attractions it is pretty hard to mess up. Get the books or call with any questions or email Dr. Cohen about taking the orientation course. It is a natural for you. ^^^ When this exercise asked us to spend 10 minutes getting to know a natural attraction, first with our eyes closed and then open, I found myself sitting by a quiet woodland creek and drawn to a particular large rock. I moved along the creek bank and sat beside this rock and layed my hands upon it. I closed my eyes for 10 minutes......and then opened them for 10 minutes. With my eyes closed, I felt some of my senses were magnified without the distraction of all the wonderful senses that sight brings forth. I immediately felt a sense of being grounded, a sense of gravity. With my touch, I could feel the smooth, yet slightly rough, hard surface of the rock and almost taste the cool dampness from the creek. The water had receded after the last rainstorm, and while much of this rock might at times be covered underwater, that was not the case this day. On this warm day, I could sit here and feel the air move slightly around the rock, perhaps the way water might when the creek is full. There was a part of the rock that held the softest, most beautiful feeling moss. The warm air contrasting with the coolness of the rock was particularly attractive. The woodland smell of the earth in and around the creek was strong and comforting. I hadn't realized how strong when I first sat down ! I heard the beautiful song of a thrush nearby and some other birds chattering in the distance. It seemed to add to the grounding and peaceful effect I felt. I felt gratitude to be in that moment. When I opened my eyes I felt a rush of green and brown stimulus surround me. My sight was taking over. Suddenly the rock in front of me was part of a winding creek with many other rocks, large and small, broken branches criss-crossed in every direction, and many small pools of water. A chipmunk scurried across a few small flat slate rocks in the creekbed ~ a perfect chipmunk path :-) I could see how the occasional torrents of rain must re-arrange the creekbed as the current passes my steady big rock, at once creating chaos and then cleansing and order. The earthy smell again grounded the area.... dappled sunlight danced along the creekbed, the banks of the ravine, and amidst the trees and waving leaves. There upon my rock were bits sunlight touching the soft moss. Here time was passing and standing still ~ a place that was ever-changing, yet was here before me and will be here after I am gone. I felt unity and continuity, community and belonging. I felt the ever-changing seasons that pass along this creek and felt the steady calm of the rock touching my hands. Everything will be ok, there is a time and season for everything. Hold steady like this rock, blending the strong surface with the softness of moss and a dash of sunlight for play and laughter. This activity led me to feel rocks as a connection to the beginning of time, to years gone by and to times that will go on beyond us... rocks touch me as they so strongly connect with the basic elements of earth, water, and air and bring to me a sense of balance. ^^^ To seek and trust natural sensory attractions to help guide me through daily life. Natural attractions are nature's language. It's a choice, and I choose to reconnect to and learn from nature. It would feel bad to have this knowledge be taken away from me and I am eager to learn more not less. The activity enhanced my feelings of self worth because the natural attraction made me feel welcome and that I belonged there also. This activity re-educated the part of me that feels guilty for not doing more to protect the earth and stop my destructive ways. I understand that with this training it is a process, step by step I will learn and improve my relationships with nature and others. Our thinking is our destiny.By paying attention to what Natural Attractions are telling us we experience more of what and who feels safe, trustful and worthwhile. I haven't been having bad dreams in over a week. ^^^ I went to a beautiful spot in my front yard for this activity. As I stood between two hibiscus bushes, at what seemed to me to be the natural entrance to this area, I asked permission to enter the space.I felt welcomed and felt a giddy sort of child-like energy that was happy for all the rain and happy also for the sun as it returned. I stood there for a moment in that energy, surrounded by palmetto and cabbage palms, a majestic coconut palm, several hibiscus and split leaf philodendrons, and a type of jasmine that is like a huge succulent bush with thorns. I choose a spot on the grass to sit and lean against a palm tree. I felt it's strength support my back and felt the intelligence of this tree to be strength combined with flexibility because nature designed them to be strong and flexible to be able to withstand tropical weather. I then noticed a bee going from flower to flower on the jasmine and realized the webstring intelligences of the bee doing what is necessary for its survival and at the same time spreading pollen and propagating the plant species. The squirrels scurry around collecting food then sit safely in the branches of a tree and the lizards hunt for bugs, and the butterflies and bees follow the jasmine's intoxicatingly sweet scent to drink of its nectar and the birds are just everywhere, chatting happily all the time. And then there‚s me. The one who is charged with doing my part in caring for this spot of nature with my nurturing love and attention. I felt my webstrings, my role to fulfill and my connection, as a part of nature. In appreciation, I sat for a while and shared my energy of happiness as well. I was connected to this spot by a sense of peace and well-being. ^^^ In thinking about a time in my past that I could relate to the intelligence that I'd just experienced in nature relates to the jasmine. It is beautiful and has such an alluring scent that you want to get close but the thorns keep you from getting to close. People can be the same. I was waiting on a man one time and he was, as I interpreted it, rude. He was short with me and just seemed annoyed that I was there. I immediately labeled him as a jerk since he was the one that had come into my restaurant. Then, as he was paying the bill he quietly apologized if he had been rude, and told me that he'd just found out that a family member had died and he was having to fly north to take care of the funeral. From that experience I learned that I shouldn't judge a person or a plant, for that matter, by its thorns because the thorns serve a purpose in some way, to cope with stress or distress and they are there in some way, for survival. ^^^ It was very satisfying reading through and doing the Ecosensory I.Q. test. Words touch me and it was difficult for me to pick just one quote. „Every cell in your body is seeking fulfillment through joy, beauty, love and appreciation.‰ ˆ Deepak Chopra This quote reminds me that I have to take care of myself first before I may be of any help or service to anyone or anything else. It is what every cell of my body naturally seeks. Finding and reconnecting with the natural world leads me to joy, beauty, love and appreciation. From this test I realize that we are all products of our environment and we do the best that we know how with what we are given. Some may grow, evolve and become teachers and way showers of a different way, a way of harmony, peace, cooperation and balance. We adapt to what is necessary to support our survival and the survival of the planet. I do what I can, learn what I can, share what I can and always strive to find less harmful ways of living and being and I try not to beat myself up for what I‚m not doing because I know that in nature, there is no guilt. ^^^ NIGERIA: I know my inherent sensitivities to natural attractions are well because I could enjoyably sense and fell the attraction of a donkey. On getting to donkeys sanctuary in Umuofor, a town close to my community, I ask for permission to do the reconnecting with nature activity and soon after that I sensed the donkeys had become tame, friendly and even greeted me with a happy squeak. I sat down gazing into the suns-speckle stream beside and I felt the cool, refreshing water trickles through my bare toes. I have never imagined anything more lovable than these little fellow trustable donkeys. As I wander among them, I began to realize that the donkeys are really very pleased to see me; they made to hug me and stroking their mane on me. During this process, my natural sensory communication connected my consciousness with their thoughts. They would have told me how happy they are but I don¢t need to hear them speak. Their thinking had already registered in my awareness. During my activity, I naturally experience the natural wisdom, joy, and the beauty found in us, the natural area and others. In those moments I made peace with the donkeys, I felt excitement, joy, and inner peace. I could feel that we are one and ought to be living in peace. Appreciating the natural parts of the sanctuary fulfilled my mission to safely introduce myself to nature and the donkeys. Thank to nature and what therein. ^^^ I do believe that two plus two of the same equals four of the same... My connection with nature through the years has given me a sense of who I am, but recently more of a need to be closer, both physically and spiritually ~ To speak out in behalf of our Gaia, to help raise the conscious mind and spirit of brothers and sisters around the world. A "pinch to grow an inch" ~ I find that I still pinch myself too hard in life... We find these truth's to be self evident... Pain is a real thing, for what ever reason... Verbal or physical abuse, violence, war, accidents, self inflicted... sound, visual, mental... atom bombs... hate... anger... sadness... landfills... additives into our food and water... negative colors, thoughts, words... clear cutting, slander... I sense, I feel... and I have been condemned by others who say it is too much? Who are they to judge? When I sit and my pack comes and gathers round, am I not being confirmed... the butterfly which makes a beeline from 50 yards off, abandoning brightly colored flowers to come and land on my head... is this not confirmation... the children who come and gather, who choose me as a source for their multitude of inquisitive questions... the bond with my own children and their desire to be with a Father who desired to be a guiding force in their lives - positive, nurturing, supportive... who, because of the 5 legged mentality of our brainwashed society have determined that because I was blessed with a square jaw, strong hands, a male body... that I cannot be that which I am! As I sit in the grass, surrounded by my pack... I am "pinched" by the contrast... And even worse than the 5 legged subjugation imposed upon me, is the anger which raises its fierce head wishing to strike back in defense of not just my persecuted soul, but also for the innocent who are being subjected to the hierarchical manipulation severing the webstrings, the four legged interconnectedness of which I am a bridge. ^^^ I thought about you this evening. My wife, Lisa, and I were in a clearing in the woods. I invited her along to try out some PNC experiences while I practiced. We have been married for more than 30 years and I assumed over the years we had shared almost all of our thought and experiences. Wrong! Here is how it went. We stopped at the edge of the entrance of trail into the clearing. I asked her to ask permission of nature to enter. Upon entering the clearing I asked her to find something that attracted her & ask its permission to approach, approach it, observe it and see what you feel. I found what attracted me and began my experience. After a few minutes mosquitoes started telling me to find another attraction, so I searched for Lisa. She was standing before a 30' tree. Lisa's arms, hands and fingers were outstretched to her sides, about shoulder high. When she finished I asked her what kind of a tree that is (it was dark by then). She answered in her sometimes monotone fashion, “I didn't ask it.” So, I kept my mouth shut until we cleared the woods. Lisa said, “I want to tell you something I could never tell anyone. When I was a young girl my grandmother and I would do what you saw me doing with the tree. We would call the wind.” That is when I thought of you, not in words, but in feelings. My wife had not a challenge of talking with a tree, but in telling me about it. Two or three weeks ago I may have given her grief and teased her over it. Now I am humbled and respect her even more. And, hopefully this makes sense; therein I understood your need “to feel genuine” when asking plant for permission. ^^^ There is a Burdock plant at the entrance of our shop. This plant starts out looking like a weed, hence usually gets crushed, cut, or mowed. It seems to grow inches daily. All summer, we have let it do its thing. Now, at about six feet tall, it is showing off its very beautiful, small yellow flowers atop its weedy looking spires. Since reading the course works' steps and examples, I find myself quietly asking the Burdock if I may photograph it. The asking permission from Nature to enter Her areas is becoming a part of me, continually on my mind. Realizing before Web-Imperative readings, I would have simply barged into the “Burdock's kitchen” and snapped away. Along with my personal request for permission from Burdock comes a new feeling of respect for the plant, for all it offers and for everything connected to the plant. Never have I felt such a full connection with nature through a weed. This is real change in my personality and world view brought about directly because of the course work. I experienced a freedom by making a free-will choice to process new information and put the information into action. Fully understanding that my experience is in no way as intense as was Frankl's, Bless his soul, I did gain a minuscule of what he may have felt in the moment. The major result in my daily activities of life: I feel I am growing more patient and calm. The next few nights will be the “acid test” for improved sleep. I had a spinal cord implant stimulator removed this morning, so we will know if improved sleep quality has been a result of course work, scs implant or both. This morning as I walked my dogs I actually found that while the air is thick here in Charlotte with humidity, I am a person who likes the feel of it on my skin, and how the heaviness of the air brings all the fragrances forward from the plants who have passed their prime. Also, as I walked them, my dogs and I felt so much in sync it didn't feel that we were separate which helped me realize I'm a person whose heart soars when in sync with my dogs in this way. Happiness and joy surrounded my heart with this experience of the environment on my skin, and as I breathed the fragrances and enjoyed the dogs. This experience shows me the benefit of keeping my focus on my senses and letting all other thoughts and feelings about the past or future go by the wayside. I can enjoy the eternity experienced in the here and now. I was attracted to the statement 'restrained my stinkin' thinkin' so annoyment became enjoyment"-I've mostly referenced my experience of the humidity by what others have said about it--"its oppressive!!" Also "natures purity and beauty rejuvenated my true self"-This experience definitely enabled me to be in touch with the true Self of joy, connection, confidence, and calm. ^^^ "There is a measure of Conscious thought throughout the body" says the Hippocratic Writings. I was out in deep forest at the National park with a small group of people on a daily jeep safari tour when I read this under a big pine three. People had gone to swimming in a small pool under a waterfall and I had decided not to go with them and read Chapter 2. There I was the only human being. The tall pine trees were singing with the wind so high that it was impossible to hear the birds. I tried to understand what the sentence meant for me. A measure … yes there was certainly a measure on the construction of my body… of conscious thought… what is conscious thought? Whose conscious thought? If I try to understand what conscious thought is, the resources will come from my learned knowledge. From the vocabulary in my brain… I looked around and asked the big tree "Do you understand this? Look over from my shoulders and look at the bird drawings on this page and please tell me what they say to you?" Suddenly I felt to look up in the sky. The tops of the trees were forming a circle and there they resembled the same figure on the page of my book! AWE INSPIRING! I found tears falling on my cheeks. Wow… I was trying to find the conscious thought in my human body… but the body of Earth had it non-literally without questioning but ready to communicate it through senses… The measure was in its body if not how could it draw the circle with the surrounding trees on top of me and drawing those birds over there… This showed also that they were communicating and supporting each other to recycle my thoughts…. As I was eager to hear, sense, learn, communicate, nurture, support, belong and flow with them. While trying to verbalize my experience I tried to express the most important things I have learned from this chapter of the Nature… that I belong to it. Dr. Blake says instead of managing life, let life manage you. When I was sitting under that pine tree, I stand up and shouted turning around with my arms open.. "Manage me!" … I felt forest saying, " Manage you? Why? What does it mean? You are our sister.. we flow together… We just 'be'… and when we are in the 'just be flow' there is no 'management'…. Let yourself to the flow, sister… dont try to reason on this!" I felt the compassion of the wind around me. Isn't this experience of One Indivisible Source love in action? The wind closed the pages of my book. I joined natures song… I belonged. I was worthy. My spirit was in full joy. I was conscious that I was the part of a big whole being nurtured by them and being conscious of it I was nurturing them, too.. Life is great as I have friends to share these feelings with me… It is truly a privilege and an honor to be with you ^^^ My friend and I were traveling on a dirt road along Lake Superior when we happened upon a deserted campground 3 miles off the road, as we traveled this trail I felt like I had just come upon the biggest treasure of all time, I knew we were completely alone. A good sign was the wooden box that said pay by the honor system....lol. At the end of our road was a nice size lake with an Island in the middle, the island was full of pine trees, on the other side of us beyond the trees was Lake Superior, roaring and splashing its fierce waves on the shoreline. As I sat there for a couple hours I realized the complete silence was only silence from words and humans, nature was busy communicating, but not in our language. It is so rewarding for me to not hear words. Some trees were bare, others were colorful and busy laughing. I sat in AWE, nothing else anywhere, mattered. I was a very small part of this vast universe, I was one with nature. As the breeze was chilly, the sun warmed my skin. Everything stood still, yet nature continued on with its duties. Everything seemed so clear, like I was looking thru brand new glasses. Nothing or no one could have ever taught me this experience, this was my natural sensory attractions connecting to the natural area around me. I realize now looking back on it, that this nature experience was natural facts of my life expressing themselves. ^^^ Hi Everybody! My name is Alice and I am still getting acquainted with Ecopsychology and the depth presented here at Project Nature Connect. Apparently I am convinced it works as this will be the 3rd course I’m taking towards a Masters Degree. I have found repeatedly that the benefits to myself and my interactions outside the classroom are smoother and more connected as if there is meaning in it all………a mind/body/emotional/spiritual dance that fits my body like perfect skin. I have enjoyed communicating with my classmates and there have been moments when their responses are vital to a resolution that is pending. I have loved the communing in nature and find the practice very necessary towards understanding and enlightment. I am still incredulous that Dr. Cohen was able to pull off this program through his many years in the field. If only I had known about his classroom earlier! However, I am here now and this is what matters. ^^^ I like the hummingbird because it is attracted to the morning glory flower, and because it receives love from them without disturbing their beauty. I also like the hummingbird because it recognizes the beauty of the flowers and understands their ability to provide sustenance. The hummingbird exchanges with the flowers and promotes their continued growth, receiving and giving the gift of love for the mutual benefit of their future generations. Through this activity I learned that love is an exchange that promotes the continuation of life, I can experience love through observing natural attractions within nature, and that love simultaneously fulfills the needs of all that are involved in its exchange. This lesson from nature enhanced my sense of self worth by affirming that I am constantly immersed in an exchange of love. ^^^ I was naturally attracted to my Sago Palm. It's beautiful deep, rich green color. I was also attracted to it's very healthy appearance and it's fullness. Just sitting and gazing at the palm gave me a feeling of peace, a reminder of nature's ability to create such unique beauty that is so natural and uncomplicated, just that alone, can encourage psychological balance. There is just something wonderful and unique that tropical plants possess. They are truly in a class all by themselves in nature. This kind of simplistic relaxation doesn't cost a thing! It is without any effort and yet...the restorative peace is so profound, beneficial and very balancing. It is indeed... the easiest kind of therapy. I gave much thanks to the natural attraction and for being there for me. Some of the most simple and smallest things are the most significant of all blessings. I recognize the plant as being part of the mother earth. It was easy, without effort to "sense" the plant for longer than 10=2 0seconds. It's lovely appearance commanded my attention to it. I became engaged in it's exotic beauty, there was no opportunity for negative emotions to surface or to be present. Thanking the plant and focusing on the plants positive energy was beneficial there is a complete change in how I felt before and after observing the plant and being in the presence of it's energy. Before I did the activity, I was much more distracted and stressed and afterwards...I became a lot more calm, with restored energy, humility and again...it didn't COST A THING! ^^^ I took a walk with my husband at the state forest a few weeks ago. I asked permission from the forest to allow me to enter. The forest welcomed me and I immediately felt love and acceptance. There was an excitement in the air and the birds were singing as if they were speaking to me so I listened for their messages. I shifted into 4-legged thinking as I went totally in the moment, clearing my mind, for I didn't want to miss any part of the experience the forest was about to share with me. I noticed this time that the colors seemed brighter to me , the green through the forest was brilliant. What came to me was this is "Heaven on Earth." I suddenly started feeling like streams of soft white material was wrapping around me as if I was reconnecting with all was there and we were one. I closed my eyes and could see the streams of white connections between the trees and all that was in the forest. I felt like they were communicating thru these streams much like we communicate through our phone wires. I felt elated and also felt myself opening up to the forest as I felt so safe. I stopped to say thank-you a few times as I walked along the path and as the wind came up I wrapped my arms around some trees. What I noticed this time was how I appreciated the quiet and while the birds were singing and chirping, it was still so quiet to me . It was as if they were a natural part of the quiet and stillness I was experiencing. I was as if time had stopped and I was in another dimension. It was a long walk and I started to tire, when suddenly I felt this peaceful zap of energy in my body as if the forest was helping me. Then the wind came up to cool my body and I was refreshed enough to finish my journey. When reading the quote from Frank Loyd Wright, "I believe in God, only I spell it Nature", it reminded me of what a gift God gave us in creating nature. We truly do have Heaven On Earth when we connect to nature. We have a choice in this life of remaining unconscious and blindfolded or to experience the beauty that nature has intended for us. This connection with nature taught me about unconditional love and gratefulness. I am so grateful for my nature-connect experiences and await the opportunities and wisdom that nature has to share with me. I understand my interdependence and relationship to nature on a much deeper level with the law of Natural Attraction. We are given all we need to sustain our lives and connecting with nature improves our relationships. As we learn to trust and feel better about ourselves, this spills over into our personal and professional life. ^^^ I fully agree that because I am naturally a sensory being, in this activity sensory contact with attractions in the natural area provided most of the rewards I obtained from my good experience in nature"-. The more I open up my senses, the more rewarding the experience will be. I have placed some thoughts and feelings in my new space built in my psyche. The feeling is total peace and unconditional love and the thoughts are of acceptance, love, and gratitude. I thank you for this wonderful opportunity to learn and share with you. Have a blessed nature-connect day! ^^^ How long had it been since the last real visit to the beach? An urgency had propelled me to abandon the air-conditioned confines at home to seek natural attractions by invitation. 2 The beach stretched far into the distance, my destination beyond sight and my mind spread across the sandy vista. I followed the horizontal line joining earth and sky and thrilled to imagine the African coast on the other side of this water's edge. “One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of shore for a very long time”, Andre Gide. Before long it occurred to me that this was an activity! I had been lead out here and I followed. Thank you! May I inquire what you may convey today? How may I learn from you, Earth and Sky? Show me! Expecting a response from the earthly plain ahead I was deeply touched when this wasn't' the case. As if a film editor spliced the ensuing frame terra firma eclipsed before my eyes and a panorama of rolling surf became animated ahead.. It was a stunning sensation as if my insides magnetized to the element of water. Holy Mother Magnificent. My eyes drank up the scene. I double checked this attraction glancing from sand to surf from firm to liquid sea and, yes, the water was speaking…..in long rows, undulating rolls gathering into curls and frothing at the lip. I went soft…., humbled before this sight. It looked and felt like eternity…here long before the first fish. A primordial sea as consciouness itself…all encompassing, forever, one in itself, complete and I understood. Thank you. ^^^ I thought about 2 hours I'd spent a couple of weeks ago at one of my favorite beaches, just sitting and noodling around, watching and drinking in the surroundings. I do fear being judged by others if I disclose fully the level of attraction I feel for nature. And a part of me judges myself negatively for this strong attraction. This surprised me! One piece from the chapter that jumped out at me in regards to the above: “Have I prejudicially learned that doing this is 'flaky' and may make me look foolish?” I also realized that I have been doing what sounds very much like NSTP fervently but also furtively for a number of years now. Indulging in what feels a guilty pleasure. I feel a recurring and strong resistance to the reading, which I had not expected! Because I simultaneously recognized so much of it as the truth, and yet a part of me wanted to dismiss it and deny it and brush it off. Yes, I have indeed been trained to deny my natural self! The activity reminded me yet again of the powerful connection that I feel to nature, and made me much more aware of the shame I feel over it! This assignment helped me to start to see how mistrust of my perceptions and feelings about nature has constrained my relationship with it, as well as hampered my love of myself and my relationship with people I am close to. Fear of others' judgment is not something I find when in nature. It is something I've ingested from other sources. I can trust my yearning to relinquish it. Thank you every one! I am looking forward to reading your contributions! ^^^ I know my inherent sensitivities to natural attractions are alive and well because I could enjoyably sense and feel that I belong and that nature responds to my needs. There is one place that I have repeatedly been drawn to and felt welcome, but this week I chose to look elsewhere in nature to gain a greater understanding of natural attraction. First of all, I'm sick and feeling pretty lousy, quite honestly. Although I spent the first day that I was sick completely outdoors, after it was suggested that perhaps the seasonal dust might either be causing or making my illness worse, I stayed indoors on the following day-only to get MUCH worse. But you know how habit born of years is what we most easily revert to during times of stress? At first I continued to stay indoors and tried to get as much rest as possible and tried to get well. I just felt lousier and lousier. Intermittently feverish and chilled I looked outside the sliding glass door and I wasn't sure I wanted to go outside, or that it was even a good idea. The assignment forced me to overcome my reluctance-which in retrospect was born of habit, not of attraction. As soon as I stepped onto the deck the response in my body was immediate. The air was fresh, the light sprinkling of rain on my skin felt comforting and I felt my temperature adjust, my lungs open and I breathed free for the first time in a couple of days. I was drawn to the sprawling grape vines and leaves that have overtaken the railing. I paid attention to my attraction, asked permission for me to approach and enjoy its gift, sensed it, checked my attraction again and then thanked it. At that moment one of our kittens sprang up from under the leaves and bumped her head against my hand to be petted. What I immediately noticed was how incredibly green everything is, particularly as I was reading about the color word vs. the intuitive visual memory of knowing of green. This is the green I know: the green of rainy Oregon. Although I am a writer and words are my treasures, it is visual imprint of green that I know from the deepest part of myself. Perhaps this is why I can quickly and easily say the colors of the words rather than the names of the colors. I thought of this while I enjoyed breathing in the air and feeding my eyes with the colorful green. I wanted to “test” my feelings of other attractions. I chose to enter the house and try my luck in the front yard. Keeping in mind that because I'm sick I wasn't exactly up for an ambitious expedition so I planned to just barely exit in my bare feet, maybe just stick to the steps-but I had a surprise waiting for me: a hornets nest had dislodged itself where it had hidden beneath the eaves and landed on the bottom step! Instantly I knew I was NOT attracted to go there. I briefly considered what to do and felt the pull of nature outside. So, I went out the back, slipped my sandals on and trod around the house to the front yard. As a result I experienced more than I would have had I simply gone out the front door in my bare feet and not made the circular trip around my home. I felt attracted to check my wild roses that we've transplanted to the side of our house. They are past season, but low and behold there was a single rose that had recently bloomed! Again, I asked permission to approach, sensed it, enjoyed it and moved on with gratitude. I did this again and again throughout our large yard with blooming sweet peas, lazy susan, hydrangea flowering plum and finally with our fig trees. I was thrilled to find that the latter were bearing fruit and after asking permission I plucked one from the branch and ate it right on the spot. I thought about how nature is perfect in its ability to recycle. Unlike other unnatural waste , I was able to drop the bits of slightly overripe skin of the fig right onto the ground knowing that it would be further nutrients for the farm or food for birds or insects. Nature taking care of itself. I didn't stay to one place but moved from plant to plant, area by area and implemented the activity until it became nearly an unconscious habit. I trusted my body to tell me when I should quit and though I was tempted to stay out longer I went back inside before I became too tired. Again and again since then as I've been sick, usually too sick to sit at the computer and read, much less write, I have taken myself outside to at least stand in the rain on the deck for a few minutes at a time. I have left the sliding glass door open slightly so that I could smell the rain, enjoy the fresh air, smell (as much as I'm able to smell anything) the scents of the outdoors and hear the birds. The opening allows nature to enter my home. I have given it permission! ^^^ The way I felt BEFORE I rejoined with nature was pretty crummy: sick, tightness in my chest, irritable, uncomfortable. Going outside opened my airways, helped me breathe free, relaxed and refreshed me. As a result, I find myself doing things differently than I previously would have when sick. For example, I had no choice but to go out and register my sons for school late this afternoon. I ran into staff members/parents I haven't seen all summer. Rather than standing inside to chat I chose to step outside and sit on a covered bench and the others followed. I didn't compel them-the were drawn/attracted to join me. We sat together and in those few minutes we came to consensus about some significant issues. I responded to their openness and they to mine. It was very difficult to come inside afterwards in my home. I don't feel as good as I did outside. As I have the last couple of nights, I will take my futon near to the open sliding glass door in order to hear the crickets and feel and smell the fresh air in order to relieve the tightness in my lungs. ^^^ Another storm. Lightning bolts and thunder heads. And then it passes, absorbed into Mount Fuji, still outlined in the heavy cloud cover. We go down to the edge of the lake. For the first time I see ducks I have never seen before. No, not ducks, geese. There are four and they seem unafraid of us. Grey-brown feathers, a long velvety neck of black, white around the eyes. Beautiful. I close my eyes and listen as they tear up and gobble grass. I open my eyes again and the sky has become white cloud tinged with golden pink. Lightning still flashes over the hills across the lake. The water gleams silver in the twilight. Swallows fly overhead. Then bats swoop. A lone fisherman is casting his rod into the water. The fish are jumping and he catches one. We watch as he measures it, and then just as he is about to take a picture of it, it wriggles and leaps from his hand back into the water, splashing joy. A cool wind touches my face. I close my eyes again and listen to the sounds around me. Water lapping. Reeds rustling. A crack of thunder. A human voice calling out to his friend. The low throatiness of the geese. Cars passing by in the distance. As darkness falls one goose leads the others into the water. They wade in, then float away, a V of water following them as they move off. I feel so close to everything. Without explaining it all I feel more a part of it all. Breathing is all I need to do to feel connection. The wild creatures, the thunder and lightning, the evening wind - they feel me as a part of it all, too. But here I am, sitting writing about the nameless I tried to experience in this activity. At the time it really felt the nameless - sensory contact, a relaxing and deepening into the moment. Now, as I reflect, I realize that I am very grateful for this sense of language that allows me to explain what happened in that moment of connection. I realize that while I am able to experience the nameless I am very much attracted to the words that can give shape to the nameless. I would not like to lose this ability of language because it is an important part of my existence in this world. And my self-worth is enhanced by knowing that my ability to experience the nameless can be articulated in a way that enables me to share my sensory experience with others. I learned that when I simply open to the moment a type of drifting into relaxed connection happens. My sensory fulfillment expands to embrace whatever is in me and around me. And not having to assign words or ideas means that the moment becomes just what it is - that I become just what I am. And it is good, and it fills me with a sense of gratitude and a peace at being here, at this moment, in this web of life. ^^^ I did the exercise with my nine-year old daughter. We went down to the Connecticut River, to a boat launch area that offers a lot of natural area. Joan had been difficult with me since picking her up at 5. She was hot, hungry and tired when I got her, but demanded we do something fun. “From early in life we learn the habit of paying attention to things industrial society considers important.” We ate some dinner, but nothing could pull her out of her funk, and nothing I suggested sounded like 'fun' to her. “…what happens to the value of nature and our natural senses as we learn to live excessively separated from the natural environment.” After running an errand, I detoured to the river and, getting out of the car, told her I needed her help with something. I told her I was going to close my eyes and that I needed her to lead me around and show me things in nature. What happened after that, and what she said as a result of the exercise, was quite educational. We started by asking permission of the place to be there with it. I immediately realized I had to put a great deal of trust in Joan to lead me carefully and help me keep from tripping over rocks and sticks. I recognized some fear wanting to come up. I relaxed and accepted that this was part of the experience. “Unlike our way of thinking and its questionable personal and global effects, nature's intelligence does not continually undermine itself with 'Yes, but' stories. These stories have us spend most of our lives reasoning or arguing with other stories.” She brought me over to a tree trunk and put my hands on it. I immediately felt its strength and groundedness, realizing a sense of peace and contentment as a result. I later told Joan I felt the tree liked me. We then moved carefully to some other items; a large stick that she later told me said 'thank you' to her when she focused on it to show to me. As she skillfully guided me around, warning of roots and ruts, it was clear we were bonded nicely in the moment together. I was touched. Later I also realized how quickly her mood had changed. I asked her if the experience filled the bill as something fun. She said yes. After showing me a few more things, she asked if we could switch. So I then lead her around to various objects. When we stopped the exercise, we talked about what happened. Joan said, "I felt safe in nature, like it would take care of me." I did not coach her, and I do not think she has been reading RWN. I told her I thought we were close when we were doing the exercise. She agreed. She said it was fun. We naturally started to play. Joan wanted to build a fort with the sticks, which we did. We also explored a nearby clearing that featured some downed tree trunks resembling benches. We went back to the parking lot and a familiar car pulled in. It was my friend Carl who has recently lost his job. We had just seen Carl at the pool two days earlier, so we laughed about the coincidence. We showed Carl the fort and the clearing. Everyone agreed the clearing was an auspicious spot for a meeting of the chiefs or shamans. We agreed to come back in mid-October to enjoy the golden color of the overhead leaves. I suggested we could celebrate Carl's new job at that time. Carl showed Joan how to skip rocks on the placid surface of the river. Evening was falling. The sky was orange and pink. In the distance the rose light reflected off the East Haddam Swing Bridge's steel structure. A large fished jump. We stayed for a while longer before saying goodnight to Carl and heading home. The most important attraction of this exercise was the instantaneous, non-verbal support we found in nature. I learned that without my vision, I am afraid to trust other senses and other people; that when I open up to trusting, nature offers a solid, tangible, caring response. Opening up to this nurturing aspect of nature helps me open up to the inner nature of other people. Without these experiences, the quality of my relationship with my daughter would not be as high. I would be more influenced by inner fears and feelings of not belonging, not being nurtured. This exercise educates the part of me that needs to be in control to protect myself. ^^^ As I relaxed into the grasses and daisies around me, a beautiful black and yellow butterfly arrived. I am always so excited to see the butterflies return each year ! I love them ~ they are always so joyful as they dance so gently and lightly through the air and upon flowers and even me :-) I love them :-) I will miss them as fall is coming ever so quickly, and I know my days with them are numbered as they will migrate soon. The most lovely butterfly flew onto the beautiful white daisy beside me, and I knew she was the one sent for the activity ~ she has accompanied me on my sunny walks around the pond at other times, and I felt I was sitting with a friend as she lingered there for quite awhile and (2) she feels friendly and warm, light and joyful, and makes me smile. I love myself because (2) I am friendly and warm, light and joyful, and make myself/others smile. It is fascinating to think of myself in terms of being similar to the things in nature to which I am attracted. When I really stop and think about it, I have similarities to all kinds of things I am attracted to, and they to me, and it is a fun game to play ! I think it is also hard for me to say nice things about myself, even to myself ... so this exercise feels good to me. It feels good to think of myself as "a seamless continuation of the web of life" and connect myself to the natural systems within me and around me. I discovered that I like seeing myself in the web of life around me and within me, and as a reflection of everything around me. I like knowing we can find the qualities of ourselves and others in nature, if we only stop and look and take the time. We are, indeed, one with nature and a part of the whole and connected to each other and all of nature. Our qualities are intertwined. I trust nature's qualities and know that they are the qualities within us all, This activity has enhanced my self worth in that identifying myself as having the qualities in nature that I am attracted to is a beautiful thing filled with unexpected insights ... I didn't know I was all those things. I didn't know I was that good. I also take the symbolic messages of butterfly to heart when she comes to me in special ways and so I learn from her.... and from other aspects of nature's wisdom. ^^^ The other day I went for a walk in a park near the bay front. My partner and I wanted to take our puppy, Myla, for a walk together so we brought her down to the edge of the lagoon where the ducks and geese were lounging and swimming near the water. It started to rain, a few banyan trees provided us with the option of taking shelter, but we chose to enjoy the feeling of the raindrops and being together with our puppy, smiling while watching Myla play in the shallows. For this NSTP activity I could have taken off my shirt and wrapped it around one hand but I thought, “Why bother? Why not change it up a little?” I don't only feel or touch things with my hands. I thought about my feet. So I took off one slippah (sandal) and began walking around on the soft grass and moist soil with one slippah on, and one slippah off. Immediately, my bare foot on the Earth's surface sent pulsing sensations of a variety of textures and temperatures, however my foot still wearing the slippah did not experience much change at all. I felt life pulsating through my body through the sole of my bare foot. I enjoyed this feeling of being in direct contact with Earth. With my bare foot I was more cautious about where I was stepping. I looked for broken glass and sharp rocks that might cut my foot, and my foot assisted by stepping gently to prevent crushing plant life with insensitive steps. My other foot, the one with the slippah, was not cautious at all, it just seemed to step where ever, without feeling its way. My partner called to me to come over to where she was standing. I walked slowly with my one slippah to where she was. “You have to see this”, she said. A tree had blossomed to full capacity and was dropping its flowers, spinning to the ground in a rhythmic drip like fashion. It was beautiful. I stood watching this natural rhythm of falling flowers flying through the air for a few moments, and with one slippah on, and one slippah off, I walked softly over the flower pedals. The feeling was soft and wet, and my barefoot enjoyed this very much, however my other foot felt deprived of these sensations. Through the technology of a slippah, my foot remained desensitized, and it made me think about how our homes, clothing, watches, telephones, computers etc., promote the desensitization of our eyes, skin, ears, and hearts to the beauty of nature's gift offered to us at all times. This activity helped me to learn that when we experience things through sensory awareness we receive vital information to assist us in making informed decisions toward attractions, safety, and sustainability. When technology acts as a buffer to separate us from this information, we sometimes walk unwisely into unattractive situations that make no sense. If our habitual use of technology fails or is removed for any reason, we may find that we are in a situation that is difficult traverse, leaving us with a long painful walk back to the comfort and fulfillment of bare (or bare foot) human experience. In this activity I felt my disconnected domesticated way of life, and at the same time, I could feel everything that the Earth wished to share with me by allowing myself to naturally connect with my senses. My sense of self-worth and appreciation was heightened through this experience shared with my partner and my puppy, and it provided me with good feelings in the moment of spending time together. I discovered that when we experience things through sensory awareness we receive vital information to assist us in making informed decisions toward attractions, safety, and sustainability. When technology acts as a buffer to separate us from this information, we sometimes walk unwisely into unattractive situations that make no sense. If our habitual use of technology fails or is removed for any reason, we may find that we are in a situation that is difficult traverse, leaving us with a long painful walk back to the comfort and fulfillment of bare (or bare foot) human experience. I fear that it will take a cataclysmic technological crash for people to find their senses; yet I hope that folks will learn to balance invention in a way that supports natural growth. ^^^ My attractions led me to observe the beautiful bluish purple morning glory vine climbing up a standing pine tree. The flowers were attractive and I thought to allow the morning glory to help me with this activity, and at that moment an emerald green hummingbird arrived. I like the hummingbird because it is attracted to the morning glory flower, and because it receives love from them without disturbing their beauty. I also like the hummingbird because it recognizes the beauty of the flowers and understands their ability to provide sustenance. The hummingbird exchanges with the flowers and promotes their continued growth, receiving and giving the gift of love for the mutual benefit of their future generations. I like myself because I am attracted to the morning glory flower, and because I receive love from them without disturbing their beauty. I also like myself because I recognize the beauty of the flowers and understand their ability to provide sustenance. I exchange with the flowers and promote their continued growth, receiving and giving the gift of love for the mutual benefit of our future generations. Through this activity I learned that love is an exchange that promotes the continuation of life, I can experience love through observing natural attractions within nature, and that love simultaneously fulfills the needs of all that are involved in its exchange. This lesson from nature enhanced my sense of self worth by affirming that I am constantly immersed in an exchange of love. ^^^ Driving along between some work meetings, I was drawn to stop at a deserted county forest as I was passing by. Unmarked and not a real "park", this is land I discovered many years ago that was owned by the county and seems to be visited by few people; but being county owned, it is public land. There is quite a bit of this county forest land around, and rarely do I see signs of people, as I think perhaps because it has no amenities, no roads, etc. So many people seem to need amenities before they will engage with a natural setting. So I decided to see if this place would welcome me for this assignment. Greeted by a flurry of newly fledged Chickadee babies happily chattering around me, I felt welcomed. I wandered along one of the trails feeling happy to return as I had not been there in quite awhile, chattering to nature's residents about the latest changes I could see there, and asking for green plant volunteers. No takers. Hmmm ... then mama deer began snorting her noisy warning to distract me from the way I was heading, as I must have been nearing her fawn. So I completely turned around and onto a different trail. No need to bother the mom and her baby. They were in a beautiful undisturbed place, and I didn't want them to feel they had to leave it because of me. I apologized for disturbing them and wished them well. It then seemed very quickly that I found a wonderful green plant volunteer! One whose name I do not know, but then it does not name itself. It simply is. Quite large, perhaps 5 feet tall and wide, the plant ( I bet there are people who think this plant is a weed! ) was lush and inviting for this exercise which would eventually have us exchanging breaths. I stopped breathing, the feeling of suffocating followed, and I was compelled to breathe as the plant seemed to reach out for me. I loved the feeling of breathing, in what felt like synchrony, while touching this plant. We did this exchange for awhile, and our breaths seemed to become rich and flowing between one another as we touched between my episodes of air starvation. I don't think this plant liked me holding my breath; I felt the plant kept telling me to breathe .... after all, just as I seek her oxygen, she was seeking my carbon dioxide. We very much had a mutual connection. A "re-spiriting". I had grown quite fond of this plant and thanked her for her help with this assignment. I could see where the deer had nibbled on her young shoots, and I could smell the sweetness of her leaves. I had never smelled leaves with such a sweet fragrance! No wonder the deer are so attracted to this plant, as I was also. Ahhh, all is well. Now I understand. I happily like to guess that the mother deer heard me asking for green plant volunteers and "led" me to one of her favorites ( as well as way from her fawn I sent my thanks off into the forest to her and appreciation for sharing her green plant with me. Respiration has a very vivid meaning for me now after doing this exercise. And no, doing this with an object like an air conditioner was not remotely the same. It was just my own starvation for air without the mutual support of my friendly green plant cheering me on to breathe and connect. I discovered that the very breath of life, "re-spiriting", is intimately connected to the green plants in the world around us; that a plant and I can feel a sense that feels more than communication, but breath / spirit exchange; that the natural world around me supports my well-being, as I in turn support hers in our mutual need for one another. Doing this activity I felt good about connections, mutual breathing, spirit, deer and plant connection, love for being "in spirit" with my surroundings, oneness of the breath and the spirit of life itself. These feelings are part of me and cannot be disconnected from me so I cannot give them up. I recognize that meaningful relationships always enhance my sense of self-worth. I feel honored and connected when a plant and deer communicate with me, and I with them. ^^^ My aunt had breast cancer last year. She was so depressed when she knew that and there was a period of time she didn't want to talk to anyone and became quite irritated. We could totally understand how much pain she was taking, and sure we knew that didn't do any good to her health. My aunt's daughter is a nurse, she was very patient and everyday she brought a bunch of flowers to her mum. I didn't realize how much helpful the flowers did until I went to visit my aunt before I came to America, she had her surgery done successfully, and she mentioned that everyday watching and taking care of the flowers helped her kill the time and shift her attention. The smell of the flowers made her comfortable, she talked to the flowers, and their energy and desire for life encouraged her a lot. She became more optimistic and worked co-operatively with the doctor, she was confident with her surgery and finally she survived. This is what happened in my life and I would never forget the invisible support and power from nature. One of my friends was so surprised at my saying "Thank you" for visiting my natural friends. It's just because she never thinks about there could be any communication with the trees and flowers, which she believes cannot speak our language. I told her about my course and my natural experience, and encouraged her to try some simple natural connection activities. I will ask her how she feels after she does those activities. As I took the course, I became more aware of what appreciation and responsibility means. What I used to believe only happened to human beings, happens all the time among the living creatures. ^^^ I visited my backyard today. It was a very big yard and I was immediately immersed in this area. I really enjoyed being with those giant trees. They were gentle and quiet, however, I could sense their energy and loyalty. I asked for permission to join this community, the wind made me feel cold but brought very fresh air. It was still sunny though the wind was strong, the warm sunshine through the lush leaves scattered on my skin, I was thinking about the balance nature keeps. Once there is something undesirable, something else exists to keep the balance. I don't doubt now because of the course I'm taking, the activities I'm doing, convincing me of the truth that all of the living creatures, including us human beings, could live peacefully and harmoniously in this planet, since we are all part of nature. ^^^ I walked in the yard, said "Thank you." when I passed the trees, I gently touched the trunk, I knew that my patting the trees could show and pass my love to them. I felt so content to do that, it's such a good feeling to give my love to others, to show my appreciation to them, to let them know that how happy I was with them. Wasn't that wonderful? It made me think about cherishing. How could we take it for granted that we deserve anything we want? How could we never thanks natural friends to bring us joy and laughter? How could we blame everything we are not satisfied with, such as "bad weather"? I found that saying "Thank you." further consolidates my feelings of being loved and expressing my appreciation for the love mother nature gives. I'm clearly aware of the importance of my being to the wholeness of the community, meanwhile, all the other living creatures' contribute as well. I noticed that though we always asked for fair, most of us not even consider the true meaning of equality, and what we are supposed to do to be supportive to achieve the integrity of our community. I knew I should be more responsible to help mother nature keep our planet from being abused and exploited. I used to think that it's impossible for me to change anything. Now I'm thinking more about what I could do, like saying "Thank you." is something everyone can do. To purify our soul, we don't need to do something amazing, we can simply make it in our daily life. ^^^ I often feel that nature is asking me to "pay attention" or is trying to get my attention is some way, shape, or form. It seems like common "sense" to acknowledge nature's request, but in our nature disconnected ways we get wrangled into searching for the story that will provide us with a meaning to the experience. When a crow perches outside of our window day after day, crying, "kwa kwa kwa", how does that make you feel at that moment? Perhaps that feeling is what we need to "pay attention" to, and not necessarily the creation of a story about a crow, or the meaning of it being outside our window. That feeling we get in the moment may guide us, by way of attractions, to harmonize with our environment, or mend our, sometimes unconscious, imbalances. How do we feel when we see a polar bear has drowned as a result of the inadvertent human induced melting of the artic ice? Sadness? Helpless? Numb? These feelings are what we must "pay attention" to because they will guide us toward right action, both for ourselves and our planet, and we may find that our attractions will lead us to act toward happiness, empowerment, and acute awareness of our relationship to the whole. We can thank nature for calling our attention always, and may our participation with nature be in acts of reciprocity. ^^^ It is hot, humid, and little striped mosquitoes are flying around. So we decide to begin the sensory nature walk in front of the minka, where the Japanese maples arch in an umbrella of shade and filtered light. Permission is granted us by the welcoming coolness and the lack of mosquitoes. I am the guide for Robert. I walk to his left and a little behind him, holding his left hand in my left, with my right arm supporting him around his waist. I immediately feel very responsible for this human being who is depending on me as his eyes. This sense of responsibility deepens as we walk. I go slowly, surely. And I find myself attracted to so many things I want him to enjoy as well - grasses, bamboo, a brilliant green grasshopper, the sound of water in the stream, the smoothness of stone, the brush of a dandelion puff against his cheek and the quick glimpse of the puff breaking up and flying off against the sky, the spikiness of juniper and the springiness of moss, the articulation of tiny rose hips, the feel of the wind, the warmth of the sun. In my role as guide my senses seem especially heightened and attuned - as if I do not want to miss any of this abundance because if I do, I will not be able to share it with Robert. Afterwards he tells me that there were moments when he felt a little scared because he could not see, but in those moments he decided to trust me completely and go with me where I led. He expressed his awe at this deepening into trust of another human being. Then I am guided. We go to a different part of the garden - the maple walk. Yukio takes both my hands in his and walks slowly backward, leading me forward. The ground is spongy yet firm, noisy beneath my feet. He squeezes my shoulder and I open my eyes right into the variegated leaf maple with magenta colored stalks. I can feel the receipt of this gift at my core and gasp aloud. Then he puts something into my left hand. I can feel it moving. I voice my concern - I don't really feel like having an insect crawling across my palm. But Yukio squeezes my shoulder and I open my eyes to a tiny rice grasshopper, spring green, balancing itself on my open hand. I watch closely as it moves one leg after another - there is a tiny round pad on each leg. Its eyes are enormous. I bend forward and we seem to look at each other. I am no longer afraid. And the grasshopper seems completely unafraid. After a time I stretch my hand out and the grasshopper hops into a bush. Yukio leads me to feel the stickiness and surprising strength in a tendril of hop vine. I am guided forward and down so that I touch a large rock beneath a fall of green leaves. The sun beats on my back as I walk. I hear the birds and the rush of water and feel the wind against my cheek. Then he guides me into a sitting position. Grass leaps beneath my hands on the ground. Then I groan as a large, furry body throws itself on top of me - Mory, one of our dogs. Immediately another nose nuzzles me from the left and I feel another body wriggle down beside me on the ground - Tata. I can hear the joyful panting - they don't want me to get up -"This is great," they seem to say. On my walk I experience moss in my fingers - surprisingly dry, flowering grass, the touch of leaves on my skin, a dandelion puff on my nose and eyes. Then Robert whispers, "Be careful." In a low voice he explains that he led me to a certain tree to show me a bird's nest he had seen the other day. But to his surprise, a bird is now sitting in the nest. We decide to end the sensory nature walk and move away from the nest. As we walk back to the house we wonder aloud at the fact that birds seem to want to make their nests right along our walking paths, despite our constant presence, despite the exuberant bouncing around of six dogs. We talk about the amazing experience we had last year with the great tit family. When we return home we acknowledge our gratitude to one another, and the pleasure and trust we shared on the walk. I discovered that I can learn to trust another human being and deepen my own multisensory awareness while doing so. When my eyes are closed other senses become more active and vibrant, enhancing my feeling of connection with the natural world and filling me with joy and gratitude. In order to experience the multi-sensory abundance in which we live each moment of our lives we first need to shift into an attitude of receptivity. In this state of openness the wonder that surrounds us reveals itself. Both Robert and I felt wonderful after doing this activity and we talked about how it is a marvelous way to develop trust and appreciation. Our sense of self-worth is enhanced, as well as our gratitude for the daily beauty of our lives. ^^^ There is a beautiful stretch of water hidden within the city, I don't know if would be called a brook or a stream and it seems to be maintained by the city but very few people know that this exists, that my eldest daughter spent her pre teenage years hiding out near. Since she knows the area so well I had her (April) do this activity with me. I have only been to this place once before when she brought me through it eight years ago. I took of my shoes and pulled a heavy hijab over my eyes and took her hand. She led me over the smooth stepping stones at the mouth of the waterway I felt the cool stones embrace my feet as we walked the perimeter, I heard a water fall in the distance and the scent of clean purity pervaded the area. I could tell that she was leading away from the water as the sound of its flow came from behind me. I felt her test the ground with her feet before leading me into a floor of dry leaves that crackled and cushioned my steps. I felt and heard the rustle of little creatures scuttling past as I sensed the sunlight become shaded. We sat at the base of what I took to be a very large tree. I felt like a spirit shadow drinking in the life of this place. There really are no descriptive words to describe how I felt as my consciousness melded with the area; peace, belonging and humility come to mind but don't come close to naming the sensations. After some time, April became aware that I was becoming hot in the thicket and she led toward the sound of goslings. She guided me over a soft glade, I could smell the water mingling with the foliage as the bright sun danced around me. I began to exhilaration as I anticipated moving closer to the rushing water. She led me across a narrow strip of river rock that allowed the water to rush over my feet, stopping she held out to feel water dance over them. We were now wading about knee deep and coming upon the torrent of the water fall. She stopped momentarily, I knew that she was allowing me to choose my direction. I chose to walk right into the fall. The pressure of the fall released my hijab from my face revealing prismatic colour light through the water. I felt wonderfully welcome, free and clean from impurity. I gave thanks for being an integral part of this magnificent creation. April chose not have me guide her at this time, she said that she didn't know why but that she felt that we should leave the experience as it is and that she would be attracted to being led at a later time. She also said that the experience gave her a feeling of honor, humility and responsibility. “I can't believe that you trusted me that much” she beamed. I smiled knowing that our communication while already open would now take on a new unabashed dimension. ^^^ I went to a small field behind my house. It has a small hill on which are some trees, a few large bushes and many planted flowers, plus a small artificial stream. My first attraction was to the flowers as they were bright and colorful but I instead took the shape of a leaf. I an attraction to the movement of the branches and leaves of the trees and to nature in general. I had a feeling of connection and slowly started swaying to the same speed and motion as the leaves and branches. I felt happy, my heart felt light and I forgot my troubles and my responsibilities. I started laughing, swaying and laughing. I felt happy, totally happy. I have come to realize that as an adult I have lost the ability to spontaneously laugh. As children, we laugh and scream for joy as we play outside and then our man made lives tell us to grow up, get back inside and get to work. We lose the ability to laugh and without the ability to laugh we get sick, diseased and irritable. With this disease and irritability, we harm others and ourselves. I like myself because I can laugh and be carefree without a reason I discovered that I must be connected to nature to be happy and Nature's healing connections heal the body and the soul, in fact, all of our injuries regardless of how they occurred. The activity helped me realize that I know that I am connected to nature because when joining with nature, I am happy. I know that I am increasing and improving my nature connects because of the sensation of calmness and peacefulness that occurs with a nature connection and because the more frequently that I connect the easier that this connection becomes. I know that I am connected with nature because of the reduction of anxiety that continues to occur with my nature connections I would feel like I had loss control over my life if I was disconnected with nature. When we look to nature for guidance or assistence, we must "pay attention" to the non-verbal response, and the feelings associated with that response. The call is always all around us. I really enjoyed the reading in this chapter. The way of using negatives as a guide to positive outcomes is something I have believed in for some time. My old belief that many of our experiences, opportunities and the choices we make when responding to them can sometimes be a series of double edged swords. ^^^ For this activity I went to the Northborough Conservation Area it was much more attractive than the last time and proved to be a nice experience. My wife came with me this time. As we entered the forest we asked permission to participate in Nature Connect Activities. We walked and talked for a while and I told my wife I wanted to start the silent nameless part of the activity. I must admit my desire to label everything still comes on strong. I used the technique of saying “Nameless” each time a label popped into my head. However the labels appeared to be winning. I was trying, probably too hard not to label everything however more labels kept popping in my head. Nameless, nameless, nameless I kept repeating in my mind and sometimes out loud. Suddenly a hawk appeared at the tree line and began circling overhead. I know it came to help me with the activity. I love watching them soar effortlessly. And for a moment it left me speechless. I was able to just experience this wonderful part of nature without the use of words. Although beautiful was coming to mind. I have learned that beauty has a certain feeling to it that can't be properly described with words. It was time to start the second part of the activity which I did label everything a Natural Connection experience. I must admit this part was a lot easier for me than the first part. The experience of the different wild flowers, and the many insects that live with them was quite soothing. By the time I started the third part of the activity I was in a very peaceful place, however when I started saying “I am a person that gets good feelings from …..” I felt overjoyed. Each time I repeated the statement I felt better and better. I went from a place of peace to a true sense of joy. I felt as though I could do this forever. After a while we noticed the bugs were starting to come out and that was our attractive signal that it was time to go. We thanked the forest and went on our way. I learned how powerful my need to label things still is, that how I label things makes a difference in how I feel. I learned to feel things in ways you can't really describe with words. I was able to really connect to a joyful space that I haven't quite reached with the other activities. I would not like to lose this ability as a matter of fact I intend to build upon the feelings of joy. It enhanced my feeling of self-worth as well as my self awareness. Act
now.
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Organic Psychology by doing it. http://www.ecopsych.comAchieve a Degree or Certificate to strengthen your professional interests, or your hobbies or pastimes, by connecting them with nature. Implement your strongest hopes as you increase personal and global well being. Topics, subjects or leisure pursuits can include those listed below or other areas of interest: |
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