...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
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.
Are you really who you think you are?NOTE: Read the article, below, and follow the instructions at the end of it. If it makes sense and is attractive to you, you are eligible to take our Organic Psychology Track for a degree or certification in the sensory application of ecopsychology. This track saves you the costs and time of 16-20 credits of equivalent graduate work, or two years of undergraduate work and it is funded. |
Project NatureConnect
Organic
Psychology Applied Ecopsychology Ecotherapy
Practical green distance learning remedy reverses major thinking flaws
..EDUCATING, COUNSELING AND HEALING WITH NATURE
Who are You? Who am I? Who are We?
Who or What is your Natural Self?
Who or What is your Natural Self?
The whole-life, sensory art and science of the dance-of-life in balance.
| SYNOPSIS: This quotable, reprintable, article describes outcomes of the green sensory science of Natural Attraction Ecology. It explains and samples the results obtained by engaging in its organic application of Ecopsychology. It is a funded working model that empowers us to remedy nature deficit disorders, reduce stress and increase well-being. The process of this nature-rooted therapy helps us improve health, wellness and counseling by motivating our thoughts and feelings to safely connect our natural senses with the green spirit and joy of nature's creative balance. Participants benefit from nature's restorative powers and their inborn love of nature. Both help them reduce flaws in their thinking as they share and master natural attraction activities that strengthen their personal and professional relationships. This article includes reports from its participants that offer empirical evidence. It demonstrates how our sensory connections with the attractive flow of natural systems, in and around us, contributes to increasing personal, social and environmental well being. NOTE: If you are looking for a quote on a specific topic, apply your finder to this page. Use the Project NatureConnect search engine to locate additional pages with additional quotes. 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.
Visit our Homepage for
complete information
Who are you? Who am I? Who are we? Who or what is your natural self? by Michael J. Cohen, Ph.D., This article summarizes 48 years of peer-reviewed research in Natural Attraction Ecology as updated in 2014 A.D. It re-connects your thinking with the unifying and balancing attraction essence of the solar system or universe that sustains it and you, including your ability to think and feel. Most of us learn to ignore this dancing essence. For this reason, we suffer disorders from our excessive trespasses of nature in and around us. There is hope. Sensory contact with natural areas teaches us how to increase well-being in the natural world and ourselves. "Our natural desire to be, to
live, to survive in balance, cooperation and joy, is part of the attraction of the
eons to manifest and support
itself as life that includes us. We are born from, and as part of, this attractive joy.
We genetically share it as part of the life of our planet and its plant, animal, mineral and energy community.
We suffer our great troubles because our stories socialize/motivate us to disconnect our thoughts and feelings from Earth's web-of-life and the happiness of its attraction dance. We indoctrinate how we think and feel to exclude the natural world's restorative and renewing attraction powers. They are the biological root of peace, the essence that produces nature's unity, purity and beauty. No matter who promises us change that will increase well-being, if their promise omits genuinely learning from nature's motivating joy of life in balance, their promise includes an amputation from nature's dance that continues to cause unsolveable problems. - Michael J. Cohen, Ph.D. If you are reading this information on or from a computer, or a printed page, your natural attraction sense of trust is in play. It urges you to trust that these words can give you valuable information. You many not trust what the words here say, but you trust that they can provide worthwhile knowledge. Otherwise why would you be motivated to paying attention to them here? The essence of what you trust here is the logic and value of the scientific method. You trust the intelligence of reasonable thinking and technological science that discovered the power of a computer and the use of electronic communication to convey information. Or you trust the science that discovered how to make paper and print words. Science works. It contributes and has immense value if it is applied in a whole-life way that is fair and benefits all. Our society's trustable scientific thinking process has discovered the unbiased reality of who and what you and we naturally are. Most people benefit from its wisdom and the self-correcting spirit of unbiased scientific methodology to further our lives and loves. Look at the complexity of your hands and how they work. Think about the intelligence lying within our body. Scientifically, how does its wisdom work? Did we have to think about breathing today? Did we have to manage our heart beating or our food digesting? Or, instead, did our body’s inherent "green" survival intelligence genetically take care of this and so much more for us? What is deeper than our skin? What is deeper than our muscles? What is deeper than our cells? What is deeper than the molecules that build those cells? As you will discover, it is natural attraction, the essence, energy and wisdom of our life-supportive attraction-loves that hold all things together and to each other. These loves are a seamless continuum of the original attraction ways of our solar system and the entire universe. They lie within us and around us. We are them in action as us. We are only different while being our living planet we alone can speak, understand and relate through stories. The Essence Scientifically, what does this universe consist of, what is its, and our, essence? How does it become us? Scientific methodology finds that we, and all matter, and all of life on Earth, consist of the rewarding ways and essence of atoms and energy. Scientists note that for us to reasonably see one of our body’s atomic nucleui we’d have to enlarge that atom to the 1250 foot height of the Empire State building. Imagine a sphere that was the size that building. At its center, the atom's nucleus, that we would now be able to see, would be the size of a golf ball. Throughout the rest of the immense empty space of that one atom would be an electron attraction "cloud" orbiting the nucleus. The cloud attracts the electrons to the "golf ball" nucleus. From original Big Bang relationships, the cloud is attracted to play this role in the life of an atom. If we expand this example and make the atom the width of the USA, from Maine to California, then the size of the nucleus would be one-half the size of Freedom Island in NYC, where stands the Statue of Liberty. The remainder of this continent-sized atom would be space. So what are we made of? Factually, we consist of atoms and they are 99.999999999 percent "space." However, neither we nor atoms are empty space. Neither is the space between Maine and California empty. All of this space consists of natural attraction, the energies, quantums and powers that draw, tug and hold electrons to the nucleus as well as attract and attach one atom to another. Atoms are built of the fundamental and deepest natural forms and expressions of attraction, of love and unity energy, of togetherness, relationship and friendship. And that's how they act, too, until our inaccurate stories disturb way we learn to think so we disturb them. Even the atom's nucleus and electrons are subatomic packets of attraction energy. This is demonstrated by the explosive power of a nuclear bomb when we manage to release that energy. No science or belief system has concretely identified the original source of natural attraction. It acts as if it was attracted to create or manifest itself and grow in self-balancing and self-purifying ways. In the very
beginning of time, out of a vacuum, nature was "attracted" to grow our
universe as "matter." It did this by "choosing" to eliminate
anti-matter (Atom by atom, anti-matter eradicates matter, changing it
into static or attraction energy.) For this reason, moment by moment,
all things, including the life of Earth and how we think and feel, are
part of nature's pulsating attraction dance for Mother Earth and this
universe to matter, to survive and grow. The dance of vibrant natural attraction is what holds things together today, and from the beginning of time. In minuscule fractions of the first second after creation from "nothing", the first particles of our universe began to form, to coalesce, to be attracted and attached to each other and grow. From its inception, attraction was an essence of the growing universe process, as per the Higgs Boson "God particle". With cooling and time, atomic particles, atoms and their nuclei continued to be attracted to grow in a vibrating balance, moment by moment, into our attractive universe today, almost 14 billion years later. This universal growth process includes, as part of it, the growth of ourselves and our natural attraction senses. Atoms and their ways emerge from a universal ocean of the unbroken "space" of our universe and its wholeness. Except, again, note that it is not space with nothing in it. It is filled with attraction, the universe's attraction to be the universe, its love, joy and attractive rewards to hold together in its integrity and act as it does and has through the eons. It is self-evident that attraction is a love and joy because it is attractive. Attraction and love are synonyms. There are many theories about our universe. For example, attraction pervades the universe because, in the Big Bang Theory, the space of the universe is attracted to grow like an inflating balloon as well as attracted to be interconnected with itself. Attraction is what the "yin and yang" of the Big Bang universe hold in common. We seldom recognize that our body and mind only pretend to be solid. In actuality they are almost entirely atoms and their attraction in action as us, as our life. Similarly, nature's plant, animal, energy and mineral kingdoms, -our entire planet, including its atmosphere- also consist of atoms, of space filled with attraction joy. Strongly attracted atoms are solids, more loosely attracted atoms are liquids and gases. We consist of all three. What is the intelligence and spirit that drives our body and psyche, that we think and feel with? Where can it be if we are mostly attraction and exist in a dancing soup of planet and universe attraction? After all, when we look at ourselves in the mirror we are only looking at 0.111111111 percent of who we are as "material." The rest is all natural attraction. This also true of the natural world, of nature's plants, animals and minerals and their balanced relationships. We might say that our intelligence and spirit are eons of attraction being attracted to think and act in an intelligent balance that supports its life, our life and all life in a pure way, without producing garbage or pollution. Who are we in the dance of life? We are the dance and flow of attraction at this moment manifesting itself as us. It is no surprise then that when our thinking ignores this fact, the results are unattractive. Such thinking makes our mentality become unaware of and lose some of the attractive happiness of our personal life in balance with the natural world. Another fact of life that we usually learn to overlook is that all the atoms in our body are recycled. They are constantly being exchanged with other atoms from around us. Scientists have verified that every few years, every atom in us becomes the environment and is replaced by an atom from the environment. We are constantly becoming it, and it, us. Atoms and their attraction energy in and around us, have been in many places in the earth. They are shared. They belong to no one person or thing. They are attracted to visit us temporarily, to be us, to support us. They are also attracted to leave us and become a supportive part of the air, the trees, our neighbors and foreigners. We can contain atoms today that were once part of our greatest political or spiritual leaders. Who and what you or we are at any given moment is a dance of nature's attraction flow and the joy of its spirit genetically and environmentally manifesting itself as us in that moment. That is why the essence of each of us is attractive. As an essence of the universe itself, our "self" is attracted to support itself and it is attracted to live and grow and become more attractive. That is the biological life-core of our self-worth and dignity. It/we are attractive because we are unadulterated attraction in action. Since the essence of all things is the dancing river of natural attraction that we share, all things are kin to each other. To our loss, we seldom learn to acknowledge or respect that we hold a deep kinship relationship to the natural world including humanity and Planet Earth, no less the Universe. Attraction expresses itself in us as motivating senses and sensations. We inherently feel attractive enough to want to survive and grow. That feeling is attractive. It is our basic love of self and the joy of life. It enables us to experience and enjoy our kinship with the web-of-life and its plant, animal and mineral members. Our Atomic Nature Every atom in our body was once born somewhere in the universe, in the heart of a star, scientists tell us. Atoms are formed from raw, resonating, attraction interactions that occur millions of times a second in stars and their life cycles (did you know stars have life cycles?). Stars have been doing this throughout the eons. And when a star dies it is attracted to throw its atoms as gifts outwards into the universe. These atoms of attraction form planets and plants, animals, minerals and… us. Perhaps we should not call atoms "atoms" at all. A more helpful and accurate name might be to call them DABS "Dancing Attraction Beings" or "Attraction Communities." This is why, when we gently pull or push anything, including a person, we can sense and observe that it is attracted to stay where it is. It is part of a universal attraction unity that we usually learn to ignore, even though it is an essence of us. Our attraction unity is attracted to survive, to support life, our life and all of life. Who we are, mostly, is natural attraction. We are part of the flowing attraction-community kinship of everything in the web of life. In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. The genome for life has been shown to originate, not on Earth 3.5 billion years ago, rather more that 10 billion years ago in the natural attraction of atoms during that period. Each of us genetically and environmentally are members of a dance of life planet that can form, resonate and communicate throughout itself through at least 54 natural attraction sensitivities that we inherit. It has successfully operated this way for the ages before humanity and our unique literate-story way of thinking and feeling came into being. NNIAAL Since we know the qualities of the universe that we see today, including ourselves as part of it, we can reason that the essence of the original natural attraction contained the roots of these qualities. The original natural attraction had to be alive in some way, moment by moment in the "now." Although non-literate and nameless, it had to have some kind of motivation and consciousness and intelligent desire to grow, each moment, into greater attraction, to pulsate and dance into becoming, through diversity, an ever increasing and stronger universal attractiveness whose self-correcting and purifying powers we experience today in nature around and within us. The acronym NNIAAL helps to keep us in sensory awareness of these attributes: Nameless, Now, Intelligent, Attraction, Aliveness, that we can consciously feel as Love. NNIAAL-love has the attraction energy to bring together and feed unique atomic attachments (eggs, seeds, molecules). So energized, these attachments grow into attractive adult forms of life as exemplified by crystals. The Natural Attraction Sense of Reason All of life is conscious of life on some level of attraction awareness. In fact, the attraction dance acts as if it was alive and aware or conscious of itself, including it being us. Our natural ability to reason is a naturally attractive motivation to consciously think and discover reasonable ways to live in attractive, mutually supportive balance with the whole of life and each other. “I
believe that the universe is one being, all its parts are different
expressions of the same energy, and they are all in communication with
each other, therefore parts of one organic whole. … The whole is in all
its parts so beautiful, and is felt by me so intensely in earnest, that
I am compelled to love it and to think of it as divine.” -Robinson Jeffers We create problems when our reasoning isn't rooted in the sensibility of natural attraction, when the place it comes from, instead, is "objective, empty space ideas." Our "empty space ideas." produce our "empty space" stories that tend to separate us from nature, because, again, there is no such thing as empty space. Empty space is not reality; it is fantasy, an illusion, an attraction-sterile place that, like so many other things, our nature-disconnected stories illusion. Our nature-disconnected stories imagine, as well as teach us and pay us to imagine, that it is attractive to think based solely on the "objectivity" of sterile empty space rather than the aliveness of the natural pulsating attraction dance that, in reality, fills and is that "space." Life relationships are rarely based on unbiased chance. Rather, they are attractively biased towards the survival and support of life. Today, our challenge is that our "imaginary nature disconnected stories" flaw our mentality. They separate our innate ability to reason, think and feel from how natural attraction functions to produce nature's pure, self-correcting balance and restorative ways. Our imaginary story error distorts much of our reasoning and thoughts with respect to nature within and about us. The destructive personal, social and environmental flaws of our sterile, "spaced-out," thinking and feeling produce our most challenging problems and disorders. “Flat outstretched upon a mound
Of earth I lie; I press my ear Against its surface and I hear Far off and deep, the measured sound Of heart that beats within the ground. And with it pounds in harmony The swift, familiar heart in me. They pulse as one, together swell, Together fall; I cannot tell My sound from earth's, for I am part Of rhythmic, universal heart.” ― Elizabeth Odell Thinking Flaw Number One. Thinking that omits the reality of natural attraction is incomplete and usually misguided. It's sterile objectivity or manipulative intent does not contain or respect our planet's essence, the attractive beauty and grace of nature's self-correcting and restorative life dance. Earth's natural attraction essence produces the optimum of life, balance, unity, peace, diversity, purity, cooperation, healing and recycling powers of nature. The omission of motivation by reasonable natural attraction is especially rampant in Industrial Society where, by the age of seven years, we are rewarded to think and relate through fixed, emotionally bonded, biased ideas or stories that unreasonably conquer and exploit nature. Even mathematics and statistics are "sterile truths" that tend to stress us by removing our psyche from the pulse of our nurturing and supportive attractions in nature. We learn, and are paid to think, as if nature's dance was not attractive, that it had no attraction to, or right to live, that it is not kin, that for us to survive we must conquer or exploit nature. To think otherwise is too often considered "subjective" or "fuzzy" "earth muffin" "hippy" reasoning, not scientific, not rational, not objective. This injures the attractive aliveness and spirit of our psyche for is aware that it is attractive. It is not garbage. It is thwarted, hurt and injured when treated like it is garbage. Today, over 99 percent of our thinking and feeling is disconnected from supportive natural attraction kinship in natural areas. For this reason, on many levels it knows itself to be garbage and must strive to be attractive. Learning to think mostly with stories that omit connections with, and motivation from, nature's balanced and attractive ways does not make sense. Such thinking is a form of hallucination. It attracts our thoughts to fixate on our artificial, empty-space, nature-disconnecting ways, rewards, profits, materials and beliefs. This disconnection from the supportive, nurturing attraction source and process of life makes our psyche feel empty. We become fearful of, out of balance with, and detrimental to the beneficial life dance of natural attraction. Is it any wonder that we and Earth suffer destructive consequences by omitting nature from our thinking? Couldn't the intelligence of the web of life correctly consider those of us who have been conditioned to excessively think in this nature-disconnected way to be delusional or a form of human death? When we omit natural attraction from our thinking we lose sight of the fact that our body and mind consist of ten times more cells of other organisms than human cells; over 110 species live on our skin alone. Our genetic makeup includes plant and animal DNA and allows us to senses and feel. Our embryonic development mimics the life sequence found in the fossil record, for example, the early human fetus has gills and a tail. Nature is attracted to constantly flow into and replace parts of us and vice-versa. Our attraction to breathing is one way nature accomplishes this. When we stop, we lose attractive life support and die/transform. Nature knows where it stops and humanity, including you and I, starts. Do you know this about yourself? Our thinking is our destiny. Our great challenge is that, past and present, in our nature-disconnected society, most of the authors and leaders that we pay and follow are attracted to, and are experts in, empty-space, objective, abstract thinking. They seldom know how to connect their thinking process with genuine natural attraction sensations and motivations. For this reason most of us are indoctrinated to lose the benefits available in natural attraction connection and kinship. We even ignore our own personal experiences such as maintaining the benefits of our quiet time in contact with the dance of a natural area. If we need an accurate map and process to help us find our way to greater personal, social and environmental well-being, why not use the natural attraction ecology interconnection map and model made by a spider and its web? It is constructed by, accurately depicts and has the ability to connect our thinking to the balancing attraction relationships that form the global web-of-life. The attraction-powered, web-of-life dance map is a kinship model that operates the same within us as it does in the natural environment. This is because we, including our psyche, are a seamless attraction continuum of the web-of-life. There is one major exception. The exception is that we too often believe in, and think from, empty space. How we learn to think and solve problems often excludes how nature's restorative and self-correcting attraction ways motivate us to work. We suffer accordingly. We must learn how to create moments and space that let Earth teach. Thinking Flaw Number Two. The dogma of industrial society omits the science that has determined that the attraction flow of nature registers in our awareness as at least 54 motivating natural attraction senses. In congress, these senses enable us to make sense by consciously thinking, feeling and communicating with the web-of-life community. We experience these senses/sensations as facts, as our natural attractions or motivations for, or love of, water (sense of thirst), community, place, food (hunger), temperature, air, trust, cooperation, reason, diversity, companionship etc. Each of these natural senses are truths. For example: the sensation of thirst is as much a fact as is material water. "Matter" is recognized as being anything that registers in, or is picked up, by one or more senses. If we sense an attraction to water, like thirst, that attraction is matter. It matters. It is a proper noun and should be capitalized. To our loss, we often learn to omit that it and that our other natural attraction senses are matter and that they matter. Scientific thinking that omits these natural sensory facts is incomplete. It is biased towards supporting nature-disconnected relationships rather than enjoying and supporting nature's unifying ways. When we look deep within us, we can naturally sense and feel the dance that we really are, that we are each naturally attractive, that we love life including the life of animals, plants, minerals and each other. This fact helps us increase the worth, esteem and confidence of our self as well as improve our relationships with the world. It is a fact of life. As in all of nature, our pure natural sensitivities yin-yang support and balance each other. For example, our sensation of thirst attracts water and its nutrients into us from the water cycle in the environment. Our sensation of excretion nurtures the environment with water and nutrients from us that perfectly nourish other life forms. We are part of nature's cycles. When we interrupt or demean our natural attraction to this fact, we may continue to add water to the water cycle, but we add it as tears that we often learn to hide. Thinking Flaw Number Three In Industrial Society, for more than 98 percent of our time and lives, our bonding to prejudiced against nature stories and socialization processes separate us from nature. This causes our thinking to be deadened to, ignore, demean or conquer our natural attraction senses and sensations. Senselessly, the dogma of industrial society disconnects us or discourages us from thinking with, knowing and being our attractive natural selves. Instead, we often treat ourselves and each other as if we were simply consumers, as money-producing or grabbing cultural objects. Our momentous disconnection of our psyche from the attraction dance leaves us wanting. We know and feel that we seldom have enough or that we seldom are enough. This spawns our stress, greed, anxiety, depression and self-esteem disorders. Our loss of natural attraction sensory fulfillment makes us "need.' We become needy, greedy and excessive. We become insensitive to natural attraction. Our nature-disconnecting stories are not attractive. They are rooted in imaginary empty space. They are a corrupt and costly error in our thinking. For this reason, they often trigger stress or pain. Our stress and pain are not punishments. They are signals from nature urging us to move back into additional attraction kinship relationships with the natural world and its healing ways, in and around us. Our negative or hurt feelings are not "repulsive." Rather, they are nature advising and motivating us to find additional attraction satisfactions, to avoid our nature-disconnected stories and their outcomes. As exemplified by the restorative effects of a quiet walk in the park, our natural reward for making connections with nature's dance is that it feels reasonable, constructive and good. That's because it is. It's attractive. During quiet periods in a natural area, we automatically give our natural attraction senses the space, time and permission to interlace with their nurturing and corrective attraction origins in nature. This blending gives nature the opportunity to do what it does best. It entices natural attraction to unify the ways of nature's dance, in and around us. It clears our thinking. It releases Dopamine and gives us good feelings for consciously connecting with our kin in nature in a mutually supportive way, for that is nature's way. An authentic natural area connection is like a transfusion of nature's powers into the natural parts of our psyche that thankfully seek nature's restorative support. However, this attractive state of being soon dissipates once we we leave the natural area and return to our habitual, nature-disconnected thinking. Part of the natural remedy for our disorders from Thinking Flaw Number Three is to engage our thoughts and feelings in a working web of life model. The model's Natural Attraction Ecology (NAE) process helps our thoughts and feelings continually disconnect our sensory bonds from our destructive ways and connect them back to their attractive natural origins in nature, backyard or back country. Those origins are the root of every form of love, except one. It makes sense for us to use the NAE model as a tool. It enables us to invite natural attractions in natural areas to become part of how we think and feel. This occurs when we consciously connect our natural attractions to our love of our family or to attractions we find in the dance of a weed, a cloud or a potted plant. “Our
choices reinforce the formation of powerful M-Fields, which are the
attractor patterns that influence others whether we want them to or
not. Every act or decision we make that supports life supports all
life, including our own. The ripples we create return to us - this,
which may once have seemed a metaphysical statement, is now established
as scientific fact.” - David Hawkins, M.D., PhD, NAE motivates us to disconnect our psyche from artificial natural attraction substitutes and their adverse side effects. It helps us free up our inborn love of nature and invite the flow of natural attraction to nurture and heal our aggravated, nature-disconnected senses. The NAE web of life model is a reconnecting process that makes it possible for us to experience a purity of natural sensations that replaces the destructive losses, conflicts and duality in our psyche. The motivating grace of nature's renewing attraction powers help us recover from our hurt and disorders. Even a short visit in a natural area invigorates and renews us. This demonstrates the benefits of the model and its gifts to how we think and feel. Quietly visiting nature's dance in a natural area energizes natural attraction senses in us to momentarily connect with natural attractions there that have the ability to recycle and the stress and garbage in our thinking. This transforms our garbage into more wholesome relationships, thoughts and feelings. Our benefit from this connection with nature is the peace of mind that we generate by learning how to visit and fully sense with our multiple senses in a natural area, backyard or backcountry. Thinking Flaw Number Four A major challenge we face is that we don't learn to use the power of nature-connecting activities to remedy our destructively bonded, disconnective, nature-conquering stories. This leaves us helpless, with the discomfort of not being healed, of not really knowing the natural attractiveness of who or why we are. We suffer the personal and global disorders that result. We hurtfully endure our discontents because, by omitting nature-reconnection activities in our lives, we disown our kinship with nature's dance and the natural. We omit over 95 percent of creation's self-correcting, everlasting natural attraction/love for our life and all of life. The activities enable us to find and embrace this love in natural areas, to benefit from it at will. Our thinking is our future. Will we ever find peace if we continue to omit from our thinking the balanced wisdom, joy and power of natural attractions that we hold in common with each other and the world? Thinking Flaw Number Five We deny that we are prejudiced against nature. We are in denial because our ego can't tolerate the discomfort from the shame of its being wrong about the value and integrity of nature's dance and the destructive effects of this error. Our sense of reason is revolted by its detrimental impact on the attractive well-being of life in balance that results in us excessively wanting. It recognizes the destructiveness of thinking with empty space. It suffers the hurtful removal and sterility produced by learning to attach our mind to, and build relationships with, nature-disconnected stories, labels and belief system "facts" that too often misguide us. "An
inability to be in the moment, whether this is blocked by anxiety or a
belief system that does not work for me, is one culprit for webstring
attraction disconnection/deprival. I mastered this exhausting way of
living in my teenage and college years and I am happy to be done with
its all-consuming misery. Connection with nature is my greatest teacher
for being in the moment. When I am within nature, I feel most engaged
with life and with myself." - Anonymous PNC Student Real of Imaginary? If you have yet to have had good experiences in nature that demonstrate or validate for you the essence of who you and we naturally are, you may strengthen your knowledge of our relationship with our planet and each other by reading the nature-connection experiences of many students in the PNC program. Some of them appear in the field report ADDENDA, below, and many more are available as testimonials. You might ask yourself, "Have all these these nature-connecting individuals over the past 29 years been mislead or wrong, or, instead, are we now at-risk because the industrially socialized thinking of myself and others been influenced to disregard our mutually healing relationship with our immediate plant, animal mineral and energy community, the web of life." It recently (2012) became impossible to reasonably think that PNC participants could be wrong Applying an Antidote A remedy for our discontents is to genuinely connect with authentic nature through our natural attraction thoughts and feelings while they are in conscious sensory contact with nature's self-correcting and restorative powers. This is easily accomplished via a short, online Orientation course in Natural Attraction Ecology. It teaches the art and science of making reasonable sensory contacts with web-of-life attractions at any time, backyard, backcountry or with a potted plant. Its Summary and educating, counseling and healing with nature activities help us increase personal, social and environmental well being. We can learn the skills of Natural Attration Ecology online through Project NatureConnect's sensory activity, course or degree programs. Contact Michael J Cohen, Ph.D. for further information: nature@interisland.net 360-378-6313, www.ecopsych.com NOTE: Explore your attractive self. Benefit from your natural attractions, strengthen your personal and professional well-being and save time and money. 1. Read some of the student reports, below, and discover if you find them attractive. If so: 2. Do this fun and easy natural attraction activity. If it makes sense and is attractive to you, you are eligible to take our subsidized Organic Psychology Track for your skill development or a degree or certification in the organic application of ecopsychology. Optionally, this track saves you the costs and time of 16 credits of graduate work, or two years of undergraduate work. 3. Read "The Hidden Organic Remedy: Nature as Higher Power" and/or do its free course. 4. Call or email for an application 360-378-6313. We accept USA invitations to call you. ADDENDA Below are field reports from online Project NatureConnect program participants. They anonymously share their results from doing the nature-connecting activities found in The Web of Life Imperative and Reconnecting With Nature books. (They emanate from the book Educating, Counseling and Healing With Nature where "Webstrings" are identified as the dancing natural attraction strands of the web of life that hold it together and bind each of its individual members as the whole of life, including atoms). For additional reports from Project NatureConnect participants and degree program students visit our Survey of Participants and our Search Engine Student Reports: "There is a stately dignity and wild exuberance from this outdoor arena and a resolve in my being towards completeness. It is as if in spite of my self the wilderness inside seeks a reflection from the outside. I am in awe and gratitude for the measures these senses sought to confide humility and endurance amongst seasonal splendor. I love seeking natural attraction to fulfill itself, you, me and the universe moment by moment." ^^^ "I chose a small juniper tree to do this activity with. I sensed immediately an attraction acceptance at my presence and that made me feel welcomed and connected to the rest of the natural environment around us. I sensed the tree was friendly, accepting and grateful for my warm hand gently holding a branch. I could be projecting all of these senses but it almost doesn't matter due to the sheer joy I feel at being nature connected. I feel 'Earth smart' and the natural attractions I sense from all around feed me. I gain a sense of connectedness or cohesiveness with all the other nature oriented activites going on at the same time I am standing outside with my tree friend. I see and hear geese above me, crows fly all around making particular calls and noises to communicate what their bird's eye vision brings them. And of course I sense cold. It is cold here finally and the season brought snow not too long ago and remnants of that snow fall are still in evidence all around. I breath in fresh cold air and I am grounded, elated and fortified as a result. In this moment I am an integral part of the dance of the larger whole and it feels right. I don't even feel silly talking to the tree nor do I allow any authoritarian thoughts to take away from the enjoyment I feel. God I love this process!" ^^^ I went to my local park that has the wonderful sycamore and live oak trees. The sycamore are now turning golden orange. At the same time, the grass and leaves on the live oak are looking more green and tender because the rainy season has started. I started to walk the path, asking permission to abide within the park and open my sentience to the sights, sounds, scents, beingness of the ground beneath my feet and sky above me. I felt gentle rain on my hands. My ears first recorded a sound which I thought was the sound of a stream. Then as I got closer to a huge old sycamore - I realized it was the sound of myriad rain drops touching the large, broad leaves of the sycamore. I smelled the scent of damp earth, moist grass. I took in the soft grey light of the sky and felt how much more comfortable my eye feels with this shade of light than with the summer's high, bright sunshine. I came around a loop of the trail, and saw fifty crows sitting on the fence. I walked quietly and slowly so as to not disturb them. They were perching on the fence, then wheeling down onto the wet road to peck at bugs, then drifting back onto the fence. As I approached, about twenty of them flew up to the two trees near the path. I laughed with delight to see their black wings fill the grey sky and green tree background. The harmony and balance of the way they could move so quickly, yet slip with precision into and among the branches of the live oak awakened my senses of gravity, balance and the earth's rotation. These senses joined my new brain thinking when I visualized the mimbres pottery, with the senses of light, color, air, gravity, touch, balance, rotation being extended from the central core of non verbal eco-sensing into webstrings of natural intelligence; weaving the very moment I walked within into a measurable, livable reality. The sense that the molecules in these attractions have grown from connections begun 14,000,000,000 years ago - and these molecules have been present through all the earth's ages and eras of human kindness and human insanity, was very comforting. I felt held in a frame of eco-fluency, that I trust to guide me through the changes of earth and on my continuing journey of trying to coexist more humanely with my planet and my community. ^^^ "To feel the flow of nature stop and start in me, in the cold I went to an L-shaped border of different evergreen trees. I held my breath until my lungs hurt and reached for the greens and breathed. I moved to the next tree and repeated it. Moving on to the cedar I thought to exhale instead until I needed to inhale at which time I held the bough. Moved and repeated. I valued this time thinking about the privilege and wonder of existence. I also thought on the derivation of respiration as 're-spiriting'. I think that it is reasonable to think that there is not a real separation of matter and spirit. With that part and parcel with air and chemicals in the atoms of air comes psychological dimensions/knowledge of being connected, being large, being valued, being supported, of having the right to be...a fundamental acceptance. When I see roadkill, I now feel that this ending was not all that now-deceased being experienced. It was cared with a passion every second by Earth. I remembered again Earth's constant care of us and the limitless magnitude of the puzzles, mysteries and care that Earth provides. I recognized how Earth's values and ways are worth copying. Holidays can be stressful. May we all find the stillness and stars within." ^^^ "As I am sitting here writing this at a coffee house, one of the special needs kids I work with is sitting here with me. His name is Billy and he is high-functioning autistic and ADD. He is also very emotionally sensitive and talks to cars and animals and gets very upset if he sees anyone or anything suffering. A lot of people try to make him stop this behavior. I think this is a common thing - stopping the imagination by repeatedly telling children that they can't have it or through Western education that values empirical knowledge over imagination. He is reading all your email comments with me and thinks everyone is so intelligent. He looked at me and said, 'You know, these people are speaking 100% facts. When you open your eyes to the true world, you see you never have been and never will be alone.' I really hope he doesn't lose this insight. " ^^^ "I went to the park in my old neighborhood. There are a lot of trees and plant life available. There was a honeysuckle that used to have the strongest smell. I went to see if I could find it. I walked the route with my eyes open and found the bush right away. With assistance, I walked it again with my eyes closed. I could smell the honeysuckle and already had a mental photograph of the previous experience. When I felt I found it, I opened my eyes and I had found it!! I felt used the following attraction sensations: Space and proximity (#16) Smell beyond the nose (#19) Sense of physical place (#30) Sense of form and design (#41) This experience helped me discover that nature has memory, and the subconscious is a hidden community of our 53 senses. My self-worth has tripled with the use of my new found "powers". ^^^ I went to the beach to complete this activity and began with the Tree there and initially saw her connection and cohesion to the earth. The earth cohesion was clearly visible and felt, to the water and then the water's cohesion to all of land and trees I could see at a distance all of that and the atmosphere/air between all that was vibrating and pulsating like tiny dots of existence dancing in harmony. I was not watching it, I was a part of the dance. I may have consciously moved out of it, however, I am a part of it even as I type these words. Yes! Indeed I have felt this a few times before when my mind broke away from the stories and connected to the present moment. This is the place of eternity, of love, of wisdom, of beauty and expansiveness that I write about. Yes this sense of wholeness is beyond fulfilling and it is strong enough to draw me away from involvements that would detract me from being able to enjoy it. Perhaps that is why I stay away from a full time Corporate Job. I follow my attractions to write and love life. The stories take me to not enough mentality as the old corporate me was very spoiled. The new free me is adjusting and continuing to follow the attractions. And yet to enjoy natural attraction love I unconsciously detach myself from stories as consciously it seems impossible. I believe the attraction to this expansiveness is the sense that creates a trance like unconsciousness to detach me from my stories. If that makes sense. The expansive attractions are what are as attracted to me as I am to them. I am attracted to the expansive nature in other people and as I think of this activity, many people come to mind as I connect to their inner essence and smile. Mike, David, Elle, Mel my other online group members, my husband, family, friends, my young adult like children all standing around the globe holding hands and attraction love in their hearts. Love is the common attraction denominator that keeps us alive Love is the glue that binds us together Love is the energy that moves through all of us as life I am Love as the unity of Love exists in me as a collaboration of my existence I am Love as each cell of my being is cohesively one in Love I am Love as that is the truth that keeps pulling me away from all that is not Sense of self-worth is a concept of the separated world, it does not exist in the world of Love, the world of what is and the world of truth. ^^^ When we look in the mirror we are only looking at 0.111111111 percent of who we are as “material”. I asked myself about this in considering our DNA material. I looked at myself as being almost nothing material, as attractions that are influenced by my surroundings, like formed by parents, teachers, information, connections with other people. I do understand now how we are formed by the attractions we choose for. Formed by the thoughts of needing, which are given by others mostly based on their needs. If we are more attracted and connected with and to nature's dance, we will become more a natural person in connection with everything, in connection with our whole selves. I learned to look at myself in a different way, with more perspective and attention to my attractions. This helped me understand why I felt in the past attracted to several persons or activities. To experience and read about it gives me more value to my mind and fulfilments. I realised that we are more connected than we think. Like religions, it is about beliefs but if you give attraction a name like God or Allah people make it their own instead of sharing it with all. To answer the question 'Who are you?” I can say I am one with you by dancing with you! ^^^ I did this activity this morning. The wind was blowing and the trees were swaying as if they were saying good morning. As I walked outside, I went to a bush in my backyard. I took deep breaths and realized I am actually breathing. I stopped breathing for as long as I could and felt incomplete; like my attraction to air was missing something. I could also feel my body alert my brain to breath but I tried to fight is as long as I could (about 2 minutes). Once I starting breathing again and held the bush, I felt my body thanking me and the bush by allowing me to feel whole again. Later, when I held the air freshener and attached to it, I just wanted to put it down because I felt I would be cheating my lungs out of fresh air. I learned to listen to my body, that it will not lie (that comes in handy preventively) and to research and try organic ways and plants to cleanse the air in my home (I opened my doors and windows after this activity). It felt good to breath and to never take breathing for granted (especially when you have a cold). ^^^ I am currently enrolled in the PhD program. I was very fortunate to have found this program. I was recuperating and starting all over again after a terribly abusive relationship in which I had lost my unborn baby. I moved to another state to start a new life and continue a new career helping others. This program has helped me tremendously... I plan on being a Life Coach using Nature as a grounding basis and continue my abilities as an herbalist on a professional level... I have also created a new nonprofit organization called BRAVE. Bringing Recycling Agriculture Vitality to Earth to help people learn and have products in a greener and more wholesome life style. Mike has been kind enough to let me add information about Project Nature Connect to my web site... his methodology is remarkable...this year my Father passed away and I was able to deal with it extremely well. I am an organic grower of herbs...mostly medicinal and a Master Gardener... I have recently been awarded my own medicinal herbal community garden in Texas...in the city of Forth Worth ..to my knowledge it is the only one of its kind. I am really happy with the direction my life is taking and I know a lot has to do with the logic behind this kind of methodology. I want to share this kind of grounding and ability to cope with others. I am the only hand formulator herbalist in several cities and I am working on finishing my Master Herbalist Certification at this time as well...Luckily for me there are such things as scholarships....I was in the music industry as a producer..but the music world is changing and getting paid takes forever! Scholarships are my life now and I am very very greatful. I intend to continue to spread the word about this program in hopes that others will find there way here just as I did. I promise to work with my group in the fullest capacity that I can and fulfill the work required to do so. I will strive to complete this nature-connection course to the best of my abilities and help others as I can. ^^^ For this activity I found myself on the beach across from my new home. It was low tide so there was plenty of beach to explore. As I entered the area I asked permission and received a warm welcome. I started walking along the beach near the waters edge. I was attracted to a rocky area that was overgrown with seaweed. As I approached the rocks I was attracted to a boulder that was about one foot in diameter and warn smooth from the tide. I decided to try this activity with the rock. This was what I found: I am like the rock. Solid in my shape I remain true to my form I am warn smooth from the ebb and flow of the tides. I am able to move but it requires a good deal of focused energy to move me. I moved on to the tide. I am like water. Patient, steady and consistent I am able to penetrate anything. If something gets in my way I easily go around it. I embrace everything with my nurturing love. I am the ebb and flow of life itself. I get good feelings from the rock because it is stable, from the water because it is all embracing and from nature because it has everything I need. I learned how good it feels to be solid and flexible. I discovered how easy it is to stay balanced with nature. Early in my life I had been wrangled into being one that always gets along. Go with the flow was my motto. However after my time with the Air Force I started to look at life a little differently. I am no longer one who follows the crowd blindly. It's not that I have to do things my own way, it's more of a curiosity as to whether some other way might be better. I can think of many time others have tried to wrangle me into being more like they are. Or to accept that “Everybody else does it this way so it must be good.” I have seen the ill effects of living this sad illusion and have made a conscious decision not to fall into that trap. I believe it was that decision that attracted me to Project Nature Connect in the first place. My participation in this process has only proven that I should remain like the rock and stay true to my Nature Connected form. ^^^ Our expanded Nature Connect backyard community consists of trees, rocks, weeds, and natural beauty overlooking Long Island Sound! We have lived here for 8 years and prior to Nature Connect I was unaware of the beauty surrounding my place. My path to self discovery started a few decades ago and in the process, I have encountered amazing gifts, people, books, experiences and many miracles. One of the gifts I received was a retreat with Steven and his wife who opened my heart to the expansive wisdom in Nature. Shorty after that I encountered a beautiful relationship with Grandma Oak Tree who gave me much encouragement, knowledge and love when I most needed it. My ever growing thirst for knowledge kept taking me back to different colleges and universities, however, I was very disappointed by the closed mindedness of the professors and the content they used, thus I took it upon myself to pursue knowledge from the teacher within me. Over time as life got busy, I had forgotten the beautiful connection with Grandma Oak Tree and it wasn't till last year when I stumbled upon Dr. Cohen's website, it was clear that Nature had once again invited me to reconnect. What a blessing the Orientation Course was, it opened me to a deeper connection and communion with Nature. Shortly after the orientation course I returned to my old self spending more time indoors meditating and working and less time outdoors. It was during ECO 501 the connection began to deepen and erase some of my old habits. I am eager to get back on track with the wonderful activities in the Reconnecting With Nature book. As for my profession, I am an author, coach, facilitator, a wanderer and a teacher primarily conducting Emotional Intelligence workshops. I'm looking forward to getting to know each and every one of you. ^^^ The strings of the web-of-life are nature's voice: we talk to nature with our feelings, our breeding, our intention to feel good, our presence, our observation, our intention to release, my communication with nature is about how sensitive, present and open I feel at the moment, being with nature is feeling healthy and being connected with the meaning of creation. Last Monday I went outside of town with the intention to relax and to feel better. Being in to the wilderness, immediately I remembered that, I used to do that when I was a child. I used to go to nature for answers for meaning, for freedom, for support, for being alone, now here I was in the wilderness of Texas at age of 54 and I was having the same feelings. I felt that nature made me surrender all my situations and circumstances of my life, I just feel like a little boy that just wanted to explore nature, there is nothing serious here, no conflict, no confusion, everything seems simple and clear, in harmony, it feels like an adventure, I feel good inside and outside of me, I feel on balance, with the trees, plants, birds, mosquitoes, etc. I don't have to own any land, I just want to enjoy it, there are no rules in nature, everything growth constantly in different ways, then I decide to run for 2 miles, I felt my legs, stronger, felt my body saying to me thank you, I felt joy and freedom. I am learning the power of feeling good, is about CHOOSING, but, my real connection with nature is not just about good feelings, is a meaningful connection that creates balance in my journey of living and growing, " when I get out from my mind, My body only wants to feel good, being active in nature " feeling the connection with nature is choosing to be in balance, nature's balance make us healthy, wholeness, connected, conscious, releasing, loving, make us natural. A comment to Dr. Mark Germine: "the connection and experience with Green " is also Meaningful , meaningful experiences are not good or bad, there are there for a reason, if we feel attracted to it! I partially agree: web strings of life or nature, can help a person, psychologically, emotionally, spiritually even physically, only, if we are ready to believe. "People who experience natural attractions as God are applauded for their wise observation," I feel God is manifested in nature's living My experience with nature is always healthy and enjoyable; the meaning of being with nature is to live life in balance with yourself and others. (good feelings ) Web strings are nature's voice - Attraction web strings hold the Earth community ecosystem together in balance - Web strings attraction are feelings, feelings are energy, my attention moves energy, feelings is who I am. I am more aware of the benefits of being in balance with nature; I am already using it, almost every day. ^^^ Being with nature and enjoying the wonders of it has always been a part of my life and I am grateful for this gift. I strive daily to incorporate some aspect of nature into my life to make it more enjoyable by lessening the stresses in my life. Our lessons and activities though sometimes trying have helped open a door in seeing who I really am and understanding my inner self. As Joie said in her own chapter, the statement that begins "I am a person who..." has helped measure and define ME and what I wish to accomplish. Being in, with and a part of nature has helped me see, hear and feel on a higher level. Small acts of 'kindness' toward the environment have far reaching effects bettering the planet and also improves self worth. Professionally, I find it very difficult to express what I have learned and used in my life to help others that are not receptive. I find that even in an environment where individuals have the same goals (ie healing) people are very close minded in this region. Reiki, acupuncture, massage, holistic healing, Project Nature Connect may as well be lumped together with voodoo, snake charming and satanism. This will be one obstacle to overcome as I move forward and continue on, hoping to make counseling using Project Nature Connect a career. I am a person who normally wishes to isolate herself and be a proverbial 'island'. Through this course however, I have learned the importance of community and have begun to gravitate toward those individuals and groups with the same focus and ideals as mine in regard to nature and healing. My self-worth and confidence has been strengthened by feeling that what I am doing and accomplishing is affirmed and valid. ^^^ Being with nature and enjoying the wonders of it has always been a part of my life and I am grateful for this gift. I strive daily to incorporate some aspect of nature into my life to make it more enjoyable by lessening the stresses in my life. Our lessons and activities though sometimes trying have helped open a door in seeing who I really am and understanding my inner self. As Joie said in her own chapter, the statement that begins "I am a person who..." has helped measure and define ME and what I wish to accomplish. Being in, with and a part of nature has helped me see, hear and feel on a higher level. Small acts of 'kindness' toward the environment have far reaching effects bettering the planet and also improves self worth. Professionally, I find it very difficult to express what I have learned and used in my life to help others that are not receptive. I find that even in an environment where individuals have the same goals (ie healing) people are very close minded in this region. Reiki, acupuncture, massage, holistic healing, Project Nature Connect may as well be lumped together with voodoo, snake charming and satanism. This will be one obstacle to overcome as I move forward and continue on, hoping to make counseling using Project Nature Connect a career. I am a person who normally wishes to isolate herself and be a proverbial 'island'. Through this course however, I have learned the importance of community and have begun to gravitate toward those individuals and groups with the same focus and ideals as mine in regard to nature and healing. My self-worth and confidence has been strengthened by feeling that what I am doing and accomplishing is affirmed and valid. I have enjoyed working with all of you and the experience has been an extremely beneficial one. ^^^ It is dusk as I walk through the woods outside my home .... its stillness is all around me as it begins to draw me closer. It is a stillness and quiet that relaxes and calms me and fills my inner being. Most birds have departed the feeders for their nighttime roosts; not a creature is stirring, not even a chipmunk :-) Well, except the mourning doves ~ they move along the creek on their evening ritual of taking turns sitting in the tree branches overhanging the creek and then dipping down to take sips of water from it's puddles, always waiting for one another before all going off somewhere to spend the night together. I watch this behavior each night, and it fascinates me how the flock always take turns and they always wait for one another. They, too, follow their own attractions and have relationships..... I breathe in the cool fall air and the freshness of the colored leaves. The stillness is broken by the soft crunching of fallen leaves under my feet and the whisper of those yet to fall as they touch one another in the slight breath of moving air around them. I shall miss them when they go .... I feel we have become friends as I have watched them grow since their welcome appearance in spring as tiny buds .... they try to comfort my sadness as I am reminded of the seasons of change in every aspect of life. Their colors deepen in the waning light as the first and brightest star appears. I sigh and thank the all and forever around me for it's comforting support; it has been a long day. I begin to rub my hands over the top of my head to remove the clutter of stories. My hands and head begin to feel warm, and I shake away the stories my hands collect and feel freer and lighter each time I do this. I like this feeling. This is probably good for me to do occasionally to unclutter me :-) As I feel the warmth of freeing myself, I tell myself I am now walking through my own mind and body. All that is around me is inside me. I am walking into my subconscious ... and my connection with all that is. I breathe in the rocks and trees and stars and wildlife with whom I share this land and air. We breathe in the same air, share the same space. Such oneness is freedom and joy, and I am grateful for being. I am grateful to be part of them and for them to be part of me. I hug a giant old tree and feel our identity merge. We share skin and bark, our bodies run blood and sap, our lungs and leaves give us breath. It, too, needs nourishment to live ~ all of us needing soil, water, air, and sun. It adapts to its circumstances as we must also. It has roots, as we do also. With my feet on the earth, my back now leaning against this ancient tree, and my eyes peering through its limbs at the awakening stars, I feel the mutual breath of all within and around me ....I am the tree and the tree is me ....I give thanks for my life and all of life. I will sleep freely tonight. No stories will tangle their web around me. Nature is within me as I fall asleep ... I learned: ~ It is very good to de-clutter my mind and free my thoughts to begin fresh. ~ It feels good to merge with nature around me. ~ I have a lot in common with trees. G/G ~ I am a person who enjoys walking in nature with a clear mind free of stories. ~ I am a person who finds peace in nature and loves feeling one with nature. ~ I am a person who is grateful to have such closeness and oneness with nature, and for what nature teaches me. ^^^ What a powerful experience. Again, I think you have a tremendous natural talent for directly connecting with webstrings and nature's intelligence. I connect with your experience of asking for consent and how this invites a more intimate encounter with nature. People, being a part of nature, respond the same way. Notice the difference the next you ask a person, 'is it okay...if I interact with you...do I have your permission to interact with' or something to that effect. As a social worker I have noticed that bringing this into my practice has greatly increased trust between my clients and I. And as you noted, saying thank you for these encounters brings a completeness to the experience that leaves (haha, leaves) everyone nourished and intact. Not to digress, but there is an American Indian tradition in the Yukon of restorative justice using the circle. Their saying is 'Begin in a good way, and end in a good way.' Also, 'trust the process.' Thank you for sharing, the wise oaks undoubtedly have conferred their wisdom to you. ^^^ I love how your experience illustrates the lesson from last chapter, "you are what you label." I am sure you weren't the only part of nature attracted to this 'new' water. It would seem to be one of the most ancient webstring connections, this connection to water. I think of the watering holes in the deserts of Africa and what diverse wildlife can be found there, sharing this very natural attraction. I also think of the high value put on waterfront property. While tainted by capitalist systems, this higher value does in some way honor the natural attraction and value of our webstring connection with water. It also makes me sad how little attention is paid to water, how many people go with out it, and much of good, pure wonderful water is wasted and tainted by our nature disconnected stories...I am then reinvogirated by hope as the power of Natural Systems Thinking Processes (NTSP) is so evident in these courses, and knowing how easy and accessbile they are to anyone with interest, in addition, to all of us sharing our experiences with those in our personal webgroups, I think of all the parts of the web that are touched by just this one experience that you had Ingrid! How amazing! Quite the 'ripple' effect! Also, like you, I am very attracted to Chinese Philosophy, the Tao Te Ching and I Ching in particular and also some Confucist thinkers, I find perfect companions to Reconnecting with nature, Emerson, 'the sage of Concord' also. I think the reason these are so attractive is because these writings were reflection or articulations of the authors own direct experiences with nature. Thus, just like our experience in this course they contain 9-leg thinking. Thank you for this cleansing and rejuvenating post, ^^^ I did this activity with the IPOD and with my eyes closed the experience of listening to the music was amazing like the music, the IPOD and I were one in that oneness I lost track of time Since music was creating this, I did the part of the exercise again with the Sofa ˆ as I sat on the sofa, I closed my eyes and fully sensed the feeling of sitting, the sofa and my body touching each other‚s surface and then as I tuned in more and more, all I felt was vibrations! Outdoors was fun as I closed my eyes and walked ever so slightly with the wind touching my face and as I remained tuned into the sensory feelings, the wind too was a vibration I felt on my body can‚t explain it more than VIBRATIONS As soon as I name the IPOD, SOFA or WIND, there is a disconnection or separation as the WIND and I are two, the SOFA and I are two and the IPOD and I are two∑ however, the sensory feelings are only possible at the vibration level where the Wind, the IPOD, the SOFA and I are one∑ I learned to fully feel the vibrations at will, to experience the oneness at will. I learned to sustain the oneness at will I am a person who is made of same vibrations like everything else in nature, I am a person who lives through the vibrations. I am a person who is vibrations This ability cannot be taken away when we recognize that this ability and I are one. Yes, this activity gives me more confidence in connecting at will. It reeducated my negative aspect that is full of doubts. Quietly and silently touch the vibrations of the universe within you and around you. ^^^ I want to participate in the program because I think and feel that I will personally benefit a lot from it. From reflecting on the reading and introduction activities I have already felt a benefit in terms of reduced stress levels and a closer daily connection with nature. I would like to explore this further. I also work as an educator supporting teachers, students and community members live more sustainably and connect with nature. I would like to learn new tools for supporting people to connect with nature. I am keenly aware of the problem of nature deficit disorder in our ‘modern’ society. I was lucky to have parents that enjoyed camping and spent many holidays in the bush exploring with my brothers and sister and our friends. I have continued to spend time in nature and enjoy bushwalking, cycling, camping, hiking and photography. My parents are avid gardeners and I was lucky to have fresh home grown vegies at different parts of my childhood and I have continued this tradition at the many places I have lived. At the moment I am thoroughly connecting with my local environment by growing several fruit trees, berries and a range of herbs and vegies, as well as an indigenous garden for local wildlife habitat. I studied applied biology at university and developed a deeper understanding of the complexity and interconnectivity of all living things. My tendency towards interpersonal pursuits lead me to education and I completed a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education. I have worked in a range of education settings including Teacher, Waterwatch officer and coordinator, Education Safari Guide, Grasslands Education Officer, and my current position is an education coordinator. Our mission is to support schools and community groups to take action towards sustainability. ^^^ I walked the beach and as I walked a wave rolled out to the sand almost as if it was reaching out only to touch me. As the water found it's way to me this day, I felt lukewarm and a sensation of love came upon me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breathe to suddenly feel energy throughout my body, a mother's energy, again, warming my body. My body tingled with exhillaration right to my toes. I felt energized, renewed, and so grateful. Today, the tide was up and the waves roared like thunder. The ocean splashed over the protective wall as I was walking aside it. As I was splashed, I felt happy and alive. It was not cold but my body felt lukewarm and comfortable. Even through the sea was roaring, I felt peaceful. I know there is a purpose that the sea has today. Cleansing and restoring balance within the web of life, my life, your life and the global ecosystem. When the ocean cleanses it's beaches, it cleanses our beaches, our exterior, where we harbor our negativity and hold onto our 5 legged thinking. The sea calls to us and invites us with the sound of it's crashing waves, to come and be part of this magnificent opportunity to shed what detaches us and keeps us from being whole . With each incredible roll and crash, the sea speaks to us in a voice and rhythm that in aligment with those who are conscious and ready to use their senses and can hear the message. A loud roar then turns into nature's whisper. I trust the messages I hear. Tonight, I stand outside in the dark and hear the waves calling out to me from my deck. I answer back with thanks for the gifts I received today. As I look up at the moon, I begin to feel the vastness of the web of life and remember that I, one human being, am such a small part of this vast universe. Yet, as I close my eyes, I am told that I am a large part of this of web of life because without me, this webstring would not be complete. My blood and fluids add to the waters of life, the ocean, the lakes, the rivers flowing to the nature's rhythm and in perfect harmony. As I stare into the night, I see an illuminated circle around the moon. I see the stars and the clouds stretched across the black sky. I am reminded that I am a shining star, an illumination, a cloud across the sky.I am one with the web of life. "I am shining star, an illumination, a cloud across the sky. I am one with the web of life." ^^^ I listened today and used my hearing and am planning to increase it tomorrow. It seems to be coming clearer and I can hear the song of the earth creatures---tonight as I sat down to write I heard the sound of a bird, rare to me at this hour. The crickets are chirping, the night quiet is a blessing. I can't find my book again amidst the moving, it seems the third time through this class just deepens my awareness of how very much nature is a part of me and me a part of nature. Observing Autumn in a strange land where few trees lose their leaves, where flowers and bugs are starting to appear due to the lack of heat--still seems odd to me. I am so aware of the sleepiness of people as they drive the freeways weaving in and out and putting others at risk--. I just keep asking myself about connecting and staying connected. 'When I don't feel connected I recognize the anger or hurt that being connected causes me to mellow out.& nbsp; As you know I am moving (renting out the house in order to save it from the past year's challenges and living with my mom and/or Matt and friends)-- When I went over to Matt's house tonight, all of my "things" were unpacked and put where they wanted them. I felt like a dead person walking back into a life and seeing what people do with our "stuff". The odd part was that I didn't care, but what I did care about was that I had not been asked for permission--I felt almost violated. It was stupid, not important but how often do we trample over nature with highway litter, with even just not seeing, unaware, well-meaning. So I ask myself--again--where do I need to ask for permission and where am I not asking for permission with people, with .... whatever is going on. Sorry this doesn't follow the usual format but it is PNC at work showing me my own stuff. ^^^ Reading about other experiences has reinforced my view that truly environment has a strong influence on defining who we are as individuals and as a people. I believe that the PNC methods of restoration of nature have in them the divine power embedded and to me this clearly points beyond the scientific explanation of creation. PNC should be looked at as means which can help us to reverse the destructive means of making money out natural resources, and instead treat it as a bigger part of our body trunks. Since we feel pain when part of it is injured,so we should to the environment. By protecting and nurturing ecosystems should strengthen us to open our minds, and souls for survival of our mother earth and ourselves. PNC methods we enable me to help those who feel loneliness, hostility and depressed and abandoned by our society, treated like garbage, and are cut off from nature which fills us with grief. I also believe that, my involvement with PNC will bring me hope that something can be done by ordinary people, in ordinary circumstances that can and will help turn around our behavior toward the ecological sustainability issue that we are facing. It will also provide a tool for almost immediate grounding and centering for me, and will shape part of my social and professional abilities. I would love to reach a moment at which there is a profound sense of social and environmental responsibility guided by the people's decisions. Since my prayer is to be an environmental educator, Dr. Cohen's applied psychology story should enable me to guide others to flow, dance and balance with nature and each other as do all other species. ^^^ Your character, determination and commitment are reflected in your comments. How much do you know about the Green Party? I have never been much of a joiner, but I feel an attraction to check out this GP. Could what I am being attracted toward be the lesser of two evils? You may be onto something with your ONSP. I am finding that my fledgling knowledge of webstrings and NSTP foster a new and greater openness to others who want to partner with earth. This partnering is focused on caring for our temporal home that provides everything for us. We need to teach our children, clients, friends, students, selves, etc. not to focus primarily on the money, for it is of little use in long term eyes of Earth. We do need to make friends with those few have a large portion of money. I know it can be distasteful and feel dirty, but only if we are too self-centered. Think about how a multimillion dollar campaign similar to presidential campaigns could affect attitudes of children and maybe even so-called adults. What could we do with $1,000,000,000.00 a month to produce clean energy and non-soil depleting food for the planet’s population? Now changing gears- - - one of my teachers used to say that humans become whatever they fear and are obsessively opposed to in a zealous way. The other day I a heard a person on the radio ask what the next US president will do about US’s faltering position in many categories such as space exploration, health, economy, and military dominance. Could it be that Americans are obsessed with being “number one” and “winning” everything? Is not this the same as fearing being anything other than first place? And, as usual, my professor is correct. US leadership and the general populace appear to be transforming into what they fear. ^^^ Since I last wrote, the Credit Crisis exploded into the headlines, the stock market plummeted along with most of the nations retirement accounts and college savings. Our retirement and college funds for our three girls who are in college were also dramatically affected. So, I had a few nature-separated disconnected stories to shake off as I went out to do my PNC activity. I took a walk up Smithfield canyon with my dog Max in the evening light to savor the last of the fall colors. Much of the canyon had faded to brittle brown, but flashes of color around each bend still made the adventure worth the trip. I paused and rubbed my hands through my hair collecting my disconnected stories and then shaking my hands in the air allowing these stories to be discarded into the environment. I then walked down the trail asking for nature's wisdom to recycle them. In the course of descending a dirt trail, there appeared before me one of the most remarkable sights I have ever seen. I was walking toward the sunset. The evening light was casting a warm glow on everything. Lifting my eyes upward, the black branches of a maple tree strewn with bright fall leaves grasped my attention. This image was contrasted against a vibrant blue sky. But there was something different about these leaves. The evening sunlight was not merely reflecting 'off' the leaves- it was flowing 'through' them. The radiant color that this produced was indescribable. I drew in my breath.... 'It's a living stained-glass window!' I whispered. Indeed, in that moment I felt inclined to drop to my knees in reverent worship. I felt as if I was standing in a holy place of worship witnessing something holy. I found myself expressing my gratitude freely and fully. I felt so grateful that I had been allowed to live one more day to see this. I felt a great deal of peace and acceptance in that moment. I recognized that everything was playing out as it needs to be for the benefit of our collective souls. I had a strong sense that we are being supported in our collective return to consciousness. And my job is simply to come home to my center and trust the love that is within my to guide me. My living stained glass window fluttered in the breeze. It was time to return home. ************************ I can't imaging where my psyche would be right now without the web-string attractions to bring me home. I sense that if it hadn't been for PNC, I probably never would have noticed my stained glass window leaves. What a loss that would have been. It meant everything to me to see them and really experience them. The activity strengthened my self esteem and trustfulness of nature big time. We are not the stock market. We are not our retirement accounts. We are not the panic. We are the light that filters through the autumn leaves. The light that you are- creates the radiance. I awake at peace and I move more slowly through my day- consciously bringing my awareness in toward the inner body - toward the light. I trust the light's guidance to open the way. ^^^ Having been immersed in nature from a young age, I have grown up with a deep respect and appreciation for nature and was immediately drawn to this program when a friend told me about it. I look forward to learning ways of increasing awareness and responding to nature’s invitation to connect in more meaningful ways, as well as, supporting others in doing so. In my personal life and in my work as a social worker, I have experienced the ways in which a person’s disconnect from nature affects them in a myriad of ways, physically, spiritually, emotionally, relationally, etc. It’s interesting to me that while we explore the possible causes for difficult challenges and illnesses people face, and look for solutions or treatment approaches, rarely do we ever consider nature - either the disconnect as a contributing factor or connecting with nature as a solution or pathway to healing. I think this shift in thinking along with learning ways to help people connect with the healing powers of nature will be very beneficial. Being an avid outdoors person, I (along with my three young adult children) enjoy connecting with nature through hiking, birding, canoeing, fishing, nature photography and art, gardening and most often just spending time quietly soaking up the sights, sounds, smells, feel and color of everything. My personal connection with nature is deeply spiritual for me and has offered many opportunities to experience the immenseness of creation. Some of the most joyful experiences I’ve had in my life have occurred in the midst of nature, as have some of the most healing experiences during challenging times. ^^^ The statements that most resonated with me focused on PNC as a process that has the ability to not only connect us with nature, but also with each other, ourselves and a Higher Power, and in doing so leads us to peace both personally and globally. I appreciated the comment which said, “My daily behaviors and attitudes now reflect a larger faith and understanding that I am not separate from the world around me but an integral part of it.“ How often we move about our day, without attention or awareness of not only the world around us, but without attention or awareness of the people around us or the things that are going on within us. The idea that nature is an innate part of us and can have a profoundly positive effect on each of us individually, in our relationships with others and on the world around us, is very intriguing to me. I think that the recognition that we are an integral part of our world is of significant importance. With that knowledge (not just in our head, but more importantly in our hearts ) people would likely choose to live more intentionally and responsibly, making choices in their daily lives that support interconnectedness. I believe that it is that recognition and affirmation of interconnectedness which will move us to action in many positive ways including our being more conscientious about the environment and good stewards of the earth and encouraging new and innovative ways of thinking, teaching and responding in all arenas including education, health-care, business, social programs, government, world-affairs and our personal lives to improve not only our quality life, but the world. ^^^ I was in a good mood, sitting in the park with nothing to do but watching the kids playing. Sometimes I am surprised that how easy my life could be satisfied, the laughter from the kids made me smile. That was the park I mentioned many times, a very big open green area with plants everywhere. The school building was at the corner, I suddenly wanted to thank the school builders for choosing this place, they might know that how important that green area to the kids and the teachers as well. That safe and relaxing place, is always welcomed by all. I also thanked the place for letting me be one of them, enjoy and share the laughter. In front of me, there were lots of attractions: The green grass, supporting and protecting the kids so that they wouldn't get hurt if they accidently fell down. The birds were singing while flying over our head, the squirrels were running up and down the trees, none of them showed any fear.&nb sp;I appreciated their trust in us human beings. When I extended my line of vision, the clear blue sky with white clouds caught my sight. I didn't notice that the sky was so beautiful today, I like the color, light blue, always helped to soften my irritation, calmed and comforted me. Suddenly, all of these seperated pieces made a whole picture , everything matched so harmoinously, helped and supported each other, felt joyful for other's happiness. I closed my eyes, bathed in the sweet warm sunshine, I could hear my inner callings leading me into the picture, my desire for being among them, being part of this wholeness was so strong. At that moment, I felt as if I were the air, the grass, the clouds, the sky... I thought of a quote read recently:“Enchanted worlds still exist and the doorways to them are hidden within Nature. These doorways may be more obscure than in times past, but we can still seek them out. Every flower has its fairy, every tree has its spirit, every woods has its Lady of the Woods and caverns do lead to nether realms. At the change of seasons, Nature reveals the doorways to those whose hearts are open.” Who am I? What's the significance of my exsistence in this world? Who should I trust? What's my beliefs? I'm living for my physical and spiritual integrity, my life is the process I look for and get back the "Us" inside me. I was endowed nature's wise intelligence, echoing her callings is the approach to my self-purificatio n. My confidence was gradually built up through my connection with nature. I fully trust this connection, it never does any harm on me. My desire for being integrited inspires and encourages me to keep this connection so that I could perfect myself with the power regained from nature. When I see the world not only with my eyes, but with my sensory natural sensitivities; when I actively participate in "breathing" with the Earth; when I trust mother nature's support - I am rejuvenated. I understand more about myself, the whole community and how to sustain a healthy relationship. I believe there is an authentic natural self hiding in each individual's deep inside. It's not easy to wake that SELF up. Through constant connection with nature, let nature's love and care gently work it out. Nature's smart drawing of the beautiful pictures aroused my craving for being part of them, realizing how much my desire to become them, and how much we were identical... I don't think I'm powerful just because I spent lots of time "sitting and learning", which is a typical way of studying in my old school days. Yes, I might get some knowledge, however, that didn't help a lot. Since I know more now and want more (to meet my inner nature), choosing connection with nature is my effective and proven way to get trustable power and support, it helped dissolve my inner disturbances and build a strong Me. My experience again proved that nobody is abandoned in nature. Nature's love is like the sunshine, lightens anyone through her connection with whoever joining in to the development of the balanced community. If I look for my self-integrity, first I want to make sure tha t I am in the commnity which is integreted, for that environment symboled me, we were tied up firmly, that's what I learnt from nature. I wanted to share everyone my joy at tht moment I was lying on the grass and watching the kids. When they run to me asked for a hug or kiss, I found myself full of love. I was so delighted to pass my love to the kids; and their responses - the smile, the kiss, the hug...What else do I need to be satisfied? I had the most precious gifts that nature wisely guide me to have. The kids were so lovely and nice, willing to share their love and smiled all the time. I hoped to be that kind of person and I think I am, because the attractions from the kids showing the same qualitie s inside me. This really encourages me a lot. It's not wise to think and judge by just simply following others. Most of the time we are not willing to stand up and show our opinion different from the "mainstream" because we don't feel being supported; or we may think that nobody else will do that. We are not defeated by our opponents, but by the wranglers, the negative ones inside us. My inner "Us" is always ready to be awaken, ready to be integrited to the development of myself, if only I am aware of and trust the exsistance of "Us". The attractions and qualities I sensed from nature also represented my inner beauty. My nature experience shows me I am a person who gets good feelings when I watching the kids playing i n the park. I love the peaceful and quiet wholeness they brought. Their laughter was the catalyzer to hlep my sonsory touch of "Us". My nature experiece shows me I am a person who gets good feelings beause I was among the community which was full of love, it's my honor to be part of it. My nature experience shows me I am a person who gets good feelings since I knew I was loved by the kids and they were loved by me, we were all loved by mother nature, in turn, we gave our love to the others...It double or triple my happiness, or quadruple... How would you feel having your ability to experience this G/G taken away? It's hard to imagine. I would feel sad if the kids and I were deprived the right to sense and share each other's love and care. My world would be dull... Does this activity enhance your sense of self-worth? your trustfulness of NIAL? Yes, I want to say it's really a very nice experienc e to be in part of nature, to share that harmony. It's not like we share the birthday cake, the more people share, the little piece we get. On the contrary, the more we are involved, the better we created. Which wrangler/person, if any, does this activity identify or reeducate inside or outside you? The quote revealed something inside me. I have to say I was not the person who used to, and now still kind follow the "mainstream", it's not to say that I don't believe or trust something which seemed not to "fit" this society, I still feel I'm not strong enough (the pressure from wrangler) and worried to be abandon by the society. I've improved a lot with the help of the course. ^^^ I went to the wetlands. A few years ago, a tree was purchased by a group of friends for my birthday present, and was planted by the creek that runs through the wetlands. This afternoon, I went and sat by it for the activity. I love this cedar tree because it is strong yet fragile in the same time. It lives in harmony with all life around and its shape has been formed by air, sunlight, water and the earth from which it grows. It stands proudly and overcomes obstacles as it reaches for the light. I love myself because I am strong yet fragile. I live in harmony with all life around and my body has been nourished by air, sunlight, water and earth. I stand proudly and overcome obstacles as I reach for the light. 3 important things I learned - what attracts me is what is like me or attraction reveals unsuspected resonance - even if I consider myself as part of the protection network for webstrings, I have to be aware of every decision I make every day as I look for ways they could be harmful to nature With fall and the coming winter that change weather patterns, I need to be strong not to become an indoor addict; I need daily contact with nature to continue nourishing my senses and develop my 9-legged relationship with earth If my cedar tree was taken away, I would feel like part of me is taken away with it Earth's heartbeat makes all nature pulse; I am nature, I am part of that pulse I fear of upsetting order may result in complicity in destroying webstrings Addiction to comfort alienates me from connecting fully to nature Brain storage: I feel very vulnerable as the air becomes colder, the wind chillier and dakrness increasingly more pervasive; I witness the animals preparing for the winter, and I am asking myself if am preparing in a nature-connect way; I seem to be more attracted to eat heavier food, to spend more time in my warm little place and to go to bed earlier ~ all of this is consistent with mammal behavior; will I become disconnected however as I dwell more and more inside, and consume more energy in watching tv, sitting at the computer and turning the heater up when it gets cooler ? Will I be making choices that are harmonious to webstrings? ^^^ "The cost of a thing is the amount of life is required to be exchanged for it." Henry David Thoreau As I was immersing myself in the grandeur of the Sierra Nevada's where I was staying in my brother's cabin, it was so peaceful, full of life and symbiotic in nature, life was fully present and it's value was evenly exchanged, no waste just alive. The picture took me back to the title of the chapter, Prejudice Against Nature. Since the picture appears to me part reptile and insect, I'm sure that human would have found a reason to instill some sort of fear of its presence in the world as it relates to our existence or might have taken one of its characteristics and created a description of a human aspect. 1. I spent a bit of time thinking about the dirty words I know and realized that I don't know many but the ones that I do know all relate to aspects of nature. I have spoken out at times asking the person swearing if that is what they really mean to say and I always receive a funny look but it does not change behaviors. It appears that people are reduced to swearing when they are unable to deal with a situation. It is a response to overwhelm and frustration with their inability to respond or resolve issues using non-violent communication. 2. My first question is how do we have the right to claim ownership over anything never mind another nation and its people. We don't own, we are stewards of the land we live on and we are in relationship with all living beings coexisting on this Earth. So how do I feel about this: angry, sad, outsider, responsible for not speaking out against the aggressive nature of our society enough, and accepting my responsibility for how I think, speak and act while introducing others to this PNC process. 3. I feel sad that Our True Nature is not being presented to the masses in a way that would open the windows and the doors to let in fresh air, ideas, concepts of living, and the ways and means to live in harmony with life. I have worked with groups of women and children who were held as captives and slaves. The only way to initiate healing and expansion of their self identity is to provide a safe, nurturing and naturally inviting space to integrate( heal) their connection as victim. (sounds like Nature to me) There are many ways that have been found to be very successful in this process while also offering support through art exploration, reconnecting to the power of their innate sensory system and the love nature has for us. They rediscover their way back to wholeness. Amen! Satan represents our thoughts that distract, our actions that lead us away from nature and our words that insight, cause confusion, endless pain and suffering. He looks like you and me but can often be recognized by lifestyle and arrogance. Hypothetically, one of the reasons Satan is with us is so that we have choice. Nature gives us choices also and then finds a way to re-balance if necessary. When we recognize the problems that we created by our ego choices then we can find another way, a better way, nature's way! I used to hold a prejudice against my inner nature that was playful, danced always and curious. Life was challenging for my parents and I, as the oldest child, had the set a good example and so conformity was the rule in our home. From that experience I learned to think and respond defensively because no matter what I did it was never good enough, and that unless I found someway to be recognized I was a failure. Wow that was exhausting. Thank you Mike for leading me back to Nature for it has restored my soul, reintroduced me to my innate nature and beauty and that my presence in this world is a gift and a responsibility that I willingly accept to support and sustain Life! Making a commitment in order to enjoy NIAL is part of the brainwashing culturally acceptable ways we were taught to fit in and be worthy. There are no adequate words to experience my passion and love that I have and have experienced while interacting with nature. My freely expressed connection to NIAL has opened my heart, center and my sense of Life and its purpose. ^^^ Intentions are very powerful and require much introspection before being brought forward in a formal way. The effects of poorly planned intentions can have very contrary results as it appears happened in the incident described. Awareness, sensitivity, asking permission and making sure we do no harm are the first requirements for finding appropriate space to offer such a venue for Earth lessons. Three most important things I learned from this chapter 1. "Our civilized behavior seems uncivilized!" 2. We have abused nature to fill up our holes of unworthiness, unlovable, lonely, etc. 3. " At birth, we have neither dysfunctions nor fears." 1. I'm a person who appreciates my relationship with nature and acts in responsible ways to protect this relationship. 2. I'm a person who is grateful to nature as my healer and teacher. 3. I'm a person who feels her feelings and can express my experiences of Nature's grandeur through joy, tears and insights! I would feel Wrangled if my ability to experience my G/G taken away! This experience enhances and supports my re-education of my self-worth as I experience daily NIAL. The old wranglers that wanted me to fit in have been forgiven and my inner nature restored! ^^^ I have been exploring the different elements of this program for nearly a year, and am extremely excited to finally be a participant. My interest in this program arose from my sudden "reconnection" with nature, which I will further explain below. I was born in New York City, and lived there until I graduated high school. At that time, I moved down to North Carolina to pursue my undergraduate degree. It was a culture shock, to say the least. I was 19-years-old before I even saw my first cow! I remember thinking, "wow, they really DO say 'moo'"! After obtaining a dual bachelors degree in psychology and art, I moved to Seattle to pursue my graduate degree in clinical psychology and art therapy. It was during the time I spent living in North Carolina that I first sensed my desire to connect with nature. I was working as the assistant to the mayor of my city, which was waterfront land. I kept finding myself drawn to be near the water; I would spend lunch breaks sitting by the lake, and visit "my spot" almost daily after work. I didn't know quite what was drawing me there, but while I sat there I felt a sense of emptiness inside of me. Upon moving to Seattle, where there is more scenery than I can take in sometimes, this sense of emptiness grew...but so did my desire to fill it. After living here for just over a year, I still find myself in awe that I can look out of my window and see the Space Needle, city skyline, Olympic Mountains, Mt. Rainier, and Elliot Bay all at once! I experienced a great bit of trauma as a child, and believe this is when my connection with nature was severed. My studies in clinical and psychology are a step toward professional development. My studies within this program are also geared toward that direction, but possess a greater sense of personal growth. I am extremely dedicated to rediscovering my place in and with nature, and look forward to bringing all of you along for the journey, as well as supporting you in your own growth. I can assure you that my commitment is strong, both to you, my fellow group members, and the program. ^^^ For this activity, I took my snack pack and books in a cloth bag and set off to the Cove Island Park. I stood at the entrance, waiting to see which direction was most attractive and calling∑ I saw some birds calling me and I began to follow their sound and walk towards the open field. I was not too sure where I was going to sit for this activity, I wanted to go by the water, but also wanted to follow my inner attractions as they showed up through nature. So in a roundabout way the birds did lead me to the open beach∑ and as I looked for what bench to sit on, the nature was calling me to sit on a log on the sand as that was the place that was most inviting. I gained permission and sat down. As I asked the question of the ocean, looking right into the essence of the waves and depth, "Who are you?" The ocean replied I am Pure I am Joy I am Sound I am Love I am Flow I am Wave I am God I am Life I am the Cosmos I am Rhythm I am Everything I then listened to the ocean asking me the same question and I sat there feeling what words came to me, and I replied I am love I am your essence I am pure I am innocence I am Joy I am Life I am senses I am feelings I am consciousness I am connection I am the seer I am light As I communicated what the ocean was to me, I felt a deep sense of connection that induced pure joy into my being and when I heard the ocean speak to me about who I am, I was ecstatic. I felt such a deep belonging to the nature community that for a split second I wanted to immerse in the ocean! Okay, so because I can't swim, the sense of wanting to immerse was purely for a nano second and then I came back to reality. Maybe I will take up swimming! As I did supportive activities, the connection began to deepen and the joy was bountiful! My heart was dancing -- As I came to the celebrate, I remembered the snack pack I had brought with me and I gave a dried peach to the ocean and ate one then offered another peace to the ocean and then I ate one with joy before I knew it there were dozens of seagulls flying around and between the ocean and me I took out my special K-Bar and began to break it into little pieces and the seagulls had a great time feasting and celebrating with me and the ocean! What I learned from this chapter was: 1. I and nature are one 2. I and nature are made alike 3. I and nature dance together when I pay attention G/G 1. I love being in nature because I am nature 2. I love connecting with nature because I am nature 3. I love myself because I am nature My ( mini ) Chapter 18 ~ Integration into Personal and Professional Life Having nature in my life as a dear best friend is an essential component of my life and who I am. It is a part of how I live each day and how I spend my time as an individual, and I welcome its flow throughout my personal and professional life. Through the lessons of these past weeks, I find that each day I immerse myself more and more in the many senses of the moment as I integrate the experiences I have had in these assignments to become a more spontaneous part of me ... in writing " I am a person who ....", I put words to paper of my being in defining myself to myself and what is important to me in the nature-connected statements I created .... it begins to define the age-old question of "who am I ...?" "I have learned a lot about about myself as I think "I am a person who ..." I find that, personally, by not just "being in nature" but "being present in nature in the moment" and absorbing it into my total being with all my senses ~ by my awareness of 53 senses as part of me ~ by an awareness of myself as part of the whole and as connected to all that is ~ my respect and gratitude for nature in my life creates such an enrichment to my life beyond words ... being present opens a whole new world of senses to me and has granted me many gifts from nature... Professionally, I find little ways to bring these lessons and activities to others. As one of nature's amazing qualities is as the great de-stressor for stressed people, engaging our senses in these activities is a welcome addition to a meeting ~ I love to take the meeting outside and have people enriched beyond the agenda. Also, as I work with people with developmental disabilities, I find sharing these activities with group homes and parents opens doors ( literally, too :-) ... I have more thoughts and ideas for the role nature can play in their lives as an essential part of their life ~ as a priority, not an afterthought ~ and as a supportive and life-changing role with those having challenges. So I will find creative ways to open people to nature-based wellness and these wonderful activities and experiences with nature. Nature is a great opener of closed minds ~ the trick being to keep those minds open in the busy-ness of life and with those who fall back on outdated and ineffectual routines :-) It is a grand adventure :-) Thank you to all of you for being who you are as we are connected through this class and the postings of your wonderful connections with nature .... ^^^ Thank you so much for the book, it arrived this week and you are again a master at this. I could even see this being a course or workshop as well. I cannot begin to express how much my survival in a big city has been dependent upon PNC. It is hard for a country girl from Nebraska. I will pay you for the book as soon as I get some money, am facing some difficult challenges right now. With love and appreciation for all you do and the change you are in the world. ^^^ I began in my backyard asking around who would be available to help me with this activity as i would need to borrow some sticks. The apple tree lead me to it's base and there i found an abundance of what i needed. "Thank you Apple Tree for sharing that of which you no longer need". I held about 5 small twigs in my hand and closed my eyes and allowed myself a few moments to let all of my sense come into full effect. I really have begun to enjoy this new awareness/intuition/connection that i have found with my eyes closed, now only to develop it with my eyes open. I tossed the twigs on the ground and picked one up. I noticed that at first i just let my fingers do all the work, feeling as much area of the twig as i could. after a few seconds i slowed myself down and allowed my "# 52 sense of reasoning and memory" come into play. I began to feel the stick from the bottom an worked my way upward using my "#14 sense of touch", "#15 sense of weight", "#16 sense of proximity", #30 sense of physical place/navigation (detailed awareness of the landscape of the twig)", and even my "#19 sense of smell". Through these senses i was able to devise a system of getting to know the twig, and make significant associations with it including; the number of "nubs" and there position on the twig, how much moss and where, how wet the twig was (smell came into play), and how large or small by feeling the height and weight. Through this process i actually made a connection with that specific twig, and when i laid it back down and mixed it in with the others, i did not need to look for a pencil mark to know if i had found the right one, i knew immediately, just like you know you know someone even if you can't remember their name or where or when you meant them, but you know. I repeated this again and had to continue to remind myself to slow down and take it all in. Again i was confident and successful in finding the familiar twig. Things Learned..... 1. how to function as a whole. 2. to slow down and really take in the experience, instead of just seeing it for what it is. 3. that connections can be made with anything natural, creating a realm of support, and knowledge that one can go to at anytime. "I get good feelings when......" 1. i take my time to trust my self and my world. 2. i can believe in my senses because they can communicate with the nonverbal world. 3. nature supports in looking beyond what i can physically see. to loose these senses i would feel confused, disoriented, and unknowledgeable. My self-worth and NIAL trust enhanced with this activity as i am supported and confirmed in believing in my self and senses when nonverbal communication in nature is experienced. I feel intuition within nature as a whole (including myself) is given authority in this activity as it confirms its natural wisdom by encouraging you to believe in it and yourself. Creating the power of unification. ^^^ Since i have become invovled in PNC i have been learning the respond not only to people's words, but to the energy they are willing or tyring to share with me. As Cohen states in chapter 6, "words tend to mediate our natural sensations, hide them from our consciousness, and replace them with stories......we lose vital messages from nature itself." As we are learning to gain permission from natural areas, to learn from them, and experience them purely, I feel that we need to remember to apply this ability with people as well, to really get in touch with humanity, and ourselves. Activity: Learning from Sensory Nature Connecting. A nearby spider plant willingly shared it's leaves and oxygen with me as i grasped it gently and breathed deeply. Experiencing the stress of not breathing allowed me to connect with the plant on a different level. I felt the unconditional support that it provided to me everyday, but to actually consciously acknowledge it felt refreshing and rejuvenating. Connecting the new brain with old, in that the air that i need to survive was a direct resource from a living thing energized my love for life, myself and plants. When i grasped my computer and took that first gasp for air, it was relieving, but not supportive as the plants had been. The computer did not share a webstring of understanding for my need of oxygen, it did not pulsate with my gasping breathes. This made it difficult for the new brain to acknowledge the intelligence of the old, and continue to believe that a computer may be more capable, or user friendly than a plant. Things learned.... 1. By conciously engaging with nature, you can rewire your brain to focus on the support in life and value it more so than things that do not unconditionally support you. 2. breathing with living things is supportive physically, and emotionally. 3. It's not just me taking a breath in, it is the whole, the US contributing to that breath. Enlightenment was created from this activity that otherwise would remain dark in the stories that compell us to forget to breath. My self-worth made concious in a way that connected me with my world as a whole. This activity established relationships as an authority in my natural world. Acknowledging the presence of others as vital to my presence in life, and also my purpose. ^^^ Just want to let y'all know that I have finished with the breast cancer event. I had a table there about my endeavor to reconnect people with nature. As they began signing in they were to pick any table they wanted to sit at. My table was full with the 1st 8 people that came in the door. My center piece was a cool ecosystem that I made with roses in clay pots stacked triangular like and rocks at the bottom surrounding the pots. The plants and rocks and clay pots emitted cool air that you could feel when you held your hand near it. As I pointed this out to the many women who were conversing about having menopausal hot flashes, the centerpiece became quite the conversation piece. I had done a lot of research on pesticides linked with breast cancer, carbon footprinting, EPA facts, and with these I introduced Nature deficit disorder and from that I introduced reconnecting with nature. They loved it. All of the information and my business cards were gone from the table by the end of the event. At the end, many people came up to me expressing how much they loved what I am doing. I would be happy to send a copy of my card to anyone in the group who is interested in seeing it. I will send one to you Mike for your expert input. I will be posting my homework asap...I see I have much reading to do from group as well as the book. Thank you everyone for your kindness. ^^^ It's pretty warm today. The sunshine attracted me to participate in the celebration of a nice day when I was in my room, looking out of the window. That cheered me immediately, even the sight of the sunlight energized me a lot. I walked into the yard, silently greeted my natural friends and looked around, smiled and thanked their presence and invitation. A gust of wind blowed on me, I was wearing T-shirt and shorts, feeling the power of the wind. The leaves in front of me also shaked their heads with th e rhythm of the wind, refreshed in their exercises cooperating with the wind. I felt my face was turning red, I touched my face and it was hot, my arms and legs, which were exposed to the sunshine, were all hot, and smelled nice. I could stare at the sun because the light was too strong. Then I moved and stopped by a big tree. I looked up, saw countless branches and leaves, they were taking a sunbath. I wonder how could the inside part of the leaves got the sunlight because the outside leaves covered on them. Then I found that the leaves were so clever that they didn't exactly cover on each other, they left some space for the ones under them so that all the leaves could enjoy the beautiful and warm sunshine. Cooperation and support...No wonder they all looked energetic because they were never abandoned, they were the One. ^^^ My deepest desire since learning about webstrings and NSTP has been to find a way to connect to my most natural states of being regardless of my circumstances or environment. I had a chance to test myself this last week. My dear mother-in-law suffered a stroke, and I have spent a great deal of time beside her. The hospital feels like a granite tomb, all the natural light of day is blocked and it seems as if the sterile environment is hostile…not attractive in any way. At first I wanted to change the atmosphere. I went about to put together the loveliest of floral arrangements and placing it in the windowAs I sat next to the window and looked out, I could see the blue sky and mountains that surround the area. Breezes made the tree branches sway in the parking lot below. I enjoyed watching the evidence that there was air moving about freely outside of the four walls where I sat. The flowers remained in the window, until they moved her to a room with no exterior windows at all, and no flowers were allowed. I thought about how there must have been a time before industrialized society where the process of dying was taken as a natural occurrence. I then realized that it was good for the support of life that the hospital not feel too comfortable. I felt gratitude that I could move about freely now, and wished for my mother-in-law that she could go outside with me at the end of my visit. I felt compassion for her and loving wished for her to be happy. There are butterflies everywhere lately, and the cooler air outside is inviting. I realize that this is not an unsolvable problem to feel more alive than not. Acceptance of reality is the answer. Sometimes the closest to a natural connection you will be able to enjoy is to touch and be near another human being. Without external distraction, we are left to create from our own psyche the feelings that support and nurture our lives. Quotes from the readings that attracted me: In reference to Contemporary thinking and the Mimbres people, Mike points out that they had none of the familiar cultural objects: "Without them, they knew and touched the supportive, warm womb of nature." The three most important things you learned from the chapter and webstring connections 1. Biologically, we are identical to humanity, past and present. 2. There is no waste in nature 3. What we call dis-ease has a purpose in nature ^^^ As I read the Web of Life Imperative, I became increasingly excited to be a participant in this program. I began to wonder how I could possibly choose the elements of the writing that connected with me, because each one made me stop, think, and evaluate my relationship with nature. Reading through this part of the Project Nature Connect influenced my personal life. It affected my relationship with nature, others, as well as myself. I have found myself taking more time out of each day to simply stop, take a breath, and look around me. I have taken pleasure in the beautiful colors of the changing leaves, the crispness of the Fall air, and all the scenes of nature surrounding me. To be honest, there have been times over this past week that I have felt as if I am living in a virtual postcard of sorts. It makes me sad to see the extent to which I have neglected my surroundings at times, but brings me great hope and gladness that I have this amazing opportunity to reconnect. Over this past week I have felt more grounded than I previously had. I have found myself more interested in discovering as much as I can about the individuals around me, my Earth, and the Higher Power that reigns over us. This has erupted an enormous amount of wonder and questions within myself, which at times becomes frustrating (because I don't know the answers), but I simultaneously feel a sense of peace that the answers will come to me in their own time, and when I am ready for them. I truly believe Project Nature Connect will guide me in discovering these questions I have about my world and myself. ^^^ This week brought another array of learning experiences. Feeling the power of the full moon we went for an evening walk last night. I kept feeling like slipping shoes off and walking barefoot through the woods. My son asked to do the same. Finally after examining all the past beliefs that were ingrained in me I took my shoes off and walked on the moss, clay, dirt, rocks...wow, it was amazing because I felt so connected to everything and it felt like a primal moment. Every time I have taken the chance to do this Mother Earth shares her energy in a profound way. Just a quick sharing of an experience...here is the lesson.. This morning I was reading up on the lesson and my son sitting beside me that is 2 years old said "is that a penguin" to the picture on page 61..reminded me of the past lesson of looking at the pics and seeing 'something else.' He saw a penguin..I saw a flower;) There is an ancient oak tree I have had an attraction to for quite a long time. As I sat with this large oak that is located in the woods on a hill surrounded by many other trees and large rocks I began the activity by seeking consent to connect with the tree. After feeling that the tree and area gave consent I continued to sit in the presence of this ancient wise one. For a very long time, since childhood actually, like many I was taught that it was not okay to express my emotions. I was punished as a child for expressing sadness and being a 'cry baby.' Words such as be a big girl, I am mad at you (or going to be mad at you,) your being a cry baby and more were used to express that it was not okay to show emotions. As an adult there is a lot of buried 'stuff' that needs to be composted. So, I asked the tree to help me. Does a tree feel emotions? The wise oak stood powerfully as the wind blew. The wind had little effect on this ancient oak. Blowing a few leaves to the ground from branches this was a message. "These leaves I let go of very gracefully." the tree says. "They will nourish the earth around me to allow for new growth. Even though they fall from my branches the nourishment returns to the whole including my children." Children, I think. Wait this is not an oak! There are three oaks that have grown together and I thought there was one! Wow... As I look closer the trees have three separate trunks deeply rooted in the earth, but their branches are all intertwined. I can not see where one begins and the other ends perhaps because they don't. They grow together harmoniously. The tree communicates to me to look further. There are 'grandchildren.' Small little oaks all around. It is from the fruits of the oaks that children and grandchildren were created. They live in a community each receiving their nourishment from the same source. Mother Earth and they thrive in harmony with one another. So, do they feel emotions? It seems the message I am getting from this connections is they feel our emotions because we are one and the same. It is only us humans that label 'it' a tree. The tree is simply being in the natural area taking each attraction moment as it comes. So, if a stronger wind blows and strikes a branch, it falls to the earth and becomes nourishment for the whole. No big deal. Turning these emotions into action perhaps to nourish the whole is just like letting go of a leaf or a branch...it shall become nourishment for the whole My next question...why do we as humans have emotions anyway? "Save that for another day"...the tree says. Thank you ancient wise oak for sharing your wisdom with me. ^^^ “My experience in nature shows me that I am a person who gets good feelings … from connecting with water in its many forms and variety of movement, in the way it permeates and unites with all forms both biotic and abiotic.” “My experience in nature shows me that I am a person who gets good feelings … joining with sunlight that shimmers on dust motes in the air, sparkles on the dew slowly melting and revealing the greens and tans of the foliage beneath, mirrors my own reflection on the surface of a still pond, warms my back when I step out of the shadows.” ^^^ This week I went to a nearby water detention area with a large cattail wetland and pond. My visit was on the first clear morning after two days of a drizzly rain. The High Plains of Colorado don’t get a lot of rain, so the “new” water really attracted me. The still pond was very tranquil and sitting at the edge had a calming effect on me. I felt tensions let go in my body that I hadn’t even recognized were there. This brought to mind Angel’s comment last week … “our body symptoms or reactions are also meaningful, are just effects or results of something that may be still unresolved in us.” I was very consciously of letting my body relax and felt myself become part of this serenity. Peaceful, quiet, at ease. I continue on my walk and notice cool damp air and the dew covering the ground and vegetation on this crisp autumn morning. The early sunlight creates a tapestry of long subdued shadows alternating with sparkles glinting on the leaves and soil. Twinkles, luminous greens, dark browns, cool grays. And bird song. Even the background hum of the traffic and other city noises are a part of this moment. Further along the creek bubbles and splashes over generally dry rocks. The expression “you never step in the same river twice” comes to mind as I watch the water wind its way along the creek bed. Creating ripples in the mud and sand beneath it. Perpetual motion and stillness. I was attracted to the quote of Lao Tzu, “The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth.” I have heard this quote many times, but still feel I have not fully experienced its meaning yet. From this chapter I feel I am beginning to have a more personal connection with nature. The word that worked best for me as a synonym for “attraction” was not webstring, sensation, feeling, or connection, but “unity.” The Activity statement (“My experience in nature shows me that I am a person who gets good feelings …”) for the first time seemed to bring me into the equation, instead of just 5-leg stories, repetitions, and rewards being the driving force. I am recognizing that this unity (webstrings) has always with me. It is part of what defines who I am and if taken away, I would no longer be me. This week’s activity strengthened this assurance in me. It helped me realize that my body, through my senses, is part of what gives me this unity (Thank you Angel). Without my body senses and the physical world around me, I could not have these experiences. ^^^ For this activity I went to the ocean. I immediately felt attracted and connected to the waves slowly coming ashore. I stood in the water and connected to this activity of the ocean. I was attracted to the colors of the water, the light dancing across it, the texture of the sand, the coolness of the water in contrast to the hot and humid air. At first I pondered the activity of the ocean. Here it is always 'ocean-ing' regardless of my interaction with it. There is no man behind the curtain telling it to do so, it simply is. Then I thought about that while the ocean may ocean with or without me, there is a definite joy to be with it. Then I became connected to the deep rhythms of the ocean, first the intervals between waves and then the forces of tides. I thought about a music lesson I had enjoyed earlier with friends when I kept rushing the beat. This immediate connection with the ocean helped to "reset" my internal metronome. Certainly, my habituated involvement with urban-industrial society as severely altered my internal rhythms. Hopefully, with repeated connection to nature I can consistently be in rhythm with nature. My experience in nature shows me I am a person who gets good feelings from deeply connecting with the natural environment. Whether attuning myself to the primal rhythms of the ocean or the sacred 'silence' of the woods, I am at my best when in direct connection with the great mystery that is behind and within all natural things. I furthermore enjoy directly experiencing the interrelatedness of the cosmos. This awareness of the superorganism that is earth brings me unexplainable joy and content. Natural senses and feelings are attraction strings of the web of life that can psychologically help a person make a conscious sensory connection with the web. 1. In addition to my above description, I like this passage from the text, The Web of Life Imperative p. 61: Human beings depend on reasoning and language to survive. We are the only species on Earth with the ability to communicate and think with words. Unlike us, the global community sustains its beauty and balance via non-verbal attraction communications and acts, not words. 2. Aside from the above quote the other two most important things I learned from this chapter were the connection of gratitude and the awareness of how out of tune I am from nature. I noticed a decisive difference when I say 'thank you' to nature for my experience. It seems to conclude the experience with a connection. I could almost say that the ocean and the beach glimmered with an extra sparkle, as to say, 'thank you for experiencing us!' 3. Without these webstring attractions I would feel heavy and hard-hearted. 4. This activity absolutely increased my sense of self-worth and trustfulness of nature. 5. This activity re-educated my natural sense of rhythm and that verbal language is not the end-all, be-all. In fact, if it is not centered in natural connected thinking it is subject to much flaw, pollution, distortion, etc. 6. 7. The summary option again rephrased the activity in a way that grounded it and affirmed something that I intuited but couldn't necessarily communicate. 8. Rhythm, mutual gratitude 9. Sharing thanks for mutual experiences increases our sense of respect and being appreciated. 10. Through unconscious activities such as dreaming I feel more deeply connected to the universe, in tune with its pulses and also more drawn to continue strengthening these connections. 11. I have put trust in my sensory webstring attractions into the uncontaminated thought and feeling room/space of my psyche. 12. I have been sharing this activity and my thoughts on it with various people. Some participate in the exercise some don't, but all express interest. Those who do participate reports similar benefits that we all have shared. ^^^ I have returned to my home in Florida. My backyard, which has no yard at all, is the edge of a swamp, with towering live oak trees and majestic magnolias. I look out, and up, at a thousand colors of green, leaves of every shape and size, some shaded, some sparkling in the sunlight. As I walk down the steps from the deck I find myself immersed in nature. The ground is soft under my feet, and the space and shadows of the canopy overhead, cause the sunlight to dance on the ferns below. I am attracted to the movement and color of the trees and their leaves. As a soft breeze blows thru the treetops, the small leaves flutter and the Spanish moss sways. The tree trunk and branches are dark against the light play. The cicadas are playing their summer music somewhere in the swamp, and small birds flit from branch to bush with a soft fluttering sound. I stand below and sway in rhythm – I feel the strength of the trees – I feel more solid, more grounded. I have been gone from here for 2 months – these grand trees stayed and stood guard over this small section of swamp and her creatures. In times past, I have watched with awe as these same trees violently thrashed and bent under hurricane force winds. My sense of trust in the world is enhanced here – then and now. I draw strength from this place. I belong. Connection is the attraction label that most closely fits my feelings. My experience in nature shows me that I am a person who gets good feelings from being immersed in nature. From becoming a part of the movement and color of the trees and their leaves. I feel that I made sensory contact with the Earth community and with my origins there, and that it is giving me strength, and confidence. Natural senses and feelings are attraction strings of the web of life that can psychologically help a person make conscious sensory connections with the web. I found this section attractive. After a childhood of exposure to fundamentalist religious thinking, I found my own beliefs were nature-based. As mentioned previously, I identify with the Frank Lloyd Wright quote "I believe in God, but spell it Nature." 1. This activity was totally natural for me… one I have done many times without thinking. It was awesome to put the 5 legged concepts to work with what has always been a "warm fuzzy feeling a. "Through natural attraction webstrings, Earth communicates with us, and all other beings in supportive ways." b. I like the concept of connecting with the Earth community network "and our origins there." That we can reconnect with that natural place from which we came. C. I learned that I gain strength from this place…from nature. To have webstrings taken away would be devastating. This activity definitely enhanced my sense of self-worth and trustfulness. We can gain strength, flesibility and confidence from "being" like a tree. One more piece of trust and confidence for my psyche. ^^^ I am interested in memory at a visceral level, “muscle-memory” or “genetic memory.” With a better understanding of 48 more nature sensibilities it is plausible that we remember with more than our brains. I have heard that horses, with their walnut sized brain, remember via “muscle memory” and who am I to argue with horse sense? This brings one more thing to mind. A few days ago Dr. Oliver Sachs was interviewed on NPR about his new book Music-aphelia (Lovers of Music). His research suggests that music is not central or focal to any single part of the human brain, but rather wide spread throughout the brain. Now, think about Dr. Cohen’s description of the primitive parts of the human brain. Dr. Sachs finds that the Basal Ganglia and the Cerebellum, both primitive structures, are the only area of the brain not affected by stroke (CVA). Hence, the first thing he does with a new stroke patient is sing “Happy Birthday.” He finds that, to even amazement of the patient, the patient totally unable to speak begins to sing the words! Dr. Sachs reports similar responses with dance. Is it any wonder Dr. Cohen incorporates song and dance into his work? ^^^ As I stood near my favorite tree in our backyard, I looked up and noticed that the surrounding trees, grass, plants, shrubs, atmosphere, the house made of wood, a little water pond, birds, bees, butterflies and myself were standing there together witnessing the Œpleasing intelligent global life community‚∑ What came to mind when I read the Œwhen undisturbed∑ „What a wonderful symphony in nature we are‰ What came to mind when I read ŒWhen healthy.. „connection creates and sustains health‰ What came to mind and I felt strongly when I read ŒNature and we are identical, "I feel as though I am in an ever-embrace and no other than nature is in embrace with me." The NIAL is the same NIAL in nature I see my innocence, love, connection and beauty! I declare my NIAL within and around me to be the same! Three things I learned 1. I am now beginning to see the leg I am to nature (honestly when I first read it, I was perplexed) 2. I am now beginning to experience being the leg of nature 3. I am now the leg of nature and I will walk with her G/G 1. I love being in nature as nature and I are one 2. I love nature as I am nature 3. I love myself as I am nature ^^^ This activity was not really welcomed by the folks (family members) I did it with. There was agreement about the primary attraction, the creek, but attractions along the way were individual, with it being a struggle to get each other to want to come over to see each other’s attraction.. It was largely based around differences in physical agility and health. An overhang of rock with a small cave underneath was attractive to one but not to another that did not feel up to climbing down to the cave…………and so it went for two hours. Finally we agreed to solo then come back. This went well, as we all consented to go and see my niece’s “fairy umbrellas”, which turned out to be tiny beautiful mushrooms that did indeed have very delicate thin caps that looked just like tiny tiki umbrellas, like they put in drinks. They were all white and the caps ruffled in a wave-like fashion in the breeze. There was dozens of them. They were enchanting. We all just sat around them staring and delicately touching them. I felt a strong web of connection between us all and those little delicate lives. A few precious moments of being “delicate mushroom-ness together”. We did finally make it down to the creek sprinting the last few yards and thoroughly enjoyed that attraction together. It is interesting that I know if had done this with folks from the intentional community where I attended seminary there would have been an opposite focus…………..on being more interested in other’s attractions than one’s own…………a strong willingness to be interested in one another and less of the self. There would have been easy consensus. It strikes a contrast between those more whole in their constitution and awareness of unity and those still largely conditioned to mainstream culture’s strong individualistic and isolatory approach to life. ^^^ "The purpose of life is to live in agreement with nature.".......As I thought deep into it...I closed my eyes and tried to capture a vision of myself in my outdoor habitat here. I think about the balance i am trying to create here in this natural ecosystem by nurturing all that does live here and not destroy any part of it. I am thinking every bug, plant,even fungus on plants, birds, creatures great and small that are living here are in harmony and co-existing. As i place myself in it as a living creature who is also co-existing and that if my work here is to preserve this ecosystem by nurturing it, then the purpose in my life becomes living in agreement with nature, in this very habitat where I live. I am rockbeing, I am solid and unmovable, I am solidly pressed to earth’s bosom by the safety of gravity, I am the richness of consolidation, of firmness, of absolute resolution…………I am coolness and gentleness in this stance………., when I need to stand, to not budge, to be absolute certainty in gentleness and love, I am rockbeing……….I feel the unconditional love within me of “It is so”………..I am rockbeing. (I note that my human invented spell-check does not want me to be rockbeing, it only accepts a separated idea of such, I.e. rock-being, just as it is fractured also “spell-check“, “spellcheck“) I am waterbeing…………I am free flowing, I am never-ending, I am all-touching…….I am life-blood……I am sweet and sparkling rush of inner Life ………..I am tingling caress of electric fire and silken caress of soothing salve……………..I am the thrill of constant exhilarating change……..I am freedom, release, cleansing……..I am the rushing sense of non-being…….I am the power of intentional movement carving life anew constantly ………and I am the quiet bubbling voice of unconditional love within me “life is, and is, and is, and is”……….I am water-being. I am wind-being……………I am absolute freedom….I am thought-free purety………..I am gentle feather touch of life’s eternal echo……….I am the rush of correction………the rest of gratitude’s stillness……I am the silken threads of Life‘s most delicate touch…….I am the slicing voice that cannot be turned away……….I am the wings of Life eternal….I am the whispering voice of unconditional love within me “open, open, open, open………open……….open” I felt very pleasantly drained from this engagement at this point and thus decided not to reach out for the tree or within for my treebeing………..just to be with it, without trying to bring it to 9-leg expression. The writing of it seems so short compared with the hour or more of experience involved. ^^^ On this activity, I went at the back of our house, which contained trees, edible plants and flowers. When I got there, I sought the permission of the place to do this very activity. After waiting for some time, I had this glow in my consciousness, that I was really welcomed by the environment to carry out the activity. I really did it with six sticks cut into equal sizes and same shape. With a pen in my hand, eyes closed, I picked up a stick among the pile and marked it. After dropping it on the ground, I mixed up the pile of sticks after having the feel of that particular one marked. With eyes closed, I applied one of the fifty-three natural senses and sensitivities, which is the forty-third (43) on the list of RWN that is SENSE OF MIND AND CONSCIOUSNESS. With this, I was able to use the power of the mind, which works as a piercing screen and the mental consciousness which enabled me to apply full concentration on the activity (the radiation senses) after this, I applied the feeling senses. Using the 14th feeling senses, feel, touch and with the application of natural senses and sensitivities, I was able to pick out the marked stick from the pile, the first attempt. The euphoria of the success made me to fail the second attempt, but succeeded at the third attempt. With same techniques, I was able to naturally sense the very tree. But the difference here is that I inculcated the chemical senses, using the 19th SENSE OF SMELL WITH AND BEYOND THE NOSE, to find out the particular tree. I did this by visiting a garden with trees, waiting our home. As prescribed, I asked for the natural areas permission for me to become involved with it. After waiting for some minutes, with eyes closed, I got a pulse in my subconscious mind that I was really welcomed by the area. I chose a mango tree among trees within the area for the activity. I approached the mango tree using the knowledge of the fifty three natural senses and sensitivities. As directed in the RWN activity, I ceased my breath like three minutes, with suffocatingly, resultant. I embraced the tree and thus, released my breath. I felt much relieved, exhilarated to a point of refresh ness, renewal and invigorated. In the contrast, doing the activity with the use of an artifact, which is an air conditioner, was a far cry from the result I got from using a tree. The attendant feeling from this is quite artificial, cosmetic and to say the least stereotype. The three most important things I learned are: Nature is life: everything about nature is full of life. When I was disconnected from nature by ceasing my breath, I felt like suffocating. But full life was brought into me the moment I released my breath, holding the tree. (2) Natural feelings are quite supreme to artificial feelings. Doing the activity, holding the plant gives out natural sensations as well as feelings of home and relieved. (3) Man and nature have a connectivity of relationship. There is a synergy between man and trees, which cannot be disconnected. ^^^ Do "other beings" have a story world that, disconnected from the webof life, directs them in ways that are harmful to the well-being of the web's whole of life? Are the stories that "Native Elders" tell today the same as those of 100 years ago? Are they living in the same way now that they lived then, and, if not, has the difference influenced the stories they tell now? I ask because I've heard stories from Elders that tell of their ancient ancestors predicting the arrival of extra-terrestrials in space ships, when those ancient cultures were unaware of even the light bulb. Is the web of life not intelligent enough to, over time, not deteriorate the well being of its wholeness? ^^^ The problem that used to resonate in my life was the issue of feeling empty and not knowing what was missing to fix it. I had tried many things, including Mystery School training which was deeply entrenched in rituals. The effect was a powerful connection to energy but the empty space still begged to be filled. I was often attracted to other potential fixer uppers but finally became disgusted and stopped the train. Enter PNC and as you have heard the hole became Whole! No more searching or suffering. Everyone seems to be searching for their missing piece/peace. I continually remind myself that the Creator has provided us with everything we need to be whole, happy and peaceful. I was walking in the South Grove of The Big Trees National State Park in northern California, alert and fully engaged in the perfection of these trees that were up to 3000 yrs.old. Their stature, nature and resiliency left me in awe! I took a break from this moment and began to make a list of the wranglers that separate me from how I think and feel now and the only one in my life is my son Ben, an attorney in New York. We rarely engage in conversations about my experiences because he turns into a litigator and is very confrontational and I feel disrespectful. That is not how he was raised so it is a sadness for me. He will soon be having his first baby and I believe that some opening will occur with this amazing experience of creation. He is a very wonderful young man who is unavailable when it comes to discussing religions or spiritual practices. An interesting tidbit, he graduated with honors in both Philosophy and Religious Studies. His resistance to discussion has somewhat wrangled me into feeling that I might not be prepared for the Ben's in the world who would challenge me mercilessly. That is actually why it has taken me so much time to bring this gift of self process & discovery to the public. Please note that I'm no longer feeling afraid and have two more groups forming that I will be offering support and guidance with more on the way. I do my best to not wrangle others. If I do I'm not consciously aware. I find that some mornings I feel out of sorts and so I don't feel like doing my Nature time. I know I'm being wrangled because if I override this resistance I Always feel alive, alert and connected. My day moves gently and often seamlessly. When I give into the feeling I'm often in a dull stupor for most of the day. Why? hormones out of balance? still tired? rough dreams? I don't know, but the results of Nature time is balance, recharge and gratitude! I would stop because I've been well trained to think safety first. I would change jobs otherwise I would be living in conflict with myself constantly. I would, out of respect for our relationship, approach my friend and let him/her know that I am aware of what they are doing. Based on their response to resolving the situation it would then leave it open for me to report if necessary. How I found this program was through a book titled All My Relations by a PhD graduate from this program. It fell off a shelf at my feet and I picked it up and the page that it opened at was a chapter that reflected on no names. I was hooked! I have had a sense that names reduce the wholeness of our individual expressions and limit our experience by our prejudices. I saw trees, squirrels, pine cones, sun, shadow, earth, bark, charred wood. For tree I did: who? home what? grounded when? eternal why? life support how? creators gift 1. I learned that I have a deep affinity for trees 2. I learned that I am the wrangler in my own world now as I am influenced by what others think. I can now pay attention to my resistance and move through to freedom. 3. I learned that we have manipulated the animals in our personal lives to fit our needs and comfort. 1. I'm a person who feels awesome and grateful for the opportunity to spend quality time with a grove of ancient Sequoias. Again it's like coming Home! 2. I'm a person who feels alive and connected moments after I leave my home to walk, pray, or play. 3. I'm a person who appreciates cool weather, the beginning of leaves changing and the comfort of small communities. I would feel manipulated/wrangled to have my ability to experience these G/G feelings taken away. This chapter opened me to more of the insidious ways that the system sets us up to shut down. I'm grateful to recognize my personal wrangler as it has enhanced my sense of self worth and my trust in NIAL. With gratitude for having you in my world, ^^^ "Nature is the unseen intelligence that loves us into being." Elbert Hubbard Like our poet said, I love the created because of the creator! (creator is the love of NIALs)… When I am low in moods, I say to myself, "but you are so loved that God has created you, so you are valuable, you must keep your chin up!"…. yes the unseen intelligens loves us into being. Loves all the beings not only humans. When I feel this love looking into the grass, hearing the birds singing, watching the ants carry foodstuffs bigger than themselves. This unseen intelligence is the source of my joy in life. ^^^ I engaged in this activity twice this week. I felt incomplete (which in retrospect was only the desire for more time)after my first contact in the Forest of Galena Creek outside of Reno so repeated the activity again at the Taylor Creek Watershed and the spawning Kokanee Salmon. Before each activity I respectfully asked permission of the Natural World to commune with my webstring relative that they may teach me what I need to know in my journey as an Evolving Loving Human Relative.The familiar Breeze signaled recognition and beckoning. During the first communion I walked into the Forest alone. I suspended labels and stories as I moved slowly soaking sensory data...without names all that remained was the buzz if "Isness" punctuated by faint and sharper tones, rumbles and chirps, shifting light and dark, hard, soft, vibrant, pliant, dry, crisp, movement and stillness all cohabiting the moment of NOW in perfect Peace and Harmony. I caught myself in the beginnings of a story about my experience then remembered to say IS...IS...IS...melting back into the "Isness". The second communion at Taylor Creek and the Kokanee was in contrast a sensory kaleidoscope. This time I was with Pete and many other people all coming to see the spawning salmon...talking, questioning, misinterpreting,electronically documenting,STORIES...STORIES...I imagined myself an alien in this place for the first time. I became aware of the contrast and similarity of the organisms in the moving fluid(water) and on the solid surface(land). They both clustered and moved in groups, pairs, some were vibrant in health and others at the end of their life cycle. The organisms in the fluid began to turn a mottled white, the land organisms displayed the same appearance on their heads and faces. 1)I prefer enjoying natural experiences with people who come as humble learners and relatives rather than talkative tourist/curiosity seekers. 2)I observed that people seek nature's wonders yet do not seem to have a context in which to integrate these experiences into their personal lives. (trash and cigarette butts on the trail, etc.) 3)Quiet listening and observing, sitting as a relative in the Circle of Creation, is a valuable, natural teaching method for bringing us into syncopation with the harmonious community of Nature. 1) My experience in Forests shows me that I am a person who gets good feelings from being in the community of tall trees and large boulders. 2) My experience with the spawning Kokanee Salmon shows me I'm a person who can enjoyably be taught and inspired by nature. 3) I love the feeling of coming Home when I'm in ANY natural area, forest,river,desert, mountain, watershed. This activity, especially the one completed with the throngs of people heightened my desire to teach/share RWN and increased my confidence in the methodology and discipline of Ecopsychology. Which authority or person, if any, does this activity identify or re-educate inside or outside you? This activity re-educated the New Brain story of the person within who was afraid to trust the simplicity of Nature's Healing Power reconnected to the Old Brain as a remedy for everyone, not just my own self-delusion. ^^^ What a lovely experience for the Earth energy... I work with healing touch...and it is loving and similar to what you speak of...the vibrations from your feet. I did this experience with a few ladies that I know at the botanical garden... I feel lucky to experience the feelings of energy from all the Earth elements around me...I feel more alive with respect to sounds, touch, and energy...I am more aware of taste of the air and the smell of the water...At one point I reached down into the pond with running stream in it and the water was beautifully scented and so sweet smelling I never thought the water could have such a perfumed smell.. I could hear the wings of a dragonfly flying back and forth guarding their territory over the water. The sun was shinning yet the it changed temperature on my skin as the sky changed with cloud cover. A butterfly kissed my forehead during the walk along the water side...near a large weeping willow tree...It left pollen on my head...amazing...I kept it in a little plastic bag to remember this time and day. As it was happening I thought I could almost hear the butterfly wings coming to me and around me...the birds were singing too...but the oddity of the butterfly was so strong... If I could not feel the Earth energy, or the living things around me, I think I would be dead. The vibrations from living and non living Earth elements come to all of us differently but now I find comfort in them, a type of serenity that never was, even though I felt I was a Nature activist. The Earth energy has helped me balance my life and each day I embrace what the next day has in this way, I am making a catalogue so to speak of my senses and the the experiences that flow from them interacting with the elements. It is a type of emancipation from commercial destruction. If everyone realized that this kind of freedom existed for each one of us..it makes me wonder...would they continue to destroy? or would they demand to participate in the freedom it provides us with. ^^^ I enjoyed your reflections on what this has meant to you. I understand how you feel ~ and liked this ~ kindness is a really precious quality : "Being in, with and a part of nature has helped me see, hear and feel on a higher level. Small acts of 'kindness' toward the environment have far reaching effects bettering the planet and also improves self worth." I'm really sorry you have not found receptiveness in the healing environment around you. "I find that even in an environment where individuals have the same goals (ie healing) people are very close minded in this region. Reiki, acupuncture, massage, holistic healing, Project Nature Connect may as well be lumped together with voodoo, snake charming and satanism." I urge you to not be discouraged. Sometimes the best we can do is to be an example of that which we believe in, to let our life speak for us as a reflection of our beliefs and that which we wish to teach and awaken in others ~ in essence, "walking our talk" ... sometimes others may need to begin with baby steps even though it all lies within them and has been with them all along ... sometimes you may get a small opening or an opportunity with a person's life circumstance that allows you to introduce something they might have rejected earlier ....sometimes change takes place like a tidal wave, or in the blink of an eye, or as baby steps ... but change we do ... I wish you lots of creative energy on your path as you are " hoping to make counseling using Project Nature Connect a career." A community of like-minded people is important to find support and to learn with .... "I have learned the importance of community and have begun to gravitate toward those individuals and groups with the same focus and ideals as mine in regard to nature and healing." It's wonderful to find shared growth and acceptance of ideas among like-minded people ~ and the challenge for us all is to find ways to reach out to others who are not yet "like-minded" ~ ways to awaken others ~ to help them reconnect with nature ~ ways to open new eyes to the healing ways of nature around and within them ~ ways which help all of us to heal and care for one another and our good friend and companion, Earth. ^^^ Thank you all so much for the love that binds, the collective exploration and your naturally big hearts :) I cant believe its alsmost over too - although really, it has just begun.You are awesome and if the universe would place a crossroad in our paths I would be grateful to feel your presence and breath across the air between us- :-) For this activity I went back to a very special place for the third time. It was the place where a Maori medicine man had taken me to teach me the ways of the Earth and to help me find myself. I felt on edge in the morning, and have been pondering my life path and asking questions around my truth and my minds stories. I went to this special place, hidden away from most peoples knowledge, requested consent, recieved it, and began climbing up the stream. I found a spot where the sun touched a lichen spotted stone, flat and smooth like an animals skin. I sat there and joined with the light dancing on the stones siding the stream, felt the flow of the life blood pouring through her crevice and my eye caught a gentle pale stone resting itself upon another. I experienced peace within its quiet grace and noticed the play of fire, water, earth and wind around her. When I imagined this quiet grace and magical dance in the mind of human, being the generative space from which our lives flow, I felt at ease. God, if this was possible we would know heaven. Before I did this activity I asked the space if to work with Earth and spirit, to be a space of connection for others to assist in finding their own was my truth and part of the gift I carry in this life. So, I approaced this soft stone that so caught my being not knowing it would be my answer, and when I touched it all the tension I knew melted away, instant ease, it looked as if the water and time has carressed a curve into its side, fitting it perfectly into the slate stone that lined the stream. I touched it and thought clearly and gently, "it fits perfectly". And I knew. This gentle grace is me. Go well my friends, I will not likely be in acess to the internet for a while but upon my return I will respond to your beautiful posts. Thank you! abundance and love to you all! ^^^ I asked my husband to help me and as he walked me through our backyard, following was what I experienced: When the leaves touched my face, it felt like the hand of Love gently caressed my face. The feeling was of a natural exchange of love between Mother Nature and me. I don‚t ever remember experiencing support from Mother Earth the way I felt it through the blind folded experience. She was supporting me to walk, she was holding me and was exchanging energy with my legs, (I felt sensations vibrating through my feet and moving up my legs) now how crazy does this sound or really how sane does this sound? There is abundance of support, nurturance and love from Mother Nature and yet we seldom take the time to experience and enjoy that connection∑ I felt a little sad that we have moved away from our own Nature, this was a beautiful reminder of the grand relationship we have all around us. ^^^ Hi Linda, thank you for the thoughtfulness of this post. It prompts me to share, just briefly, the significant changes happening in my life synchronously with having taken the PNC courses. I am closing my one room village office and splitting my business in roughly two parts. Instead of the generic 'management services' that I coined initially, because it sounded better than 'anything for a buck', I am starting a holistic modality cooperative working with a local lady that is like minded. She opened a hair salon that also has other rooms and wings in the building. The vision is for it to be a gathering place and a center for holistic healing. She has had trouble renting the rooms to individual practitioners, so we are going to work together to make this the home for the coop. It will also become my consultation space where I can apply PNC/RWN, as well as other life coaching/emotional healing/sustainability counseling approaches. This is something that has simply emerged from three years of following a path whose destination I know not. PNC has clearly influenced my ability to flow with emerging opportunities. I wish you the same as they will surely emerge for you, too. The other part of my business will move back into a home office - it represents the stronger 'monetary' component right now, including this rather large client that wants me to become an employee (that I've written about before). That situation hasn't resolved yet (and it needn't) - but I'm happy to work when I can for them at a rate that reflects my more rational 'credentials' as an engineer. This part's not that important to share, and I hope this doesn't come off as self-absorbed, but I wanted to share with you this: that I realized for me anyway, I needed to allow myself to be in a place of great uncertainty for quite some time. I'm so glad I did! We are wrangled to want instant answers, yet it seems the element of time works against a process of developing an understanding of our own truths. PNC's message of attractions is so important. Those that are not receptive typically are not attractive, but others will be and they will be attracted to you too! Enjoy it! "Our lessons and activities... have helped open a door in seeing who I really am..." ^^^ I was assisted by my partner for this activity. We went to a familiar area near our home. I was thinking about how my senses might be increased once the blindfold was in place, and hoping that I might discover something I had overlooked before. Immediately I noticed that my hearing was more sensitive. I could hear the leaves laughing in the wind and the birds calling out to one another in play. I felt the sunshine on my head, and as I was appreciating the warmth, I began to sense the warmth slowly move down from my head to the rest of my body. It felt like a bowl of warm honey was being poured over me. My movement was slow and deliberate, I wanted to feel the bark on the trees. It seemed like I was reading nature's signature. My hands wanted to understand what I was feeling. I asked the tree I was touching if it would share its intelligence with me. Although I am not a musician and I do not know how to read music, in my mind, I was feeling and imagining that what I was feeling was like written music. It was so curious to me. I asked my partner if he would leave me alone for awhile... though not go too far away... so that I could have some time alone with the tree. I don't know what it was I wanted to hear, but I felt an emptyness that yearned for fullfillment. Just then, sadly, I heard a screaming roar from the skies.........I didn't know it immediately, but soon found out that the Blue Angels were performing for San Francisco's Fleet Week. The sounds of the planes was such a contrast to the sounds of nature... it was a remarkable transformation. I felt for the sense of music again on the bark of the tree, but it was lost. I did feel vibrations that seemed to be resisting the sounds coming from the planes in the sky. The activity ended on this note, but the experience of "feeling music" was still very real to me and I hope to try this activity again soon. ^^^ So this morning, intent on getting this done and really needing it, I headed out to the back yard to reconnect to my source. As I entered my garden and asked permission, I felt the acceptance I always feel in this part of the yard. It is almost like I am walking amongst my children. I stopped here and as instructed to do in the exercise, just experienced. After a bit I headed out to where the rest of the yard is and sat in a chair looking out over the yard and the wooded wetlands beyond. While I still felt tired I felt at ease and comfortable. I was struck by how everything sparkled as the morning sun reflected off the rain soaked leaves. Looking out I saw hundreds of spider web strands connecting the trees and plants. I was taken by the variety of shapes and sizes of the plants around me, from the bamboo to the palmetto, the ivy, the oaks and the grass, all green and shining, all different yet somehow all the same. I then looked up and was struck by the blueness of the sky. About this time I was treated to the movement of everything as a gust of wind shook the water from the leaves of the trees and caused the trees and plants to dance in the wind. About this time a cardinal showed up with its redness a dramatic contrast to the green and a squirrel began chattering. About this time I realized how much more centered I had become and while the rest of the morning was not as peaceful, I found I was thankful for my half hour of rejuvenation. The quote that spoke to me in the reading. Can sanity truly be defined by Western civilization? 1) Words cannot fully describe what we see, sense, feel and experience 2) Release the need to always label 3) The impact that stories that conflict with our nature can have on ourselves and our world if they are out of alignment 3. Three G/G statements. a. By following your attractions your path will be revealed b. While everything may look and feel different, there is a connection we all share c. Life’s symphony can soothe even the most disconnected soul 4. How would you feel having your ability to experience this G/G taken away? Less sane. 5. Does this activity enhance your sense of self-worth? Your trustfulness of NIAL and NIALS? As I connected with nature I found myself disconnecting from my self developed problems 6. Which authority or person, if any, does this activity identify or re-educate inside or outside you? This activity re-educated that part of me that needs to know the how and the why all the time. ^^^ That airplanes (and all manner of manmade things) are of this world, so I might be open to the intention of finding right perspective for these things too. As I read your comments about the earth, scarring her, taking her for granted, I feel remorse over the great upheaval we have authorized in our yard. Lately I have been singing the song ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ while strumming along on the guitar. We have exactly that in our yard – a big yellow bulldozer - commissioned to help solve a water-in-the-basement issue, as well as indulging ourselves in some thought-to-be overdue landscaping. In the end, we will remove much macadam and replace with simpler gravel. We will also remove ugly overhead wires and put them underground. But in the mean time, we have rent the good earth open, and your post reminds me: keep working at right perspective. There are no easy answers, for me, here. I will, though, go home and fall to the ground and remember to thank it, to feel its support, to commune with it now, through its upheaval, and in expectation of the healing and wholeness that will come – from hopefully the greater integrity we are striving for by making our home beautiful and more energy efficient, easier on the land, and an even better home base from which we can expand our efforts to heal ourselves, our community, the world and the Earth. Thank you for reminding me… ^^^ It seems to me that there might be some confusion over natural cycles of heating and cooling that ecosystems and organisms can, for the most part, adapt to, and the historically unprecedented changes, outside of natural variability, that humans are causing through sprawl, consumption, and waste. Because the fact of the matter is that humans can indeed, and at this point in history are in fact, the only blameworthy creature for the impending demise of the web. No other species or natural process is creating tens of thousands of unnatural toxic chemicals to dump into the biosphere, clear cutting the rainforests for monocropped agrofuel plantations or cattle grazing, and removing the tops off of mountains to obtain the dirtiest possible fuel source in order to power factories that produce stuff we neither need nor that produce lasting happiness or fulfillment. Now, we humans could, by making a conscious decision, decide to begin thinking and acting the way that nature works, which would be perfectly natural. But it seems that humans are the only organism capable of working against the creative, nurturing direction of life, and have perfected this contrariness to high art so that it is no longer seen for what it is -- suicidal tendencies. Unfortunately, we're taking the rest of the web down with us. ^^^ The crisp chill of the autumn air in its gentle breezes felt soaked in by this tree standing tall. It appeared to be making non-verbal statements it taught me to stand tall and reach for the sky at a time my heart is deeply wounded. The tree expressed both relationships to its surroundings and independence from them. The unnatural city buildings blocked part of the breeze, but it found other sources. It felt determined to hold onto its leaves and remain green into the autumn. I have my own dark season ahead and am learning to stand strong while also being willing to shed m attachments and be willing to lose everything. This tree is not worried about its impending loss and is not fighting the cold and air movement. It remains unfazed and resilient without even trying to be. My emotions feel like they are bonding with the tree as I long to become aligned with it. I feel that it has no sense of time and duty it simply lets go and exists. As I hear the rustling of the leaves it is a gentle reminder that nature has a delicate hold on its protective layer, and we can trust it to regenerate. The trunk of the tree informs my spine that it is protected by braches that take in sunlight and warmth. My trunk was recently injured and the tree offers a holistic example of the need to take care of my own spine with stretching, safety, and balance. The tree also is sharing its independence with me. At a time I feel the need to be comforted and nurtured, the tree reminds me I cannot lean too heavily on others right now. I instead draw strength from its independent spirit and open communication to the other natural forces surrounding it. ^^^ I crossed into a grove of trees this past weekend that was a fall panorama of green, yellow, orange, and bright red. The vibrancy of the colors was spectacular and was a vivid reminder of the seasons changing. - I am attracted to this grove of trees because the colors are very pleasing to my eyes. - I love myself because my colors are pleasing to others when I am preparing for change and shedding my attachments. - Indoor habitation is not natural. We have artificial comforts that do not sustain our souls, and instead need to maximize nature time. The attraction to fall colors is deep and unrelenting. The beauty of the leaves are offerings that are also bellweathers of the approachi winter. Traumatic separation of trees is a violent and emotional disturbance that diminishes the perpetrators and the victims. ^^^ I went to the Cove with Derik and our dog Lester the three of us were looking for attractions and did not follow the regular walking route we normally take. At one point we stopped underneath a tree and we both looked at each other to see where we were thinking of going I felt a pull towards the dock and without saying a word I looked at Derik to see where he wanted to head and to my surprise he said the dock I smiled and skipped and we began to walk by the boats we visited the dock and on the way met some wonderful people and trees we stood by the water taking it in and then began to walk back from the opposite direction we both were attracted to this huge tree and we decided to visit the tree by asking permission the tree stood there in embrace with herself meaning it had two heavy trunks and were standing as though in a loving embrace! Both Derik and I stood there in total awe and we gave each other a long hug we felt the love from the tree in our hearts and around us. The connection with mother-nature together made our love even more beautiful and pure. What I learned 1. The more we connect together the more appreciation we have for each other 2. Nature is within each one of us and we too can love each other like nature loves her surroundings and everything in it 3. Without Nature, we would cease to live, literally speaking G/G 1. I love myself as I am nature 2. I love my husband as he is nature 3. I love my dog as he is nature Nature and I are inseparable and cannot be taken away from each other it is our nature to experience nature Yes, this activity makes me feel beautiful inside out even though I am having a stomach ache, I feel wonderful and fully alive. Yes all things are connected the beast, the man and all are one. ^^^ Friday. "I am attracted to sitting under the shed overhang watching the rain because I can be with the rain and green colors and all its beauty of color and sound and mist and wind and feel cozy and peaceful and quiet." "I am attracted to myself because I can be natural and down to earth and also be cozy and peaceful and quiet." Saturday. " I like the way the red colors touches the leaves of the trees along the tops or tips of the branches so sweetly." "I like myself because I carry things so sweetly." Sunday. "I appreciate the simplicity and integrity of the wild lamb's quarters herb with some rain drops on its multi branched form drooping over in the mist and sunshine." "I appreciate my simplicity and integrity as I go about my daily progress in life with the elements." Monday. " I see as worthwhile a little bit of blue vetch in a cluster of green grasses, the worthiness of it shone clear for me - something to do with respect for the land, recognizing the beauty of land." "I am worthwhile because I recognize the blue vetch and the green grass are the respect and beauty of the land and myself." Tuesday. "What is good is the air and the breathing of Earth with its resting and mindfulness." "I am good because I have breath and awareness of breath and can rest with my breath." Thursday. "What is right is that with the beautiful foliage, the sunshine with clouds and raindrops, the birds and this wonderful big patch of fragrant coriander, there is a sensation of contentment or happiness of everything, a gentle fullness of the mind." "I am right because with all the elements of NIAL around me, I sense great happiness and gentle fullness of the mind." Saturday. " I love the nameless intelligence of Nature that is aware of what needs to be done and when to rest and so much more." " I love my nameless intelligence of Nature that is aware of what needs to be done and when to rest and so much more." 3 things I learned from this activity 1. I have a tendency to underestimate myself 2. I underestimate myself when I don't correlate myself with Nature 3. This is a wonderful exercise to expand our small selves 3 g/g statements 1. When I did these small searches every day, I was so happy to do each one. 2. Nature is ready made to help us with good feelings about ourselves. 3. Nature always lends a sympathetic ear. I would be pretty desolate without these exercises. I know my confidence level has gone up like a rocket. Thank you all for listening, ^^^ The hotter molecules of the surface of my flesh collided with cooler molecules of the warm water. By conduction, molecular kinetic energy flowed from the surface of my hotter hand into the cooler water. Almost simultaneously, the warm water molecules collided with the cold molecules of my cooler hand. In this case molecular kinetic energy was transported by conduction from the warm water to my cold hand (Bueche, 1977, p. 302). Loosely stated, the water and I were basically living energy within the same system. The webstrings of this system, as universal webstrings, are not apparent to the uninitiated eye. In this water experiment energy flowed via conduction along the webstrings of a temporary system. Momentarily, the water and I were sharing life’s system of constant transfer and nature’s consistency of sharing secrets of seeking equilibrium and safety. For purposes of 9-leg story telling, suppose nature’s womb is ideally warm. The entire system requires a delicate, yet dynamic exchange of heat energy form very cold and very hot materials. When humans interrupt, disrupt, and corrupt this delicate, dynamic organism named Earth, she is driven to extremes and therefore susceptible to chills and fever. Another lesson may be offered for relating to others (and self) in far more potentially effective ways of (getting through to) manifesting global respect and care of webstring reality. The closer we, the nature partner students, are in temperament (temperature of enthusiasm=energy of God within) to the industrial society brainwashed indoor dwellers, the less painful and uncomfortable the beneficial flow toward healthy equilibrium. However, the longer the time period humanity remains in denial by believing that warm and comfortable is achieved by simultaneously sticking its feet in the fire and its head in the freezer the sooner most will remain removed from nature, indoors, on the couch staring at television unable to use brain or foot. Now is the time to extend warm, appropriate welcome to those in denial to begin enjoying natural senses and sensitivities rather than escaping indoors. ^^^ Being with nature and enjoying the wonders of it has always been a part of my life and I am grateful for this gift. I strive daily to incorporate some aspect of nature into my life to make it more enjoyable by lessening the stresses in my life. Our lessons and activities though sometimes trying have helped open a door in seeing who I really am and understanding my inner self. As Joie said in her own chapter, the statement that begins "I am a person who..." has helped measure and define ME and what I wish to accomplish. Being in, with and a part of nature has helped me see, hear and feel on a higher level. Small acts of 'kindness' toward the environment have far reaching effects bettering the planet and also improves self worth. Professionally, I find it very difficult to express what I have learned and used in my life to help others that are not receptive. I find that even in an environment where individuals have the same goals (ie healing) people are very close minded in this region. Reiki, acupuncture, massage, holistic healing, Project Nature Connect may as well be lumped together with voodoo, snake charming and satanism. This will be one obstacle to overcome as I move forward and continue on, hoping to make counseling using Project Nature Connect a career. I am a person who normally wishes to isolate herself and be a proverbial 'island'. Through this course however, I have learned the importance of community and have begun to gravitate toward those individuals and groups with the same focus and ideals as mine in regard to nature and healing. My self-worth and confidence has been strengthened by feeling that what I am doing and accomplishing is affirmed and valid. I have enjoyed working with all of you and the experience has been an extremely beneficial one. |
|
