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Archive for the ‘Nature’ Category

Be in Nature

Posted in Nature, tagged , , , on July 25, 2013| 9 Comments »

Nature is constantly singing to you in the language of your soul. She is humming an ancient melody that will stir your joy within. And when you listen to her song, you will feel healing take over your being. You will come back to life, so much so that you can barely contain it! That is when you remember how infinite you have always been.

 

God’s World by Edna St. Vincent Milllay

 

O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!

Thy winds, thy wide grey skies!

Thy mists, that roll and rise!

Thy woods, this autumn day, that ache and sag

And all but cry with colour! That gaunt crag

To crush! To lift the lean of that black bluff!

World, World, I cannot get thee close enough!

 

Long have I known a glory in it all,

But never knew I this;

Here such a passion is

As stretcheth me apart, –Lord, I do fear

Thou’st made the world too beautiful this year;

My soul is all but out of me, –let fall

No burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call

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Let Beauty Guide You

Posted in Nature, tagged , , , on December 4, 2012| 8 Comments »

Beauty is a divine guide to steer by. It shows us how to create a harmonious world. When we create with beauty and insist upon it in our lives, we see that beauty has always been integral to us.

I think that we are each here at this time to bring beauty back to humanity in our uniquely special ways. I know for certain that my personal mission is to show people the emotional beauty that is already in them, that always goes back to the spiritual. Of course, beauty can seem silly because we have been taught that it’s not important. We have been trained to resist beauty, to avoid looking it in the face, and to even to suspect it of deception. We have been told to be clever instead and to mask how we really feel. But when we resist beauty’s call, we lose our very selves.

Humanity has forgotten so much beauty, and so we have forgotten ourselves. We have created ugliness instead, and so we have greatly suffered. So often, too, we have let others tell us what is beautiful, even when it is not. We haven’t listened to what moves us to the core, and so we’ve confused beauty with artifice that has no lasting value.

If you look closely, you will notice just how well we have all been trained to uphold what is trendy and fashionable – to fixate on celebrity, royalty, and society, and to admire exclusivity. The very hierarchy that harms us has been made to seem desirable. It goes without saying that this is not beauty. 

I have always felt that our modern world is lacking beauty, and this feels incredibly jarring. Since I was a child, I’ve noticed that so much of what humanity creates is ugly, wasteful, and depleted. It feels painful to see the endless waste, to see the ground robbed of trees and ripped open, the sky filled with toxic smoke, and the land covered in barren asphalt and concrete. It is bewildering to me that humankind can render places completely devoid of life – places that once sang with the beauty of nature.

We have destroyed our very home by letting our egos take over with short-term greed. We have devalued beauty and sold it quickly at perilous cost. 

Beauty is calling out to humanity, if only we will listen. We must realize that we are responsible for what we create, and that creating with beauty resonates with the soul.

Beauty sparks our greatest passions and reminds us of the exquisite creativity that we are capable of – the one-of-a-kind talents we have each brought to this earth. And when we give in to the creative flow of beauty, we find our beautiful selves again. We get back to the innocence inside – that pure, unaffected, uncalculating, and unpretentious source within all life; our spiritual beauty beyond compare.

Right now, we are being given giant opportunities to open ourselves up to spiritual beauty so we can emerge as upgraded human beings. If you haven’t already done so, open yourself up to the energies of transformation that are flooding our planet and allow them to bring out the exquisite beauty in you. Allow yourself to fully feel the emotions that beauty stirs up, whether from a haunting piece of music, a romantic poem, or the kindness of a human being. Let yourself be moved by the sublime, the poetic and the profound, and love this feeling with all of your heart!

And let yourself be moved by nature most of all because it holds the most healing beauty. Have you ever noticed the tremendous peace that being in nature can bring? This is because nature doesn’t judge. It encompasses all-accepting unconditional love. This is your essence too. So let the beauty of nature show you your authentic self that is forever loving and uniquely gorgeous with light. Let it whisper the sublime truth that opens your heart to how divinely beautiful you are.

 

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What’s in a Name?

Posted in Being, Nature, Present, Self on May 8, 2012| 8 Comments »

How quickly we try to name that which is unnamable. How swiftly we define deep beauty that was never meant to be contained. There is so much magic that we fail to notice because we have categorized it as commonplace. Even the human personality is confining to the soul.

Naming anything limits it. When we name something, we box it in and call it familiar. We don’t see all that is so spectacular and what is really there.

Humankind was given the ability to name everything, but so often we use this gift to own rather than to nurture. The reverence and responsibility that were supposed to go hand in hand with naming have been forgotten along the way. Even the naturalists who championed nature became a part of conquest. Their scientific names took over, forsaking the beauty and mystery of the natural world.

Our dear friend and author James Barrett recently gave me a copy of Adyashanti’s “Falling into Grace,” and I love what it says about naming the animals around us. Adyashanti writes, “as soon as we name {a bird}, we think we know what it is. We see “bird,” and we almost discount it.” He explains that we don’t see the magic of this magnificent being taking flight across the sky. In missing this magic, we cheat ourselves out of exquisite experiences all around. We think that we already know, but we haven’t even begun to look.

Naming anything creates separation. As Shakespeare’s Juliet declared: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Juliet was referring to the name of her family’s enemy, and so often in life, we give far too much credence to names of separation. Let us instead look at the bigger picture, and at each being who, whether they know it or not, already embodies spiritual love.

This is why it’s so incredibly difficult to name a baby. How can we define someone who has come directly from the heavens and become our very universe? You yourself are so spectacular, and so much more than how you’ve ever been defined.

Right now, think of yourself without a name. Close your eyes and sense how immense you really are, far beyond anything you’ve ever been taught. Feel how far you truly extend beyond your body. Indeed, you have no limits. You are not separate from anything or anyone, but are intrinsically connected to all. You are an essential part of us.

Open wide to the magic of you, and to the world all around us. Try to look at everyone and everything that you encounter during the day without names. Rediscover our world and ourselves, and see the divine mystery that lives in all things.

You see, humanity is moving away from the left brain that categorizes experience. We are growing towards simply being in the present moment where we remember that we are love. This love is so immense and integral to the soul, and just like you, it is far too infinite to have a name.

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Nature

Posted in Nature, tagged on April 17, 2012| 7 Comments »

Nature has been such an essential part of my spiritual journey. The more time that I spend outside, the more that my awakening opens wide. I feel an instant kind of healing and the deepest connection to all life.

Nature soothes so perfectly amidst our modern daze. Be in its tranquility often, and know that you are part of this supreme beauty. You are not separate from Nature. In fact, you wither without it. You need this vital energy of life and aren’t meant to be kept indoors with artificial light.

Nature is calling you to partake in all that you naturally know but have somehow lost along the way.

Right now, our Earth is ascending to a higher dimension, and so are we. Spiritual teacher Mary Lane writes that Mother Earth can be a personal guide through this process: “We are going through the same journey of transformation as the Earth. If we follow her lead, utilize her energy, and live in sync, our journey becomes much easier.”

Mother Earth shows us the way. She sustains us with systems of balance that create harmony. Nature reminds us of our own natural rhythms and cycles, and Ascension is the most dramatic of these.

If you pause to give Mother Earth your love, and then wait and listen, you will receive her love in return. This is one of the best things that you can do for both yourself and our Earth right now.

Of course, our Earth sustains the Animal Kingdom. How we treat the beautiful animals who have agreed to give us so much of themselves is crucial. We must thank them from our hearts and recognize the sacred exchanges that they give through love, beauty, loyalty, and of course (if you are not a vegetarian) food. This is one of the most heart-wrenching ways of giving that one can even imagine, and so often we don’t even pause to acknowledge it. We must thank the animals for this incredible gift of “service.” This is all that they ask in return.

Animals are connected to the divine in direct ways that mystify the left brain, and they have so much to teach us. Let us value them as highly as they deserve.

The number one absolute law of our blessed universe is to value the sanctity of all life, because we are all one at heart. This is where we have gone astray. Our break from the natural world has created disastrous problems, and this divorce has affected us at all levels. Humanity has been led by those in the dark who will do anything for egoic power. They have not valued life, and this has caused tremendous suffering.

It is time for us to remember our spiritual power and to uphold this most sacred law again. Mother Earth has put up with so much darkness from us, but in spite of man-made disasters and violations, she shelters us still. Let us feel tremendous gratitude for her in our hearts and wake up to do our part. Let us honor our Earth and raise ourselves up like golden light upon the dawn.

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Materialism

Posted in Nature, Shadow, tagged , , , , on September 18, 2011| 6 Comments »

More and more, I am seeing that detaching from materialism is vital to humanity’s evolution. Materialism is a symptom of our disconnect from ourselves and from nature, and it defines the world through limitation – that things must be proven in order to be believed. We are taught to rely on the five senses which perceive only 1% of the greater spiritual reality. We are made to feel foolish if we believe otherwise.

Materialism gives our power away by putting tremendous worth into objects that are outside of ourselves, instead of the truth within each of us. Our rules and possessions sneakily become our identity, and we use them to feed the ego.

The Gospel of Mary Magdalene advises, “Attachment to matter gives rise to passion against nature. Thus trouble arises in the whole body,” and this seems to sum up exactly what humanity is experiencing. In modern society, those of us at the “top” acquire far more than is needed. This creates disastrous imbalance.

Director Tom Shadyac illuminates this concept in his film “I Am.” He tells the story of a healthy tribe of people who take care of each other and live harmoniously. In this tribe, everyone’s needs are met. Suddenly, one of the strongest hunters starts hoarding his kill, and this spirals as more hunters do the same. Balance becomes lost and the “weak” are no longer cared for. Life becomes a contest of winning and acquiring in perpetual, frantic cycle, while others suffer in neglect. We are that tribe.

With hoarding comes a lack of concern for all else. We need only look at how we’ve treated our earth and each other for proof. We have gone against our home, our neighbors, and ourselves, and called it progress.

Greed has been taught to us by those at the absolute top because it feeds them. It has been sold to look glamorous, successful, and desirable. We have become distracted and imbalanced by money in this rat race that runs up and down the ladder.

But I don’t want to blame any more. I want to face this disease that I too am a part of and heal. And of course, I don’t want to overlook the unhappiness that comes from a lack of necessities. With gratitude, I recognize the incredible comforts and freeing abundance I have been blessed to experience in this life. But what my soul seeks more and more is healthy material detachment coupled with conscientious behavior. I believe that things are meant to be enjoyed and are part of fully experiencing life, but not at the expense of others. We each deserve generosity, beauty, and even luxury, but not of an elitist nature.

Elitism is born out of fear ,and it keeps us in materialism. We are afraid that we’re not worthy, successful or good enough – that we are nothing without our stuff and that can’t live without it. And so, we overcompensate through exclusivity. Our things then feed us like a numbing medicine or a fleeting buzz, and they become addictive.

Although material attachment can bring a sense of safety, in the words of the poet Tagore, all that we really accomplish is “my little hoard gleaned through the years.” It is time to put the stuff down and get reconnected to who we really are. Within the problem lies the solution, for when we let go of our physical attachments, we heal and see our true selves. When we shed our cocoons of baggage, we find that we were in fact born to fly.

Humanity is at a crossroads. Will we choose harmony or trinkets? The more liberating choice comes naturally when we reconnect with our spiritual selves and with nature.

The Mayan Elders implore us to restore balance to our world, and I think that we can start by not buying things that harm and choosing alternatives that help. But we must push ourselves to do far more than this. We must strive to take care of all human beings. We must recreate balanced systems to live by and seek creative innovations. It is time to detach from the materialism that has bound us so tightly. This giant step will help us to welcome our spiritual metamorphosis.

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Earth

Posted in Nature on April 17, 2011| 5 Comments »

To me, Nature is the key to the spiritual. I feel a deeper connection to my soul just by spending time outside. In nature, I remember what it is like to be present. I regain the lighthearted joy of childhood and feel unconditional acceptance. It is as though each green leaf tells me that I am an integral part of creation.

Our planet sustains the natural beauty that we experience and our very selves. It does so with a life-force from its core. Indeed, our Earth is alive and embodies ancient wisdom that most of us have lost. Because we have spiritually, collectively fallen asleep.

Indigenous cultures call our planet “Mother Earth,” and they communicate with her in the most magical of ways. Earth is their personal guide as they tap into the miracles of the universe. They enjoy incredible, benevolent power that we can only begin to imagine. We are also meant to know this inherent power and this relationship, and our world opens up when we rediscover them.

We must thank our Earth for all that she gives us instead of taking her for granted. I have learned a simple yet powerful meditation that you can do outside. You begin by connecting to Mother Earth. Visualize your “roots” going far down into the ground, and then send Mother Earth your love. After a little while you will feel her love in return, and it is powerfully moving. You may even receive some comforting advice.

Another simple exercise is to walk outside and say the following, one syllable for every step on the ground: “Thank you Mother Earth.” I say these words with gratitude in my heart, and then I feel a strong connection to all life. This has forever changed me. You see, when we feel love for our Earth, we can receive her love in return. This incredible experience inspires us to finally protect our collective home.

Mayan teacher Shonagh Home encourages us to do so one neighborhood at a time by eliminating dangerous chemicals and practicing organic living. We can make a cumulative difference and spread the word as we spiritually awaken. Protecting our earth is something that England’s Prince Charles also champions in his extraordinary book “Harmony.” And, while I’m not a fan of royal hierarchy, I think this work is truly a gift. It is spiritually minded, with a perspective on the environment that I find enlightening. To quote from Harmony: “The dominant world view only accepts as fact what it sees in material terms. We have come to function with a one-sided, materialistic approach that is defined not by its inclusiveness, but by its dismissal of those things that cannot be measured in material terms. Our predominantly mechanistic way of looking at the world has excluded our spiritual relationship with Nature.”

In essence, we have dismissed Nature. Harmony implores us to emulate Nature’s perfect and balanced cycles, so we can begin to restore the damage we have done to our earth, and to ourselves.

It’s encouraging to see the grass roots movement taking shape, inspiring us to live in more healthy and conscientious ways. It’s also heartening to know that we are finding incredible new technology to help with this endeavor. For example, as unbelievable as it might sound, we can rapidly reverse air pollution by creating waveform fields that transform molecules, something that’s already been tried successfully in major cities such as Denver. Spiritual teacher Drunvalo Melchizedek has been collaborating with scientists on this exciting project that will enable us to clean up our entire planet in a relatively short amount of time. To me, this restores hope and makes me want to roll up my sleeves instead of throwing in the towel (unthinkable!). There really are no limits to what we can do, and we can start by establishing a relationship with our Earth.

And it begins by simply saying ” Thank you.”

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Beauty

Posted in Being, Nature on March 27, 2011| 3 Comments »

“Beauty is the language of the divine,” writes Cheryl Richardson. It is a glorious expression of God. Beauty resides in a high, enlightened frequency that our soul knows so well. Because we come from a place of immense beauty.

Throughout my day, I try to focus on beauty whenever possible. I try to surround myself with it all the time. I go to Nature and smell the cool spring rain. I feel the warmth of golden sunlight on my skin. I share a beautiful conversation with someone.

Beauty resonates in my heart as truth. To me, it feels like home. I find beauty in the wide eyes of children, in the soft blush of pale roses, and in the ever-changing clouds of March. I live to be moved by beauty. I feel it when I see the moon and stars shining through the trees, when I listen to music that brings tears to my eyes, and when I hear the primal sound of the ocean. I marvel at the beauty humanity has created. And beauty is most poetic and profound in the earnest people around me.

Beauty is everywhere. To me, it is the harmonious embodiment of our light. Everything has this potential, and recognizing beauty helps us to recognize ourselves. It illuminates us and elevates our being. Noticing beauty is something that may not be valued in our modern world, but it is a divine and important practice. For when we notice beauty, we begin to live joyfully in the present moment. And when we appreciate beauty, we bring more into our lives.

Today, and every day, let us simply be in the company of beauty, and let it feed our souls.

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