Today’s world is filled with brilliant technological advancements, but it also harbors much suffering. There is no doubt that our current, fast-paced reality, which immerses us in a perpetual hum of machines, often takes us away from our natural rhythms. If we do not find the space to realign ourselves with our core vibration, we risk becoming “wired up” and disconnected from our true state of joy, peace and balance with the Earth. In this state, conditions like depression, hyperactivity and anxiety, as well as stress and its sequela, can flourish and take center stage.
Beyond the health benefits, being in nature helps us reconnect to our core. It helps us to maintain balance in a chaotic world while simultaneously finding a source of sustenance. Within nature, there are other civilizations of living beings — plants and animals — that support us and remind us that we are also children of the Earth.
The following are four steps we can follow to connect with our natural state of being:
• Kindling the Spirit — Passion is the magical ingredient that sparks our purpose alight. It is the catalyst that keeps our spirit locked into each opportunity that emerges to express and embody itself. It is the sacred fuel that powers the engine of our body vehicle as it becomes aligned with its unique mission at heart.
To ignite this passion, one can activate the element of FIRE. Basking in the smoldering rays of sunlight and cozying up near a fire are ways to enliven the cells of the body with the heat that can alchemize matter through creation or destruction.
• Quickening of Mind — Clear, rational thinking is essential to making well-balanced decisions, communicating with candor and arriving at much-needed solutions. Genius springs to life in the spaces in between thoughts, where the mind is a blank slate and the clouds part to reveal the bright blue skies of endless possibilities.
To calm the mind so it can receive and transmit information with coherence and integrity, one can enlist the element of AIR. Breathing in fresh, pure air can instantly slow down a raging thought process. Listening to the rustle of the leaves as they move in the wind and the melody of birds as they fly with freedom in their wings can help to steer one back into the present moment. It is with an open mind that we can communicate with greater presence and purpose.
• Flowing with Emotions — Emotional intelligence is the quality of being aware of emotions. It enhances interpersonal relationships. For it to thrive, one must be willing to be present with feelings as they arise and then let them go so new life can flow. Each day, there are moments of contraction and expansion such as happiness, sadness, delight or despair. These are both a cause and effect of the human condition.
To stay in balance with emotions, one can draw upon the element of WATER. Feeling the movements of water as it surrounds you in the wide, open sea can help refresh overworked senses and release heavy emotional baggage. The trickling sound of a waterfall can soothe an agitated, chaotic state.
• Embrace of Earth — A strong body is one that can withstand the rigors of the daily grind and be able to rebound in the face of hardships. It is a healthy physical form that is the vehicle through which one can express the fullness of one’s being. While your mind may visualize being in different places, your body can take you there physically to immerse yourself through your senses.
To stand strong, resilient and rooted in the ground beneath, one can engage the element of earth. Feeding the body with the fruits, herbs, vegetables and aromas of nature can provide much-needed nourishment, grounding and energy for living. Being in the presence of trees and flowers can bring blessings of positive vibrations and vitality through energetic entrainment.
In essence, nature provides a crystal-clear mirror by which we can peer into our own soul and remember its highest, purest expression in an often disconnected world.
