Spirit Speaks to Us through Nature

Most of us have felt that tug to spend time in nature....whether it was a call to the ocean, a hike through the mountains, working in the garden, or simply a longing to step outside during a break from work, to breathe in some fresh air and feel the sunshine. This stirring to be in nature leaves us with a sense of peace, of being grounded and centered. What is it about nature that has this effect on us? One primary factor is that nature is one of the ways that Higher Consciousness communicates with us, and at that deep level of essence, we are drawn to that call. And as we move into greater connection with Higher Consciousness, or our Higher Self, we begin to experience a sense of being more present, because in fact, we are!In our day to day busy-ness, we tend to all the demands outside of ourselves, the worldly demands, and we lose touch with our essence, who we truly are. Many times we are startled to realize that we have been so busy being a child, spouse, parent, worker, etc., that we have no idea what we like to do, what interests us, or even deeper, why we are here, in this life...on this Earth. We begin to ask the bigger questions of who am I? What am I doing with my life? Have I really made the most of my time here, as it seems to slip away faster and faster. This deeper quest to "Know Thyself", can actually begin in nature, and in fact, nature calls to our inner essence, through that desire to walk, run, play or simply "be" in it! And we are rewarded in this connection with a sense of peace, of expanded openness, and a feeling of being grounded and balanced. But that is only the beginning of the gifts!Being out in nature is ironically how we begin to reconnect with our own true inner nature...how we begin to remember who we truly are! And it is this "coming home" feeling that we are attracted to when we are responsive to the call to be out in nature. Even though we had not consciously been aware of it, we were still feeling drawn to it, as the call to connect to our Higher Self is innate and powerful! And this reconnection is an invitation to understanding that we are so much more than all those roles we play out in the world! In fact, nature is one gateway to expanding our conscious awareness so we can begin to answer those deeper questions about life and become more of who we were meant to be.But responding to the call, being in nature, is only the first step of many in which nature offers gifts of illumination! A next step, is to begin to understand that nature actually offers a symbolic language by which our Higher Spiritual Self communicates information to answer those deeper questions, and provide guidance for our personal and spiritual growth and evolution. For the language of our deepest essence is expressed in its own likeness...energetically! The energy of sound, color and form take on new meaning when read energetically, and goes beyond its appearance in physical form. Nature is alive and full of energy, so it is in constant communication with us if we but only learn how to understand it! There are abundant gifts in nature to help us grow and learn how to "come home" to ourselves more fully, to experience increased inner connection and understanding about who we truly are, and to feel that deep sense of peace and fulfillment in our Soul, of a life well lived!So how do you begin to read the energy of nature? First, understand that the things you see have a deeper meaning than their physical form. Then move through a walk in nature, simply taking note of maybe 10 things that catch your attention. Then after your walk, spend 10-15 minutes and move into that meditative or creative space in your mind and for each thing you noted, ask yourself, "What does it mean to me that I saw..." Or "What does a __________ mean to me?" And then journal your answers. (Note: It is important to do your reflection AFTER your walk in nature is over, try not to “think” during the walk itself.) For example, perhaps a broken branch caught your attention, ask yourself the first question and see what comes to you...maybe your thoughts will move in the direction of a time you felt 'broken' in some way or a situation in your life that needs fixing. Or maybe you took notice of a flower blooming in a space being taken over by weeds, and when you later reflect on it, you begin to think about how at work, or socially, everyone is so negative and you begin to understand how, even there, amongst all that is difficult, that you can grow and bloom by keeping focused on what is beautiful! And there may be more than one thought or idea about something you noticed that gives you a deeper understanding or brings meaningfulness to you...the riches lie in the unfolding of your contemplations! Then as a last step, take the guidance from the information you received during your reflective time, and do something different in your daily life and interactions. As you step into your life in this way, you step more and more into your true self and the life you were meant to live!Much Love and Many Blessings, and May your journey be Sacred and Healing!September Meditation