I know, I know…you’ve a lot to do and it’s grey outside and perhaps the sofa/telly combo is just a little too alluring to be drawn outside. And as we all sit there cosseted and warm, have you noticed how we are no longer in sync with Nature? Where once it used to be true, our lives are less regulated by the rising and setting of the sun, the cycles of the moon and the shifting of the seasons. Our festivals, which once held so much meaning for us, are now over commercialised. Still enjoyable yes, but because we’ve forgotten their true meaning, these events are mere reflections of the powerful celebrations that they once were.
Our society has forgotten how to ‘read’ Nature and more importantly still, how to communicate with her. We build houses on flood plains and are surprised when floods devastate those who have lost their homes. We fill the soil with toxins, exploiting every last strip of land and wonder where the bees have gone, whilst decrying the fate of the rainforests. We overfish our seas, dumping pollutants and carcinogens into the ocean. And most of us are unaware (so gripped are we by our sanitised, modern, technological lifestyles) what is happening. This mass forgetting, brought on by being out of touch, is not only sad, but it’s madness too.
Sadly, we’ve also forgotten how to listen to our bodies. Whilst our aches and pains and ailments are busy trying to communicate something of importance to us, we’re not listening. We’re telling our body to shut up as we down yet another analgesic. Our unconscious mind tries to guide us, but we fail to take notice of our dreams and our physical symptoms, even though, we know, really, deep down inside of us, that we should be listening and that by listening, we’d ultimately be happier and healthier.
I don’t want you to think that I am a paragon of virtue, I’m not at all. I like to lounge on the sofa, when I could be walking in a bracing, rejuvenating wind. But I am not stupid. I do recognise that we must pay attention to Nature. We must take care of her and now, whilst we still can. We can all begin to appreciate not only her beauty, but the strength and wisdom that Nature has. We can remember how to be amazed about our beautiful planet and we can remember how to take care of and nurture ourselves too. After all, we are inextricably linked to all life on the planet.
So come on. Join me. Start to appreciate the magic and majesty of nature. And start to appreciate the magic and majesty of your own being. Most of all get outside. Feel the trickle of a stream over your feet. Enjoy a gentle breeze upon your face. Appreciate the ancient tree that has witnessed so much history. Don’t forget to wonder and be proud. After all you are part of the magic of Nature too.