mariarosagalter
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Hi Friends,
So sorry again (!) for my delay in responding and for the length of this message. I loved your posts and pickec out a few of your thoughts that really spoke to me. THANK YOU for your wisdom and passion for this work. I am so happy to be walking this with you. Our readings reminded me of a wonderful poem/prayer presented at the United Nations Environmental Sabbath program called “We have forgotten who we are”
We have forgotten who we are
We have alienated ourselves from
the unfolding of the cosmos
We have become estranged from the movements
Of the earth
We have turned our backs on the cycles of life
We have forgotten who we are.
Now the forests are dying
And the creatures are disappearing,
And humans are despairing
We have forgotten who we are.We ask forgiveness
We ask for the gift of remembering
We ask for strength to change
We have forgotten who we are.https://workthatreconnects.org/resource/we-have-forgotten-who-we-are/
I’ve added my thoughts to your comments below.
Susan: Often times, people in life view nature as an added extra thing to have in their life versus realizing that they are nature. It’s not a resource to be exploited or a backdrop to our lives, but is our life and is deeply embedded in us. It is primal.
Susan, Thank you for this! How many times do we look at using nature for our benefit–exercise, recreation, medicine, rest, etc! We are users and abusers of the natural world. We need to change the meaning of the word “recreate” back to “re”-“create”. We need to see ourselves alongside Nature as co-creators of a new way fo being in the world. Such a shift is needed.
Leslie: In indigenous communities, ecopsychology and coaching were combined and integrated into every day life. The principles of ecopyschology were a way of life and served the same purpose that coaching and therapy currently does. Shamans and medicine men were the psychologists and coaches of their tribes. The awareness a tracker had of his surroundings mimicked the awareness and mindfulness we cultivate in our clients as coaches.
Hi Leslie, The word integration holds a lot of power for me. It reminds me that we are whole and that the possibility of healing is available to all of us. As an herbalist healer and now moving into NCC, you must feel a deep sense of joy that this ancient part of yourself is awakening to your potential. I wish that for all of us!
David: And like ecotherapy, coaches aim to reconnect the psyche, the body and the earth. As coaches, we have the opportunity to be a part of this awakening, or reawakening, as I prefer to state it. We get to take clients onto sacred land and watch it interact with our clients. We get to teach them about how the reflection of nature is a reflection of their internal state and how it can be insightful on their behalf. We encourage personal empowerment in our clients, which is another principle of ecopsychology that, when supported, “nourishes the ecological ego”.
Hi David, Yes! How amazing that we get to take clients to the sacred land! Wow! What a gift this is to the world. I think we are all feeling the pull of the Sacred Land calling us and desiring us to be a bridge. What is it like for you to feel you are part of birthing this reawakening?
James: However, I also see the academic field possibly falling short by ignoring the importance of a “spiritual” or “mystical” relationship as well. If forest bathing alone is “prescribed” to someone for depression, they may experience the first level of Nature Connection (as Jon Young describes it) and their symptoms may be alleviated, but without forming a deeper relationship with a particular piece of land, we are really only using the land to serve us, thus continuing the cycle of caring for the land only as much as it serves our current desires.
Hi James, My mystical “4” friend! Yes! So true that we need to be aware of the Sacredness of the Land. When we forget our interconnectedness to the matrix of life, we become users in an attempt to quell what is unquencheable. The Land calls us into deeper and deeper relationship and community with all Beings-human and non-human.
Rollin: Theodore Roszak in “A Psyche as Big as the Earth” noted the importance of a sympathetic bond with the natural world. The powerful listening required in effective psychology, the willingness to psychoanalyze entire cultures, survival skills, outdoor safety skills and patience touch on a small sample of the skills needed. The reason I’m involved in this style of coaching work is put into language beautifully in “Psyche and Nature in a Circle of Healing”…hopes for an end to the long and self-destructive war between humankind and Earth depend on repairing the damage inflicted on both.
Hi Rollin, Your words inspire me and bring me so much hope. I believe that we can all work towards reparing the damage we are all suffering because we have lost the “sympathetic bond with the natural world.” We are out of balance, we have taken too much, and, as the above poem states, we have forgotten who we are.
Teddy: An understanding of ecopsychology in the coach makes a world of black and white somehow full of color; it widens and deepens the scope of her vision and fixes in place a mindset that allows for a more dynamic coaching style, a more beautiful way of living, and a sense of peace (through a more accurate understanding of the world) – all qualities which serve her own wellbeing, oher clients’ best interests, and our world.
Hi Teddy,
Thank you for your beautiful words! I find that sense of peace and beauty when I spend time walking with intention out in Nature. We are so fortunate to be doing this work and can’t wait for more. We all hold the knowing articulated by ecopsychology deep inside of ourselves. Thank you for painting the image of this concept.Deanna: As an outdoor educator and nature-connected coach in-training, I feel that I have been working on remembering that we are all interconnected the last few years, and I am noticing that it takes a lot of TRUST. Trust in our self and our connection with nature and great mystery. I am also noticing how conditioned my mind is to thinking that I might be “crazy” if I think I can listen and communicate with trees, birds, and Earth. This conditioned fear of “madness” is a product of the “old colonial-consumerist mind-set” that Linda Buzzell and Craig Chalquist refer to in Psyche and Nature in a Circle of Healing. In choosing the interconnected mindset over the “colonial mind-set”, we are choosing a new norm for the consciousness of our species (and ultimately directing the evolution of our species), and perhaps trust and surrendering will guide the way.
Hi Deanna, I so agree with your post. Building trust is such a work in progress! Trusting our instincts does sometimes feel we are “crazy” as you state. You used the word choice in your response. It is such an intentional act–choice, trust and surrender. Thank you for your wisdom!
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Hi friends, Sorry this is so late!!!!
At our most elemental level, at our most ancient level, at our most real level, all of “us”–all energetic manifestations in the Universe–are made of the same substance. We share the same “universal identity. Salt remnats of ancient oceans flow through our veins, ashes of expired stars rekindle our genetic chemistry… hydrogen…is a cosmic theme” (Roszak, 2001, pg 319). We exist in a “matrix” which provides “us” all the foundational elements for our endless variety. We are “intimately connected with, embedded in, and inseparable from the rest of nature” (Buzzel & Chalquist, 2009, pg 18). This reality has profound implications for the wellbeing of humans and non-human beings.
Today, we face a great threat of our own making. Our delusion of separateness gives birth to greed and fear which in turn becomes anxiety, depression, other mental health afflictions, and general dysfunction. Not only are humans suffering, but the greater “us” is suffering too. The loss of our “innately emotional affiliation…to other living organisms” or biophilia (Roszak, 1995, pg 4) has led us to lose awe and reverence for “this glorious, luxuriant, animated planet” (Roszak, 1995, pg 3). The Soul of the Earth and our own Souls are thirsting and longing for reconnection and our wellbeing is intricately linked to this reconnection.
Ecopsychology explores the relationship between the Soul of the Earth and the Human Soul, the interconnectedness of the “us”. According to Roszak, the “goal of ecopsychology is to awaken the inherent sense of environmental reciprocity that lies within the ecological unconscious” (Roszak, 2001, pg 320). Ecopsychology is based on the idea that “ecology needs psychology, psychology needs ecology” (Roszak, 1995, pg 5). At our deepest level, we are “bonded to the Earth that mothered us into existence” (Roszak, 1995, pg 5). I personally experienced this sense of connection to Mother when I went to Ecuador several years ago for the first time since my childhood. Ecuador is my own mother’s land and my ancestral land. I personally had a very difficult relationship with my mother and always felt a sense of loss and longing rooted in feelings of abandonment. When I went back to Ecuador in 2016, something inside me got “fixed”. A puzzle piece long out of alignment fell into place. I connected to Mother—the Divine Feminine, the Pachamama, Mother Goddess—as I walked the Land, the mountains, the montane forests—my sense of connection to Mother energy was palpable and real. I felt healed at a very deep level.
As Nature Connected Coaches, we are participating in the healing of the whole. We are participating in something ancient, known to all indigenous peoples who came before us. We are participating in the reconnection to the “respectful give-and-take with the flora and the fauna, the rivers and the hills, the sky and the soil on which we depend for physical sustenance and practical instruction” (Roszak, 1995, pg 6). We are shattering our limiting belief that we are somehow separate from Creation and inviting us back into our identity as part of the expanded I AM, the Self that includes all the natural world. Not only are we guiding clients into greater clarity and self-compassion, we are also inviting us all into greater compassion for all Beings, human and non-human. Ecopsychology roots Nature Connected Coaching into the greater vision of the wellbeing of Gaia.
I think the most important skills we need to cultivate as NCC are the art of listening to Nature and developing trust that Nature has all it needs to restore itself. These foundational skills of listening and trusting extends to the Nature outside of ourselves as well as the Nature within ourselves. We need to listen to and trust our intuition and that of our clients believing that there is something within us that will lead us to “the self-regulating biosphere” and that we will become “allies of the Earth…returning the human soul to the harmony and joy…” (Roszak, 1995, pg 15) rooted in what we love. -
I am in awe of the beauty of the work we are all embarking on. The biggest take-away for me is the word TRUST. This word keeps humming inside of me and infuses evrything I do. I spent some time a couple of days ago resting my back against a tree, allowing the tree to take on all my weight. As I did so, I felt the perpetual stress that lives in the muscles of my neck begin to let go. I felt the tree invite me to let the stress flow into its xylem and phloem. I envisioned the stress leaving my body as the tree removed it. I felt the strength of the tree, its firmness and rootedness holding me as the stress began to dissolve. Trust is like that. We find it inside of ourselves when we discover our solidness and integrity. I am now inviting my muscles to let the tension flow through because “I got this now”, like the tree has me. I too am solid like the tree. It may take a while for the muscles to truly believe and trust. They’ve been stuck in tension for so long….
For me, Foundation One and starting Nature Connected Coaching is like discovering a treasure. I feel like a child holding something so precious in my hands that I want to share with the whole world. It feels to me that Nature is yearning for us to return and inviting us to come and play. Spirit is moving and finding new ancient doors to restore us to our completeness. This act of being restored to wholeness and completeness requires us to surrender and to trust. Like leaning back against the tree and surrendering my weight to its firmness, I am learning to surrender and trust that I too am Nature, just like the tree. Like the tree who finds no restrictions to its unique self-expression, I too can be fully as I am intended to be and trust in the fullest expression of my Self. I find that through this work of Nature Connection, I am giving myself permission to see, acknowledge and trust my gifts and in turn, see, acknowledge and trust the gifts of others. We each hold the keys to our self-healing.
I am so excited by this work!
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Hi Nature Baked Goodness:
I wanted to read everyone’s comments once again before our deadline tomorrow and address those posts I have not yet tended.
What a beautiful work we are delving into. I am so glad to be on this journey with all of you. Thank you to all of you for inspiring me!
Deanna, I so agree with your comment “From what I have read and experienced, it seems that opening all of our senses leads to a deeper awareness and more holistic view of ourselves, which in turn can support our journey of aligning with our life purpose.” What you write reminds me that our very humanness, our most basic “wiring” is of connection to Nature and by re-membering our connection with Nature, we become more whole (holistic!), as we become more whole, we more fully embody our purpose. Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gina, I love your sense of life as play and how Nature invites us into play. “Nature is an invitation to play and experience a sense of freedom and play. Explore the familiar and the unknown. Nature pushes me forward or halts me in my tracks. ISt a practice of surrender and trust. I trust that nature will always meet me where I am at and provide me exactly what I require at that time.” There is so much freedom in trusting that we will receive exactly what we require! We truly can let go and surrender and PLAY!
This is also AWESOME! Thanks for writing this: “I am nature and nature is in me. I am the universe and the Universe is in me… I enjoy using nature as a “training ground” for spiritual growth and connecting with all living things. Everything has it’s own vibration and frequency and our human body is designed to give and receive information through vibration, frequency, and energy.”
“It’s a constant spiral of change and growth”—This is what I saw in your Vision Council. =)
James, Your thoughts on the internal and external microcosm as reflections of each other really hit home to me. There is so much wisdom in Nature, both within and without, and so many layers of protection we have encased ourSelves in that we have lost touch with what our internal microcosm looks and feels like. “As we understand more about our internal world, we can potentially grow in experience, relationship and ultimately “be” in our connection with our internal microcosm, which is a reflection of the external macrocosm. Ultimately, this program uses the external as a guide and reflection of the internal, and the deeper the relationship I can have with both, the more capable I will be as a coach, not to mention being a more bad-ass human.” Woo hoo to that!!!!!
Rollin, I appreciated your thoughtful response to the prompt and the reminder to be compassionate
and generous caretakers of the wild places. Not only are we caretakers of the wildplaces without, but in reference to James’ post, we are also compassionate and genenrous caretakers of the wildplaces within both ourselves and others. How true that we can be a storm, to the outer wilderness and also to our own inner wilderness as well as the wilderness of others when we are lacking in connection. “When connection is present there is a responsibility I feel to be a caretaker for the wild places. There is generosity, compassion and love present. When connection is missing between “nature” and I…presence lacks and I become the storm (not the calm at the eye of the storm). When nature connection is alive…the spirit that moves in and through all things has a canvas to do the work of the greatest artist.” YESSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Again, thanks to everyone for their thoughtful and inspiring posts. Mandy, thanks for taking the time to read and be present to all of us.
Hugs to the Nature Baked.
Maria
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Hi Leslie and Susan,
Thanks for your responses! Its lovely to connect through our online communinty.Leslie, thank you for picking up on how ancient and universal are the practices we are re-learning through nature-connection. You wrote, “In the most traditional societies, nature connection has occurred as a matter of subsistence. It was supported through the cultural elements of traditional, indigenous societies “that are shared throughout the greater human family on at least three continents, and used for the purpose of peace””. We forget that we too are “indigenous” peoples. I found the following definition of “indigenous” as “originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native”. We truly need to join the modern movement you say is “evolving in which the cultural elements of more traditional societies are being used to connect people to nature, their communities, and themselves to cultivate healing and well-being.” As Michael reminds us, Nature Connection is our birthright.
Susan, Thanks for replying to my post! Thank you for your words about Nature being “so ancient, wise, ever-present, and available to those who seek it. We too, are ancient, wise, and have the ability to be ever-present and available.” It is so difficult to give ourselves permission to trust in these words and trust the voice inside of us. Our concentric rings affect so many being around us. Our words, our thoughts, our actions, our energy, all create vibrations which shift what is around us in unexpected and unfathomable ways. How we connect with others, how we notice and mirror their wholeness and their nature as “ancient and wise” as they reveal themselves, heals the whole.
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Hi David, Thanks for kicking off the discussion. I loved your quote from the Tao. It offers profound wisdom. Aslo, you pointed out that “nature is a perfect example of that type of [self] expression” from Coyote’s Guide. This is important wisdom for me as I am so critical of my own self-expression. I value this beautiful Cohort, your words in your post, and my experiences during our intensive as all of it gives me courage to play in “self-expression.” Thank you!
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What does it mean to be connected to Nature, and how can that relationship support your coaching?
I have tears in my eyes after reading “The Way of Wilderness” and ‘Wilderness as a Healing Place” chapters assigned to us. Both readings echo what my experience has been in Nature. I see Nature as a truly Sacred Space. This Sacred Space, the Outer Wildnerness, is the visible field of the invisible connection that surrounds and moves through all that is and flows through our Inner Wilderness. Being Nature Connected means being aware of this Mystery–a river of energy that runs through all things including myself. I am not separate from, but part of this Mystery. Walking on the Earth is a Holy experience. I enter into a spacious, vast, expansive, quiet silence. From this place of awareness and connection, I tune into the Land. I sense its calling and understand its wisdom. I begin to trust my insight and intuition as the Land reveals, like a mirror, the wisdom of my Inner Wilderness. I become attuned to Sacred Space and become one with Mystery.
In “Wilderness as a Healing Place”, John Miles offers the insight of Carl Jung who believed in the archetype of Sacred Space within us and related how this archetype is also found in Nature–places “pervaded by a sense of power, mystery, and awesomeness”–which suggest, according to Roger Bacon, “the existence of order and meaning.” Entering into this field with open intention allows us to experience transformation and healing. When we create a practice of entering into Nature with this open intention and awareness, we approach our connection with Wilderness as a “life-time of engagement and discovery” (Harper, pg 185) in which Nature is the teacher and healer. Harper continues, “Our relationship with Nature is is more one of being than having. We are nature, we do not have nature.”
Nature connection supports my work as a coach by creating within me a disposition to see my client as Nature–a whole, integrated being whose inner wisdom knows what they need for their own wellbeing and healing. Nature connection gives me tools to grow in this awareness. As a “tracker” I use my awareness to notice and be curious about shifts in their baseline and invite my client to notice these shifts in themselves too and to be curious. I see my client as “Wilderness” and “Sacred Space”. Nature itself is the healer and teacher. Through Nature Connection, we invite our clients to develop their own relationship with Nature (the Outer Wilderness and their Inner Wilderness),and to trust their growing awareness, intuition, and insight.
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Hi Everyone,
I’m coming in late to this conversation. Great to be part of this group and can’t wait to get to know everyone!Maria
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Hi Everyone,
I’m a little late with my introduction! I’m excited to take this course and trying to fit it in as best I can! A little about me… I am a Creation-centered Spiritual Director rooted in the Mystics and the Perennial Tradition. I have my own “project” called Walking Inspiritus through which I guide contemplative/mindful walking experiences and retreats. I am also a Reiki practitioner. I live in Colorado. Yay! I am also a core owner of Walk2Connect, an organization that fosters greater connection to self, others, and nature through walking–or Life@3MPH!
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Thank you to all the sharings. It’s been lovely to read everyone’s reflections on the nature of our Selves and our interconnectedness to all that IS. It is a joy to join all of you as we learn to listen more deeply to Creation and the hum of the Universe as we re “member” ourselves!
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For me, to be Soul-Directed and Nature-Connected means we position ourselves in an open stance to the movement of Spirit, both within and without.
To be Soul-Directed is to develop a practice of deep listening—of listening to all part of ourselves, including our shadow and hidden parts, and holding ourselves with infinite compassion. Soul-Direction is our inner process of self-discovery by learning to listen to our internal and unique vibrations–a falling in love with our deepest, most Sacred, and most vulnerable self. It is the discovery of our internal landscape, our emotions, thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, triggers, joys, old stories—the observation of our “weather patterns” from the stability of our identity as Mountain.
Being Nature-Connected, we open to the exterior landscape which mirrors our own interior landscape. What does Nature teach us about who we are? About our seasons and cycles? About our Reality? When we connect with Nature, we experience a “parting of the veil”, and we suddenly see our Sacred reality as being interconnected to all things, all beings, all people. We experience being in the HUM of the universe and our internal vibrations align with the one universal vibration.