Being in Nature - Earth: September 15 - 21

[Click the YouTube link at the end of this post to hear me share the reflection and meditation.]

County Mayo, Ireland, September 2023

I am essentially clay animated by divine breath. The earth gives shape to all that I am and everything that surrounds me. Whenever I feel lonely or untethered, simply touching the earth reminds me that I belong and am loved.

These words by John O'Donohue, Irish theologian and poet, invite us to recognize and cherish our intimate relationship to the earth.

The earth is our origin and destination. The ancient rhythms of the earth have insinuated themselves into the rhythms of the human heart. The earth is not outside us; it is within: the clay from where the tree of the body grows. When we emerge from our offices, rooms and houses, we enter our natural element. We are children of the earth: people to whom the outdoors is home. Nothing can separate us from the vigour and vibrancy of this inheritance. In contrast to our frenetic, saturated lives, the earth offers a calming stillness. Movement and growth in nature takes time. The patience of nature enjoys the ease of trust and hope. There is something in our clay nature that needs to continually experience this ancient, outer ease of the world. It helps us remember who we are and why we are here.

John O'Donohue

Beauty: The Invisible Embrace

Practice

I've spent many hours and days meditating at retreat centers and in the privacy of my home. For a long time, I thought of mindfulness as something that happened inside of me. Mark Coleman, nature meditation teacher and nature guide, turned this perception inside out. He notes that human beings evolved to pay attention to nature. Think of how our senses come alive when we step outside. Our bodies automatically register the subtle movement of the wind, the warmth of the sun, and the sound of birds. Many times in meditation, I struggle to pay attention to the present moment. But in nature, I'm regularly awestruck by the beauty of clouds, the crashing of waves, and the miracle of trees. No matter how lost I get in my thoughts, my body always remembers I am an earth being. So the next time you struggle to meditate or feel disconnected from life, ditch the meditation cushion and find a tree.

Option A

Here is a lovely 12 minute meditation on Abundance in Nature by Mark Coleman. (You can skip the intro if you jump to 1 minute and 48 seconds.)

Option B

 Or sit on the earth, under a tree, in the warmth of the sun until you remember who you are.