"My soul can find no staircase to Heaven unless it be through Earth's loveliness" Michelangelo
From the Beginning
Before there were any cultures, societies, religions, languages or the first word spoken, there was the holy, sacred, and divine. This force lives in the stars, earth, waters, sky, trees, animals, and all creation. As nature is a creative force like the feminine, we consider nature a mother to all. Nature is also looms tall and strong as in great trees and mountains, so can be considered masculine as well.
Our Original Home
It starts as a gift, and we are wise to embrace that gift wholeheartedly. Nature is our own heart and saving grace, and we consider nature God's true church, cathedral, temple, and sanctuary in many ways. In nature we often feel our most joyful, peaceful, and at home. In this rushed, complicated, and stressful civilized world we now live we need that feeling on a regular basis.
Nature as Healing
The great naturalist John Muir said "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's
peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The
winds will blow their freshness into you, and the storms
their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." Unfortunately, he also said that those who need nature the most are the least likely to pursue it. Ouch!
Becoming Isolated From Nature and Others
Many of us were fortunate enough to grow up in natural surroundings or
have family and friends that took us out to nature's wilds for hiking,
camping, and recreation, so learned a love for nature that is an important part of us. Yet these days many people have grown up isolated in cities far from anything
natural. Also many people spend huge amounts of time gazing at television, computer, phone, or other screens rather than in true
relationship and intimacy with nature or others.
A 2017 survey of 12,000 adults and children in the United States has shown that many people have lost a close connection with nature. The Nature of Americans National Report found that
more than half of adults reported spending five hours or less in nature
each week. Parents of children 8 to 12 years old said that their children
spend three times as many hours with computers and televisions each
week as they do playing outside.
Connection With Nature Is Essential
According to the report: "The findings from an unprecedented national study of
Americans’ relationship to nature reveal an alarming disconnection, but also
widespread opportunities for reconnecting. The results are prompting nature leaders to
rethink how they work to connect people with nature.
The core premise is that connection to
nature is not a dispensable amenity, but rather is essential to the
health, economic prosperity, quality of life, and social well-being of
all Americans,”
One can describe dysfunctional life as claustrophobic: trapped, lost, and alone, but in nature we feel free, connected, and at home. Life and nature are so incredibly abundant, tenacious, diverse, and amazing that the love, peace and beauty are a joy to behold. As we at Cowboy Dharma get older our love for nature and all things natural has only expanded, strengthened, and matured. We find each of us has various aspects of our personal nature that are part of the bigger and greater nature of all life and creation.
A Creation Meditation
The story of nature starts in the great void of space before creation, although empty it still holds the infinite intelligence, fertility, and life of the universe. Please take a moment now to rest awhile in the dark, quiet vastness that is the womb of all that is to come. Empty of all things, but full of potential and possibility. This was our first home, and as incredible as it seems, everything in the universe was once held in one small spot the size of a period.
In this time before time, the time is right for the "big birth" that explodes across the cosmos a fire so hot and energetic that matter is unable to form for hundreds of thousands of years, but that time comes too, as eventually trillions of stars spread out in billions of galaxies across the cold and dark. For a time the primordial fog is still just gases and fire, and too hot and volatile for planets, moons, comets, and asteroids, but their time comes and worlds are born and and dance circles around the stars.
Our "Neighborhood" (Solar System) Arrives
The sun is the center of our solar system and similarly a central figure in our experience of life, as without the suns light, warmth, and energy we certainly wouldn't be here now. The sun is so massive, powerful and life giving, it also makes a great analogy for Higher Power, as it's light, warmth, and energy shine on everyone and everything from the smallest to the most vast, and is absolutely necessary for us to exist and thrive.
Many of the elements that make up creation were born in the furnace of the heart of stars during their fiery and explosive demise, so we are the children of the stars just as we are children of God. Although the sun is vitally important for us, it is likely most of us feel a deeper bond and love for our dear Mother Earth, for although we are ultimately made up of stardust, it was in the womb of the ocean that life began and emerged to land and sky to cover the planet in every possible form and environment in great diversity, complexity, tenacity, abundance, and beauty.
Life Arrives
Next, we consider the vast variety of plant life in trees, grasses, ferns, flowering plants, and so on. Yes, these are our earliest ancestors, so also a huge and important branch on our family tree. Should we lose our amazing powers of reasoning, mobility, and awareness, it is said we return to this "vegetative state", yet even plants in fact possess great powers of discernment as evidenced in this post: Do Plants, Insects, Reptiles, and Fish Think?
Then "Lower" Life Forms
Following plants are the early "lower" life forms of bacteria, fungus, plants, and animals such as worms, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and arthropods (insects/spiders/crustaceans). These creatures are cold blooded as evidenced in their nature as they are usually more solitary and combative rather than communal and cooperative, often don't care for their young, and sometimes eat them! This is where consciousness took a major leap forward as evidenced in the ancient brain of the basil ganglia (brain stem) often called the reptilian or lizard brain due to it's basic functioning.
Real Nurturing Arrives with Mammals
The following level is a another major step forward with appearance of mammals and the limbic system or mammalian brain, as mammals take a much greater part in protecting, nurturing, teaching offspring, and are very social creatures. Humans are a good example of this as we are protected, guided, and cared for by our parents and others for many years as a child, and through-out our lives if we are fortunate. For many the tables eventually turn and we take care of parents and others when they reach old age or infirmity.
Humanity Arises
Human nature begins with the child, and continues in adults as the inner child. This is perhaps the most loving, joyful, enthusiastic, authentic, and adventuresome part of us. Unfortunately many of us had difficult childhoods, so our inner child was shut down and sometimes has deep and significant wounds and may have been locked away for years or decades. Consequently, it is also here where we have a great opportunity for healing. Some find the childhood stages of development were arrested in youth
and can hinder us through-out our lives unless we find help and healing. For more on this please see the Inner Child and Twelve Step Sanity Files.
The next level of our nature is at the human level of the reasoning, rational, and mature mind of the adult. This is also another level of brain development as evidenced by the vast intelligence of the frontal cortex. Mature adults enjoy self confidence, autonomy, decisiveness, and are generally practical, purposeful, and experienced. (see Adult State Sanity File). This position seems like the best place to be but can be woefully
shortsighted without the joyful, creative, and authentic inner child,
and the caring, nurturing influence of the inner parent/leader as well as the wise influences of nature and our Higher Power.
The upper level of human nature is that of parent, but also leaders such as teachers, bosses, managers, supervisors, and wise politicians. We also like to add less common, but no less important leaders such as warriors, champions, and heroes. Please see Inner Parent Sanity File, and for the inner champion see the Hero's Journey Sanity File.
Growing up we often conformed and yielded to family, cultural, and other influences and a false self arose to try and protect us and cope with our world. For many this false self has often been running our lives in a useless attempt to keep us safe and secure from past and present difficulties in a cocoon of denial and isolation. Our holistic and greatest nature is the True Self. This is our deepest and most important nature as it encompasses all of creation, all life forms, our Higher Power, and our humanity. For more, please see the True Self Sanity File.
Above and Below It All, A Higher Power
Ralph Waldo Emerson wisely said that " We see the world piece by piece, as the sun, the moon, the animal, the tree, but the whole, of which these are the shining parts, is the soul. We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles, Meantime within man is the soul of the whole: the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is related; the Eternal ONE."
Between the cosmic creation of the universe and the lower life forms just described and the higher life forms described below we like to imagine our Higher Power, at the gut level of intuition, and our personal center and source. All of the power, presence, and wisdom of the universe finds a home here, and radiates out to all creation and life. As first mentioned, we find nature infinitely sacred, holy, and divine so naturally the home of our Higher Power and a story in itself, so for more please see the Higher Power Sanity File.
Exploring Our Animal Natures
Another aspect of our nature is called the Triune Brain. This post explores how it can be said we have a three part personality of the reptilian brain (brain stem), mammalian brain (limbic system), and intellectual brain (neocortex). This dynamic was mentioned above, but this post goes into greater detail and shows how our intelligence and compassion can be lost when we feel threatened or hurt.
If our fight or flight response is triggered our primal instincts take over our body, heart, and mind are flooded with adrenaline and cortisol like a fire raging through a forest. When that happens pain may lead to anger, and hurt to hate and violence. Over the long run our bodies and minds suffer and sicken and may lead to many types of illness and disease. Awareness is the key to understanding, wisdom, and transformation so we don't lose our heads or hearts. For more on this see Fight, Flight, Freeze post.
Our intention is to lead with the heart and use our intelligence and instincts to support us. In this way dangerous and destructive emotions and chemicals (cortisol etc.) give way to beneficial ones such as oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine, and feelings of love, caring, and kindness. Plato saw these three parts of our nature as a charioteer with two wild horses. Much like our modern lives, he describes the journey as difficult and troublesome, but necessary to guide the soul to truth.
It All Comes Down to YOU
Why do we consider understanding of all our various aspects of our nature as necessary, even indispensable? Because these are our very essence, and so essential to intentionally include in our day to day experience of life. These are all YOU. and to know you is to love you. Otherwise parts of your beautiful, wonderful, and divine self will stay lost in the shadows. You are worth it! all of you! Worth all the loving kindness, caring, and protection you yourself, your Higher Power, and others can provide.
The Fingerprints of God
We offer a link to a very surprising post to help you feel the awe and wonder that is an intrinsic part of the natural world called Sacred Geometry The post shows how not just naturalists, but scientists of all sorts are finding evidence of a great intelligence, wisdom. and beauty through-out creation. The "finger prints of God" they have found are truly amazing and inspiring.
There's Trouble in Paradise
Unfortunately, our dear Mother/Father Nature is being assailed on many fronts and faces a number of dire emergencies. As we are intimately connected with nature in a myriad of ways, this is a wake up call for humanity as well, hopefully before it is too late. For information on pollution, overpopulation, dwindling resources, and other pressing issues we need to address click here.
We hope you will be inspired to do what you can to help all life and nature thrive out of the deep sense of love and appreciation that we feel. We want to finish on a positive note with wise words of our favorite naturalist John Muir, a short video telling his story here, and images of Nature in all it's beautiful and majestic glory.
Here are links to some of the favorite places we enjoy in the Southern California: A Day In Yosemite June Lake Palm Springs Santa Barbara San Diego Monterey Big Bear Lake Sequoia Park Mammoth Lakes Kings Canyon Park