NATURE'S
SCHOOL

 LEARNING TO LIVE IN HARMONY -- by M. Miller

By getting out and involved with Nature and learning to think like Nature works,  we create a new consciousness.  We become more aware of the natural way that life works. Earth teaches us the balanced, sustainable, simple ways in which we must live to be in harmony with all else.

The words -- "psyche" and "spirit" are ancient names for "air."   Air is a product of Nature from plants -- and we naturally are created to breathe it.  We call it "respiration" -- which is "re-spiriting."   Nature "inspires" us and regenerates all. Our senses also influences us physiologically..  We embody sensitivity to Nature because we are a part of the continuum of the Web-of-Life.

Yoga practitioners always emphasize the importance of deep breathing in order to connect with Nature.  The word "yoga" means "union."  Thus, by practicing these actions --we connect with Nature and the divine.

Ancient wise people -- from Egypt to China to the Native Americans (Indians) of No. America -- lived in ways that honored Nature and the Divine.   They honored the food, the environment, the animals, and plants -- as gifts for our benefit.   They were careful to not be wasteful and destructive.  They strongly believed that all that they did was connected to being able to live in harmony on the Earth...and to higher dimensions.  The Indians referred to it as "The Great Spirit."

Dr. Mike Cohen advocates in his book-- "Reconnecting with Nature" that there are many more senses than the 6  (sight, sound, taste, touch, etc.) that most people recognize.  He states that..."Our nature senses are our personality --our true nature -- our inner child."   He provides a list of 53 senses of Nature.  The more we can open up and connect with these senses,  the more we heal, rejuvenate and are inspired.

HERE IS A BRIEF LIST OF SOME OF THOSE SENSES:

--- Sense of ---

   * color ............     * light ..........       *smell........   * sounds ........  * gravity

   * space .....         *hunger.....      * thirst  ......   * motion .....  * humor....

   * order.....      * ethics .....    * temperature ....   * survival ...  * spirituality ...

   * love ..........    * time ..........  * weather ......  * appreciation.....  * time....

In many cases where there are psychological illnesses, emotional distress and similar problems...it is because the person has been amputated from -- disconnected from -- these Natural Senses.  Ignored and numbed...our senses become a major missing part of living a responsible, consistent, harmonious life-style.  

       ** ECO -- is a very meaningful "prefix" to words ---

WELL MIND = GOOD ECO-PSYCHE

-- which leads to HEALTHY ECO-LOGY...

and will help us all ECO-NOMICALLY

HEALING EMOTIONAL TRAUMAS VIA RECONNECTING WITH NATURE

Environment effects behavior and personality.

Get plugged back in to the benefits of nature and heal behavior and personality problems such as:

* Addictions (alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc.)

* Out of control anger and violence

* Spoiled, selfish brat -- narcissistic abuser.

* Criminal, delinquent , lazy, or incorrigible actions...

Natured-centered thinking and getting outside to experience the wonders, beauty and lessons of nature...help stimulate the connection with the natural intelligence and senses of Nature.  This procress nonverbally educates us, helps rejuvenate and heal.  Nature's wisdom opens up to us when we open up to her -- and we can make sense of our lives by connecting with the divine.  Nature-centered thinking opens our consciousness screen and then feeds and guides our senses to the natural order that is...away from deviant ways that we have learned in society.   Modern society has created many ways in which we act against the Natural Laws...and the ways of Nature.  From the time we are children,  most of us have been taught that we must conform to the "ways of the world" --- even ways that are destructive to our own community survival.  We have created a technologically advanced society at the expense of our forests, weather, and health.

Most of these personality problems are rooted in old pain  -- such as: traumas, injuries, abusive insults, etc., which can be healed with proper care. For example...alcoholics are often people who were mistreated in some way -- as a child -- perhaps physically abused, verbally assaulted or severely neglected.  Nature-centered activities help us to heal because once we have opened up to the process of fully senses the Earth and Nature --we cannot revert back to the old ways.  Nature rejuvenates our inner child...our innocence,  reason, logic, and health.  The more we experience Nature -- the more we feel humility and appreciation for the gifts and benefits of Nature.

By focusing our mind upon happy, positive, progressive, pleasant, uplifting, healthy thoughts, ideas, concepts, and experiences---we automatically diminish the effects of past traumas. If you choose, you can put on a new
record and reactivate success patterns and feelings of joy.

It is not about your age---it is about your attitude....how you react to circumstances. Your attitude helps determine your altitude!

INFLUENCES OF PAST EXPERIENCES...

Within each person lies a vast store-house of experiences and feelings
---failures and successes. Those experiences are stored on the neural engrams (subconscious) of your grey matter (mind). Each one is as true as the other. The choice is yours as to which tape you choose to play back.

The past influences the present and the present does influence the past. We are not doomed to the past. These neural engrams can be changed or modified,
much like a tape recording---or replaced.

Some psychologists would have us believe that past traumas,injuries and upsets are 'permanent damage,' but science has proven that this is not true. Old recordings, old patterns of thought, old reactions, old memories can be changed.

Because someone had an unhappy childhood does not necessarily doom him/her to be unhappy forever!

Our present thinking (mind set) ---present mental habits, and our present attitudes towards those past experiences do influence and change what happens in the present and the future.

Discover your inner child...and you will also find old behaviors and feelings that are still effecting your life now. One of the best authors who writes on this subject is John Bradshaw.  Also there is a lot of good reading material in Oprah Winfrey's magazine.

BEGIN by examining your childhood experiences....

* Did any of the adults in your life express dislike of Nature or the outdoors? Did they make comments about how we should be "afraid of Nature" --?

* Did you hear lots of stories about "how bad Nature is..." ?

* Were your parents kind, supportive and loving -- or cruel?
* Did you have a father --or other adult -- who neglected your needs?
* Were you forced to behave a certain way toward different races?
* What did you learn to do to get along with others?
* Did you grow up with an abusive parent -- who severely beat or hurt you?
* Did you grow up with a parent who spoiled and smothered you?
* What type of environment did you grow up in-- poverty, wealth, filth....?
* Were you taught to handle responsibility...or were you simply given everything?
* Did you get your way by throwing fits when you wanted something?
* Did you feel safe in your home -- or did you live in a "state of fear" most of the time?
* Were you wild and uncontrollable-- school delinquent-- in your youth?
* Did you have to live in a racially hostile situation?

WERE YOU EXPOSED TO NEGATIVE, SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIORS at an early age? -- Example -- an alcoholic parent ...or ...  father who beat his wife ?

AS YOU DO THIS ACTIVITY...you may have more questions that you want to answer.  Add those questions to the list and do some self-analysis. 

ANSWERS to these types of questions will help you assess why you act the way you do now as a grown-up person. It will also aid you in understanding the
behavior of others.

All of these old behaviors may not be in your best interest in the real adult world. Find out which ones are effecting you in your later years that may be causing problems.

                                        ~ Articles written by Melvia Miller