Ep 134 Awaken to Mindfulness in Nature

It’s been awhile.  Glad to see you back here.  Today is a new day.  A fresh start to a new you.  A great time to ask the question,

“Am I awake to this moment?  To the here and now?  To this moment?”

Henry David Thoreau reminds us that the vast majority of civilization leads quiet lives of desperation.  Or maybe if he were around today, he would say “noisy lives of desperation” Lives spent trying to be anywhere but here, now.

Today I would like to invite you to remember that all we have is this moment.  Yesterday is gone, a thing of the past, and tomorrow is no guarantee, a thing of the future.  Everything that has ever happened has occurred in this moment.  This moment is where the adventure begins, so why try to live anywhere else?

Here at Mountain Zen Den we are all about connecting with Nature for Mindfulness and Personal Growth.  By letting go of stress and finding joy in the moment.  And happiness in the simple gifts of Nature.  And the way we do that is by waking up and becoming Aware.  By getting out of our insulated, isolated shells, and immersing ourselves in Nature.

We begin by asking ourselves, “Am I connected and aware of this time and place in the natural world?” 

Here is one way you can tell how aware and connected you really are.  Answer these simple questions.

“What is currently happening in the natural world around me?”

“What is the Season?”  “What is the weather doing?  How about the temperature?  Are there clouds?  What kind of clouds?  Is there a breeze?  What about the moon?  What phase is it in?  Is it waxing or waning?  Where are Venus, Jupiter and Mars?  And the stars… Could I point to Polaris, the North Star in the night sky and identify and name 5 other constellations from where I am standing?”

These are simple and telling questions to help get us started to get an idea of how awake and connected we really are. To creation.

Here are a few more.

“How about the plants and wildlife around me?  What is in bloom right now?  What birds are currently ‘in season’”?

How often do we take the time to notice the natural world all around us?  The “Real World” as I like to remind myself.

We are probably very aware of the current state of the political world in society and culture – the latest news, politics, economic financial markets of growth and recession, of gas and grocery prices, and even sports and celebrity status.  But how awake and are we to the physical planet we live on?

How about our internal world?  Our personal state of being?  Our self-awareness and consciousness of our connection not only to ourselves and our immediate family and relationships, but to every other thing in the Universe… the stars, rocks, plants, trees, and wildlife, down to even the unseen – molecules, atoms and subatomic particles?

Why is all this important?

Because disconnection with the world leads to disconnection with ourselves.

And disconnection from self leads to depression, mental illness, and a host of diseases…

The Native Americans had a word for this connection — “Hunkapi”.  Meaning, “I am one with everything”.

I was so inspired by this concept that I named our mustang Hunkapi.  (Or “Huni for short).

It is humbling, and alternatively comforting and reassuring to step back and become aware of the fact that we are truly one with everything.

Buddhism teaches “non-duality” — that flowers and garbage are both organic in nature.  As Thich Nhat Hanh says,

 

“Looking deeply into the nature of a flower, you can see the presence of the compost and the garbage; but don’t be afraid!  You are a gardener, and you have in your hands the power to transform garbage into flowers, into fruit, into vegetables.”

But you can only do this if you are awake.

Christianity teaches that God the Creator spoke the Universe into existence, and by doing so created everything — EVERYTHING — and then called us into co-creation with Him to “be fruitful and multiply”, and to “have dominion over the Earth”.  Not in a self-serving sense, exploiting Nature as a resource for personal gain, but as benevolent care-takers, lovingly, and wisely nurturing and caring for each and every one of its members.

But none of this matters or means anything if we are not awake to “The Call”, and mindful of our place in the Universe.

M.H. Clark says it well in the priceless little book, “Outside/In: Questions, Quotes, and Activities to Connect You to Nature” –

 

“You know the feeling.  You get it when you are standing on the shore, or staring at the sky, or when the storm is passing over, or the season is changing, or the flower you have been watching is finally bursting into bloom.

It’s the feeling of touching something that is huge and real and true.  It’s the feeling of experiencing the wildest, most beautiful parts of the world, and at the same time, experiencing the wildest, most beautiful parts of you.

Because to connect to nature is to connect to yourself.  And every time you do, you connect to your mind, your creativity, your senses, your well-being, your health.

…open the door, in all kinds of ways, and let the outside in.”

[“Awake” by Peter Mayer]

If you were with us back in the fall of 2022, this isn’t the first time you’ve heard this song.  We had singer songwriter Peter Mayer with us in Episode 127 talking about living an awakened life on planet Earth.  As we were bouncing ideas around Peter and I discussed the possibility of holding a Mindfulness in Nature Retreat for the purpose of going deeper within to connect with ourselves, each other and the natural world around us.  Well my friends, I am pleased to tell you that this idea has come to fruition.

We are scheduled to do this very thing this October 13 through 15 here in Estes Park, Colorado.  You are invited to pend 3 days in the Rocky Mountains with special guest Peter Mayer exploring his songs as vehicles for discussion and contemplation, and celebrating our kinship with Nature.

Presented by Mountain Zen Den, this retreat is all about exploring the art of being fully present and connecting with Nature.

The goal is to introduce and facilitate a Return to Mindfulness in Nature Awareness whereby, when we return home, we do so more deeply connected to our truest selves, more richly satisfied with our lives, more energized, confident and purposeful in our living, more creative and productive, and happier human beings (the by-product).

We want to do this by placing ourselves in an environment that lends itself to our ability to slow down, get silent, be fully present, and Listen. 

We’ll be sharing more on this in the next couple of weeks, but if this sounds like something you would be interested in please reach out and let me know, and we will send you more information as it becomes available.

It would be so good to see you there, and connect with each other for a whole weekend in the beauty of the Colorado Rocky Mountains!  Stay tuned for more info!

As we wrap up today’s show I’d like to share a thought from the late writer and poet, Max Ehrmann.

He beautifully reminds us,

“You are a child of the Universe, no less than the trees and the stars.”

Thanks so much for being here today!  I look forward to seeing you again next time and invite you to remember,

Life is a gift.  Nature’s a gift.  And you are a gift back to the world! Go live a beautiful life my friend…