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Richard Louv successfully weaves an entertaining writing style with concepts and ideas which draw our attention to the prevalent disconnect that exists between individuals from the land, and individuals from each other. On page 26 of The Nature Principle, Louv writes “society seems to look everywhere but the natural domain for the enhancement of intelligence;” increasing dependence on science and technology for abstract decision making aids global tensions, immediately evident within the Syrian conflict and other examples of contemporary warfare.

I came across an article this morning which shared Vladimir Putin’s address to the Obama Administration regarding involvement in the Syrian conflict. Echoes of cooperation and dialogue were heard, and I finished the article with a sense that world leaders (largely from the United States of America) are relinquishing diplomatic engagements as a direct result of their disconnect from one another…perhaps this disconnect stems from the expansion and proliferation of the global market economy which is driving a culture of consumption, and thus furthering our disconnect from nature.

I am not suggesting that the political leaders of the world join together for a drum circle and sing kumbaya before consultations, but perhaps contemplative practices which include nature, and that foster a connection with the self, the land, and its inhabitants would help the evolution of these conversations to reach a state of agreement, or in the least cooperation…Louv suggests that when more time is spent with nature, mental effectiveness is enhanced and the mind may be restored-thereby enhancing our abilities make long-term decisions (28), which seems to be the most pressing matter in this circumstance. A restored sense of fascination with nature, rather then the drive for mastery over it, may just supplement the efforts for peace in contemporary times.

As a disclaimer I want you you to know I am not well versed in the domain of politics, but I find the area to be one of increasing global importance, especially with the onset of potential chemical warfare. The article I am referring to may be found here: http://news.sky.com/story/1140518/syria-crisis-vladimir-putins-letter-to-america

 

Hello again everyone,

here is a link to part one of a series on the medicine wheel, this is an amazing series on the meanings of the medicine wheel, and I’ve found it to be quite profound in my own life, and I believe it offers great insight on how we are connected to self, community, and land. enjoy.

Hello everyone. If we haven’t met yet, my name is Jordan Leden. I have been invited to participate in the spirit of the land class as a community member, and last nights nature walk was a brilliant and beautiful experience. I was part of a discussion the other night surrounding some of the questions asked in the class. What is the connection between spirit and land? When asked this, I put myself in a scenario where a section of unbroken prairie by the farm where I grew up, would be turned into farm land. As I imagined this situation, I felt heart break. The natural systems associated with ones upbringing, and home, draws a strong connectedness to the fullness of who we are as individuals. I am a prairie person. I feel such profound and magnificent peace, just by being in the wild prairie. The healing power that the land has on us, truly, is overwhelmingly beautiful. Thank you all for this experience. I look forward to the future of the spirit of the land class.

Rushing back from the city, worrying about the many projects I have on the go, wondering about my life and where it’s going – all these things melted away this evening as I opened my senses to the natural world occurring around me with the gentle guidance of Michael Barr.  His soft, undulating tone coaxing me to let the stress fall away and allow a commune with the wonder of existence.  I shared conversation and excitement for the course and the day with my fellow walkers and captured snippits of video.  I didn’t plan to catch the conversations that I did, but I was pleasantly surprised!

 

And then! When I finished up the video and opened my inbox, there were Kerstyn and Eagle reflecting on the same walk.  What a gift to hear someone else’s inner thoughts after such a joyful and contemplative evening.  Thank you, ladies.

Sight, smell, sounds; three of five senses I perhaps take for granted on a daily basis but when brought to acute attention serve to elevate a sense of presence and awareness. The mindful walk that I was fortunate to enjoy with the Spirit of the Land class revealed to me that when we carry out daily practices mindfully (i.e walking) –through giving acknowledgement to what we see, smell, and hear– our place in the world only depends on what is with us at that moment.

Upon discussing the apparent kiss of fall and current shift in seasons, I could not help but notice that little was spoken of the season that follows autumn, which in other conversations has followed suit. While we remained on the topic of the changing colours of the leaves, the musky smell of the forest bottom, and the crisp temperature that accompanies the fall of evening, no mention was made of the signification this has for a potential long, cold winter to come. In remaining mindful, and thus present in the moment, negative thoughts of this winter had not even emerged, but rather appreciation and gratitude were shared among the group.

I walked away from our group this evening feeling more connected to those I shared these moments with, and to the valley located so close to our campus. Spending time in nature with the intention of being fully present I believe has the potential to heal our spirit, collectively and individually, as we become better able to enjoy the moments we have for just what they are.

Think in ways you’ve never thought before.

If the phone rings, think of it as carrying a message

Larger than anything you’ve ever heard,

Vaster than a hundred lines of Yeats.

 

Think that someone may bring a bear to your door,

Maybe wounded and deranged; or think that a moose

Has risen out of the lake, and he’s carrying on his antlers

A child of your own whom you’ve never seen.

 

When someone knocks on the door,

Think that he’s about

To give you something large: tell you you’re forgiven,

Or that it’s not necessary to work all the time,

Or that it’s been decided that if you lie down no one will die.

 

~ Robert Bly ~

So we just finished our first class for Spirit of the Land and I have to say, I’m really stoked to be a part of this.  While I was, of course, nervous about introducing the digital world in the class, it will certainly be an amazing space to share and grow together.  I can’t wait until next week when we’ll invite the digital community to listen in and interact on twitter and in other spaces as they wish!

I had to put out a bit of a hello, even though we didn’t offer a synchronous space tonight:

 

 

 

After dinner we started out the course by discussing 3 questions – first on our own, then with one partner and finally in small groups. 

 

And then watched the Magic Canoe – giving us a few more questions to be asked:

• Who are you?
• Who are you really?
• Why are you here?
• What are you for?

 

In our meditation following Thich Nhat Hahn’s “Peace is Every Step,” we found a moment to breathe through these questions – focusing on Calmness, Smiling, Presence, and the Wondrousness of Presence.

While this is a pretty utilitarian account of what happened, I’d like to share two moments from our small group discussion.  In one moment I had a vision of the Earth as Gaia.

The Earth has breath – a breath that circulates the essential cocktail of gaseous nutrients around the circumference of the planet, nourishing us all with the necessities for existence.  The earth has blood that flows up from the core, mingling with the breath, serving the living tissues, and then submerging again.  The shifting sinews draw heat from below, while the bone structure holds majesty together.

And Jennifer’s image of cultivation.  We sew the seeds of positivity in the soil of our existence.  It takes time to nurture those seeds, to weed out the negative influences, protect against frost, water with compassion and forgiveness for self.  And then, at last, we harvest. And we must remember to harvest, for if we only sew but never reap, the fruits of the universe lay spoiled, unused, discarded.

Finally, it reminds me of this amazing poem I read once in my friend’s house.  I’ll leave you with the words of Derek Walcott.

Love after Love – Derek Walcott
The time will come when, with elation, you will greet yourself arriving at your own door
in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other’s welcome and say, “Sit here. Eat.”
you will love again the stranger who was yourself.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart to itself.
To the stranger who has loved you all your life.
Whom you ignored for another who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf, the photographs, the desperate notes.
Peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit, feast on your life.

This delicious post came from Donna Jennison.  It makes my mind flash forward to the fall when our analogue classroom will happen over pot luck meals in homes in our community.  Surely such connection will foster valuable discussion around our land, our communities and ourselves.

 

“what an absolutely beautiful idea. We typically reserved and quiet lovers of the earth need to know one another. Expressing deep and strong feelings of love, connection , awe and mystery about the earth is not something that fits easily into most conversations. To connect with people who know this kind of love is a wonderful gift. My true brothers and sisters will be in this group. Lets cook something up in a big cauldron. Let’s stir the cauldron with a big old gnarly stick, adding a titch of this, a bit of that,…but mostly let’s fill the pot with the love that we know is in the land and in our hearts. Let’s cook it up with devotion and let it boil over and spill out onto everything and everyone. This is meal worth preparing! Worth sharing! I throw my heart and my tender, sweet love for the earth into the pot! and my tears.”