Nature and Healing

My mentors at the Sagefire Institute, Michael and Lynn Trotta, once shared a story with me about the Bushpeople of the Kalahari…

They are one of the oldest surviving cultures on the planet, well known for their profound connection to the land and their intimate knowledge of the natural world.  The Bushpeople have a story that says when we are each born into this world, we arrive with four gossamer-like threads that extend from the center of who we are. These threads go out to the self, the earth, to others and community and to the ancestors or elders.

They tell us that during our lifetime, it is our job to weave those threads into thick ropes and if we do this, they will ground us and connect us with our essence, or that which we are meant to share with the world.  Isn’t that beautiful? It’s also true!

I recently found myself at 48 years of age, homeless and jobless in a foreign country (South Africa), after moving from another foreign country (United Arab Emirates), with no car, very little money and very few possessions.  I had left all my furniture and books and other material things I held dear in Abu Dhabi and had shed three suitcases full of clothes within 3 weeks of arrival into South Africa because I simply couldn’t travel with them.  And if this wasn’t enough, I’d also just started to recover from violent, shaking fevers acquired from multiple spider bites while living in relative isolation without a support network of loved ones and friends nearby.  For months, I had looked hopefully forward to moving here for a humanitarian endeavor which, let’s just say, did not work out as planned.

Once I found a place of safety and refuge, I set out frantically scouring the internet for job opportunities, applying for everything that looked like I might be qualified for, regardless of organization or location.  All I could think was, “I must get a job as soon as possible or I will be on the streets!”.

Then, I remembered to breathe.  And to rest.  To follow the rhythms and energy nature.  She just exists. And I remembered those 4 threads and knew that I could best serve myself and the world by strengthening them.  And strengthen them I did.

For seven weeks now, my days have been spent nourishing my body with healthy and nutritious foods and nourishing my soul by spending as much time in nature as I can.  I am a changed person.  Calmer. More grounded.  At peace, with renewed focus and gratitude.

I’ve spent my days in meditation, taking daily hikes or “wanders” through a beautiful coastal forest on the Indian Ocean, watching and identifying birds and their songs, learning about the indigenous trees and plants, witnessing the carefree play of dolphins in the waves near the shore, and learning to spot humpback whales out at sea.  These simple yet profound activities have enabled me to strengthen those threads to myself and to the earth.

I’ve further strengthened my thread to others and community by deepening my connection with local friends who share their magic with me and remind me of my own by celebrating it with me.

Probably the most surprising development is the bond I’ve developed with the patriarch of the family whose space I am sharing.  He’s in his 70’s and is a natural born teacher. We’ve built the most gentle and beautiful relationship as he shares all he knows about the world and the environment around us every day.  He has a story for everything whether it be bird, insect, reptile, fish, flower, fauna, and all the history of the land and the people.  His tales range from his boyhood and the old ways of hard work and respect and gratitude and absolute appreciation of the natural world in which we live.  He is profoundly connected, not unlike the Kalahari in his own way, to his surroundings, the natural world around him and the people in his life.  He, of course, is how I have strengthened my thread to the elders, which was a piece I hadn’t even realized I was missing.

All of this and so much more, have so gently guided me towards my own deep healing and knowing of myself.  It could be more accurate to say a “remembering” of who I am.  Who I’ve always been at my core.  What a priceless gift!

Those Kalahari Bushpeople were right on, as are all the nature based cultures around the world, both ancient and present day…

Time in nature allows us to find the quiet in ourselves. And in the quiet, we find our essence. And in our essence, we find our heartbeat and connection to the universe. And we find that the only thing that matters is all the beauty that surrounds us every day and the love and support we can bring to each other.

All of this is possible, when we just listen to the whispers of nature and all she has to tell us. It all boils down to just being present… With nature. With ourselves. With others.

 

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