Journal — be here

We were lying under a blanket of stars in Hells Canyon, Idaho, surrounded by North America’s deepest river gorge.  Steep cliff-faces rise up either side of the raging river, standing overhead like gods of yesteryear.  Timeless, waiting for us to remember them…   In hosting our LIVE nature immersions, I have witnessed firsthand the immediate, spontaneous, and incomparably transformative force of simply being in nature.   The experience is a homecoming.  A remembering.  It feels a bit like ‘ahhhh, there you are…’’  ‘There you are’ (the awe and wonder which washes over a person when in the presence of raw nature) is quickly followed by…’here I am’…and ‘here I am’, I mean, well– Is that not what we are all after?  We all want to be at home in our bodies, held like a jewel, in the palms of Mother Earth, secure, nourished, nurtured, and content.  And any step we take away from that center point causes disillusionment, dysfunction, and dysbiosis in equal amounts to the steps that were taken.  Nature connection, I am convinced, is therefore the most-needed medicine of our time.   ‘But what does it even mean…Nature Connection?’   I think that’s a great question, and ultimately, a personal, individual answer.  But you can be certain, much like the terms sustainable, organic, and wild-crafted have been co-opted by marketing campaigns, resulting in a situation where words on labels mean very little (unless you do research into brands like Sun Potion or Be Here), in the near-future we will see tremendously-sized companies selling automobiles, soda, gasoline, and cell phones talking about the importance of nature connection.  So buyer beware.   There is NO substitution for direct experience.  Many people will need to become more involved with (aware of) the personal and planetary implications of what they allow into their front doors (food, skincare, cleaning supplies, clothing, etc).  And if not, they would be encouraged to outsource that task to a trusted company like Sun Potion.  In either case, sourcing products that were grown in resonance with what is abundant for Mother Earth is one of the greatest personal and public ripple effects you can create through your purchasing power.  People seem to have a craving for this connection, whether they notice it or not.  Based on observations of people transforming their state of wellness by immersing themselves in nature for even the briefest of time, I have “identified” the following 4 common common phases which I find lead to a meaningful experience of nature connection should one wish to intentionally cultivate a practice: Step 1 Observation.  When we observe something, we enter into resonance with it.  Through the simple act of mindfully observing nature we are already developing a practice of nature connection and beginning to experience the benefits. Step 2 Observational Reverence (each progressive step includes and transcends the prior step).  By cultivating a feeling of reverence towards what we observe, we develop feelings of unity, and the practice deepens, as do the benefits.  We are sometimes spontaneously pulled into this state by a soaring hawk, or a stunning flower, as we stare in timelessness.  Step 3 Participating in Ritual and Ceremony with Observational Reverence.  By moving with the seasons, and honoring seasonal changes with humility and festivity, we begin to feel the “heartbeat” of Mother Earth.  Her rhythms become more and more our rhythms.  We feel this after sleeping outside for a day or two, sleeping and waking with the sun.  Step 4 becomes possible when the three prior steps are followed with both gusto as well as the character of prayer.  Step 4 is Co-Healing and Co-Creation with Mother Earth.  Step 4 is a lifestyle, a lens, a worldview.  Step 4 becomes possible when our daily thoughts and actions are in alignment with the original impulse of Mother Earth, which can be seen on display in the world's great wildlands.  Step 4 is actively cultivated.  It rarely exists spontaneously in modern culture.   The medicine of Mother Nature is immediately available to us at all times.  I am looking forward to expanding on this topic in the coming 4-part series. JOIN BE HERE LIVE at one of their upcoming Nature immersions.  Sun Potion founder Scott Linde has been known to be found at these events, and has shared that “it was the absolute trip of a lifetime, with no detail missed.  I will never forget it.” Details can be found on Be Here’s Gatherings page.    With LOVE, go get outside!