Cultivating World

Connect With Nature

This Week’s Intentions:

Video Transcript: 

“Hey everybody, AJ here with this week in Cultivating Purpose . this week the theme is “Talk To Nature.” And, as you guys can see from these videos, I enjoy nature quite a bit. And what I want to talk about today, and what we should explore this week, is how and why it’s important to talk to nature, and how anyone can talk to nature, regardless of your situation.

So why is it important to listen to nature? Well, just like a couple of weeks ago when we built something from scratch we were reconnecting with our primal nature; Talking to Nature is also about reconnecting with a part of our biology that we lost in the midst of all this society.

Talking to nature can also uncover some deeply hidden truths about our human existence. Take this stream for example. Our normal, everyday perception has us regarding this stream as a ‘thing.’ It is an object, so to speak, that we can dissect and separate from it’s surroundings. We can say that this is a stream, this is a bank, this is a field, that’s a mountain, etc. We parcel the world into things. That's what our brains like to do, and in fact this appears to be the only way our brains can interact with the world.

But hopefully you can see things as more than just a group of things; hopefully you can see the world as a system of processes, that in itself is it's own larger process, playing out continuisly, everyday. What I mean is that the World doesn't have to be looked at as a group of objects or nouns. The world instead can be looked at as a collection of actions, or verbs. And in fact, the act of existence is just one giant, continuous verb.

Because, you see, when you examine any object or noun, it invariably dissolves into actions or verbs; and if you examine something enough, it's very existence as a noun seems to disappear right in front of your eyes.

Take your body for example. We are under the distinct impression that our body is something that is under our complete control in a way that other things in the universe are not in my complete control. We are also under the impression that our body exists within our skin, and the border of our skin defines the border of our body. Now while all this is true, you can also change your perspective and see that there are other truths as well. For example, the fact that you are in complete control of your body is completely ridiculous. Have you every tried to control your breathing? What happens if you try to stop your breathing? I'll tell you what would happen, you would pass out and your body would continue to breathe, regardless of your control of it. Now suppose you are 5 years old, and you don't want to grow to become 6 years old. Can you control your body to stay 5 years old? Of course not; your body is controlled by billions of years of evolutionary knowledge, and your body is beholden to that to some degree. 

And how about your breath? Can you breath by yourself, or do you require oxygen to breath, which thus requires trees and other things of that nature. So no, you cannot breathe on your own-- breathing does not begin and end with you.

And what about the fact that your body is an object contained within your skin? Well that's also not true, because there are billions of bacteria and fungi in your body, that you need for survival. In fact, many of these foreign organisms dictate what your thoughts are. They are literally part of your thoughts. So no, who you are does not begin and end inside of your skin. There is so much more at play, and this is apparent no matter what aspect of any object you look at. When you start analying what defines an object, you see that objects start bleeding into other objects until all you're left with is a giant breathing system of symphonic action. It is a grand dance, this universe, and we are merely one of the participants. 

So if we look at the world as continuous action, rather than individual objects, instead of saying "this is a stream" we can say that in this specific location and at this specific time, the Universe is streaming. And just like the Universe is streaming over there, the Universe is peopling over here. My existence is actually the entire activity of the Universe, expressed in an individual manifestation. I am simply part of the whole, as natural as this stream or these trees. I fit in perfectly, and I'm part of the grand movements.

This always reminds me of my favorite Grateful Dead song- which has a line that says "wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world." And I believe this line relates to the fact that our individual existences are actually activities of the great divine; and we are part of the tapestry of the universe, in which every part contributes to the beautiful whole. As humans, our position within nature is to reflect and pontificate upon all of this creation. What defines humanity is our central nervous system, which allows us to process and identify like no other organism in our ecosystem. Observing is our ultimate contribution to the Earth. That is how we fit into nature, and that is why I love coming out to nature-- to take my place in the ecosystem, and to appreciate all of this incredible activity from which my existence sprang.

So that is what we'll do this week. Talk to nature, and feel your place within it. Below we have a number of nature-oriented resources, as well as some action items for you to take this week. So as always- have fun! Namaste."

Original Content:

My Favorite Colorado Camping Locations

All free, All easy to access with an awd car!

Additional Reading & Viewing Links:

Action Items for Connecting with Nature: