Returning to the Land
Running through the tunnel of bent forsythia in the woods behind my childhood home, I could feel the heartbeat of the land pulsing through me. I could feel the spirits of the land coming to life through my playfulness and laughter. I could feel them with me in every step, feeling their sacred existence enmeshed with my own. As children we answer the call to adventure without a second thought, as it is our natural state.
Renewing this divine state of being is our highest honor while on this Earth. As we move through the phases of our lives, we pass through lessons and experiences that bring us increased understanding and spiritual fortitude. We learn personal responsibility and spiritual maturity, discernment and accessing universal wisdom while in the body. We learn to be a temple for the divine spark in us, as an eternal soul in a body. Through all this, we accumulate wounds and traumas, protection mechanisms and seriousness.
How often do you put a pause on your learned, adult behaviors and fall into the rhythm of Being? Allowing yourself to be swept away in the rhythmic movement of human essence, pure soul in body, in union with the Earth. Running, playing, jumping. Climbing that big rock and declaring yourself King of the Castle, hugging a tree because it feels good, talking to the spirits of the land. They might not talk back right away, it's good to go with reverence and without expectations - but they may just send you a special little sign to let you know they heard your call. Listen with the innocent heart of a child, finding magic in all things, the hawk that flies overhead at just the right moment or a chipmunk freaking you out by moving in a moment of stillness and meditation. Building relationship with the spirits of the land in a lighthearted manner can be the juiciest thing you do this year.
Other ways you can reach out and connect with the land:
barefoot walks
singing, rattling, drumming to an elemental: a river, a stone, the sky, the tree beings
bringing an offering of herbs, stones, or even a strand of your hair! Truth be told I often leave my hair because it is abundant and always with me!
silent observation, sitting with nature and observing all her beauty
laying on the earth, heart-to-heart, sending out that love and desire to connect in a more authentic way
holding your hands to a large stone or boulder and sending your love to that stone, for holding all the information in its solid existence and magnetic memory all through time. More on this another time!
gardening & tending to plants
What are some ways you've connected with the land in a deeper way? How can you answer the call to adventure, rediscover your natural rhythm?