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Foundation Two Discussion (WI/SP 2018)
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53 Replies
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The connection I see these two modalities having is in the guidance of bringing people back to their instinctual connection to the Earth. âPsyche and Nature In A Circle Of Healingâ states, âThis perspective addresses the critical fact that people are intimately connected with, embedded in, and inseparable from the rest of natureâ. The land is a part of us as much as we are a part of it. Through finding healing, peace, purpose, or whatever is being sought out in nature one will, inherently, find a deeper connection to their own Soul. Through this Soul connection and connection to the Earth, a desire to protect the health of Her will be unleashed. Ecopsychology surmises that by healing our connection to the natural world the person to person and person to self interaction will heal by default. A quote from âEcopsychology-The Principlesâ says, âEcopsychology seeks to heal the more fundamental alienation between the person and the natural environment.â This quote exemplifies the idea that there is a layer of depth that other psychological methods fail to reach. Thus the ever growing unhappiness and environmental destruction flourishes. This idea to me seems similar to what we are learning at EBI. I simply want to guide people to a deeper connection to Nature and to Soul, thus allowing a life lived with purpose and passion. If I can help guide my clients to this deeper connection, then their devotion to help heal the earth, and their relationships will naturally unfurl.
The skills needed to do this are being learned through the face-to-face intensives, maintaining the learned practices at home, and the assigned readings. The ability to tap into full sensory awareness and listen deeply are at the core of what is needed to guide clients in the way they deserve. With this, the ability to ask powerful and poignant questions will follow. Showing up with a level of compassion that each of our clients deserves is key to creating a container that fosters growth and awareness.
As I was reading these articles I felt some of my ideals and frustrations with âthe way things areâ, rise to the surface. This is, in part, why my answer above is a bit short.
Part of what drove me toward EBI is that it seems to pull away from this trend of diagnosing people and throwing them into a box. I have always had a strained relationship with the mainstream therapeutic process. Both through professional work I have done at residential treatment centers or in wilderness therapy, and in personal experience in my own therapeutic process. We as humans have a tendency to be âmeaning-making machinesâ and have this strong craving to put a label on things. Theodore Roszak says in âWhere Psyche Meets Gaiaâ, âOnce upon a time all psychology was âecopsychologyâ. This says it so clearly. Our culture makes things so technical that we lose connection. It doesnât need to be that complicated. In my opinion these articles over intellectualize the idea of connection to Nature and Soul. Things just seemed to get watered-down and convoluted. I am not sure if these thoughts are rooted in truth or if they stem from some block I am putting up that keeps me from seeing the real value.
I will get off my soapbox now and leave this with one final quote from Theodore Roszakâs âA Psyche as Big as the Earthâ. This quote seems to simplify the 30 pages of articles read for this portion of class down into one sentence. I donât see a need for it to be any more complicated than thisâŠâIf we have a connection with nature that expresses itself more authentically as love and loyalty than as guilt and fear, then freeing the ecological unconscious may be the key to sanity in our time.â
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Brian,
I totally resonate with this quote: “I simply want to guide people to a deeper connection to Nature and to Soul, thus allowing a life lived with purpose and passion. If I can help guide my clients to this deeper connection, then their devotion to help heal the earth, and their relationships will naturally unfurl.”
It is such a simple and clear desire and concept–one that I feel we have known deeply for thousands of years but have forgotten in the past few hundred years. This is such a clear and simple and noble “why” for what we are doing as coaches.
I also felt a little bit of frustration with the over-intellectualization of these articles which to me seemed to be a symptom of the exact type of thinking that can disconnect us so much. I really appreciate your statement about the quote from Roszak âOnce upon a time all psychology was âecopsychologyâ. This says it so clearly. Our culture makes things so technical that we lose connection. It doesnât need to be that complicated. In my opinion these articles over intellectualize the idea of connection to Nature and Soul. Things just seemed to get watered-down and convoluted.”
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Brian, it’s funny, the same quotes you used in your post were the same ones I underlined while reading, and then thought, “I can’t use this cause Brian got to them first!” ;). Thank you for your sincere and honest reaction to how the articles landed for you! It’s so clear to me from your post that the simplicity of bringing people into a connection with nature is at the heart of your work here, and that you are committed to helping them get there by any way that works for them on an individual level. Within your discomfort with the technical analyzation of nature connection, I feel, lies a really distinct power of ernest trust in the process that nature holds for each one of us.
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Thanks Brian. You’re not alone in your opinion as you stated “In my opinion these articles over intellectualize the idea of connection to Nature and Soul. Things just seemed to get watered-down and convoluted.” I agree and said similar things in my post. And fundamentally I think you nailed it on the head with this statement, “I simply want to guide people to a deeper connection to Nature and to Soul, thus allowing a life lived with purpose and passion. If I can help guide my clients to this deeper connection, then their devotion to help heal the earth, and their relationships will naturally unfurl.” I think it’s best we keep it simple. I think we all understand the weight carried through this work, but we need to keep it light and accessible to be successful.
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I really relate to what you shared, Brian, specifically: “Part of what drove me toward EBI is that it seems to pull away from this trend of diagnosing people and throwing them into a box.”
I feel that the “over-intellectualization” of nature takes away from being able to truly experience it as well! Eco-psychology is interesting to me because it seems to attempt to tie together the core connection to our eco system with the scientific and intellectual field of psychology… perhaps that changes the beauty and simplicity of just being in nature? I’m not sure, but thank you for sharing! You definitely have me thinking more about this…
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Brian,
Much like my fellow cohort members, your frustration around the complication of this very simple subject matter is spot on in my summation. By creating its own vocabulary and complicating issues academia is hoarding something that is a human birthright, a connection to Earth.
At our Foundations intensive, several times I found myself comparing the skills and experiences we were all experiencing with those I’ve had in the graduate counseling program I’m currently taking. How natural the NCC process and facilitation feel as opposed to the clinical aspects of a modern therapist.
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Way to cut to the core, Brian! As other mentioned, I appreciate your opinion of these readings over-intellectualizing something that is to be felt and experienced, not thought and intellectualized. However, I take a step back and ponder… How do we nudge the nature-disconnected intellectual towards nature-connection? Does it involve meeting them in the academic world, before guiding them out of the head and into the heart? Are these articles even accessible to those not already speaking the language of Soul and Earth connection? I have no answers. This is just what came up while reading your post.
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Even though I had a general working knowledge of ecopsychology, I found these articles to be very enlightening and helpful for my analytical brain to make sense of what we are doing in our work versus what is happening in other realms of therapy and healing modalities. I had originally entered into this program via a dabbling background in nature education and an interest in ecopsychology. Having come from that slightly different approach originally, and observing the focus of this work with EBI, I think I am getting a clear interpretation of the similarities and differences both coaching and ecopsychology may have with one another.
Something that kept coming up for me while reading these articles was how the orientation of where these deeply-rooted emotional issues are coming from is so vastly different from how much of modern society view their origins. In both the fields of coaching and ecopsychology, I have an overwhelming perception that problems that arise in those seeking healing are not isolated events occurring simply in the interpersonal realms of their lives, but a much larger, and almost generationally-based trauma around their whole connection to all life on the planet. On the one hand, this disconnect feels almost too grand to grapple with – and Roszak speaks to this a few times when discussing the overwhelming and dissociative reaction people have to environmental issues. He says in âA Psyche as Big as the Earthâ: âThis is not the behavior of monsters, but of troubled human beings trying to cope with jobs and families while the world around them seems to be turning to dust and ashesâ (Roszak 32). This type of angle adds such an empathetic element to the conversation of where problems form, while completely destigmatizing it. Additionally, it causes me to extrapolate that while the issues happening for clients are directly linked to the trauma of the natural world degrading before oneâs eyes (in many cases, at the hands of humanity), there is a much richer opportunity for healing because one has all of nature to choose to reconnect with, and the power of that connection seems stronger than anything that could come out of traditional psychology as we know it. This appears to be something that nature-connected coaching and ecopsychology share.
Another area where NBC and ecopsychology come together is in their practices for solutions, of which there are numerous. Both practices merge, as Buzzell and Chalquist put it, âthe latest scientific understandings and the deepest indigenous wisdomâ (Buzzell & Chalquist 18). When we have both areas of resource in our corner for the healing of clients, we are truly putting our best, most informed foot forward. An excerpt from âPsyche and Nature in a Circle of Healingâ communicates just how wide and thorough these resources are in the goal of reconnecting human with the planet:
âEcopsychologists and ecotherapists recommend many new and ancient methods of addressing such common difficulties as depression, anxiety, and stress, including reconnection with nature and oneâs own body; working with our plant and animal friends; voluntary simplicity; detaching from rigidly artificial time schedules; changing home or work environments; dream therapy focusing on individual or collective dreams about nature; wilderness retreats, environmental activism; healing spiritual practices; and recovery from compulsive consumerismâ (Buzzell & Chalquist 20).
Seeing these different aims gives me more inspiration to branch out with clients into these realms to play with the best practices for becoming reconnected with nature and themselves.When I thought about how the approach of ecopsychology as outlined in the articles might fall short for the work that I want to do as a Nature-connected coach, the first thing that came to mind was the strong focus on environmental goals. This could simply be projection, but It seems to me, and Rosnak appeared to speak to this foundation in âA Psyche as Big as the Earthâ, that perhaps the goal initially was a sort of ulterior motive to âhackâ peopleâs psychologies to allow them to be more environmentally conscious in a desperate effort to save the planet. While I donât believe that this is the main goal of ecopsychologists â it seems to have a dual focus that feels almost distracting or confusing for me. Donât get me wrong, I would love nothing more than for my clients to have or develop a strong commitment to environmentalism deeply ingrained in their lifestyle as a result of a relationship with nature! I just tend to think that that already organically arises when one cultivates a deep love for the Earth through the awareness practices we are learning to uncover with our clients.
As for the question of needed skills, I suppose I donât entirely know what that is asking. Skills to incorporate aspects of ecopsychology into our coaching? Skills to be an ecopsychologist? Iâll wait for othersâ responses and perhaps come back to this one đ
Lastly, an excerpt that really stood out to me, and I found really beautiful, was the following from Roszakâs âEcopsychology â The Principlesâ: âEcopsychology holds that there is a synergistic interplay between planetary and personal well-being. The term âsynergyâ is chosen deliberately for its traditional theological connotation, which once taught that the human and the divine are cooperatively linked in the quest for salvation. The contemporary ecological translation of the term might be: The needs of the planet are the needs of the person, the rights of the person are the rights of the planetâ (Roszak 321). âSynergyâ and âquest for salvationâ really stood out to me; anyone have any thoughts on or interpretations of what heâs saying here?
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Thanks Hannah. This statement you made almost sounds too simple to be true, but I really believe it is, ” In both the fields of coaching and ecopsychology, I have an overwhelming perception that problems that arise in those seeking healing are not isolated events occurring simply in the interpersonal realms of their lives, but a much larger, and almost generationally-based trauma around their whole connection to all life on the planet.” I do think this is the crux of our planetary trouble and not just a particle of it. It stands as my opinion, but I stand firm because I also know how I, and others, feel about reconnecting with nature. To me, reconnecting (on all levels; with nature, self, others) IS the solution we’re looking for therefore disconnection with nature is the problem. The holistic approach in this work is what we all seem to be attracted to, and I think it is the most successful approach.
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That statement also really stood out to me, Hannah & Kent!
“In both the fields of coaching and ecopsychology, I have an overwhelming perception that problems that arise in those seeking healing are not isolated events occurring simply in the interpersonal realms of their lives, but a much larger, and almost generationally-based trauma around their whole connection to all life on the planet.”
As without, so within. It’s my belief that the planet and nature are a mirror reflection for what is going on internally, and vica versa! Humans may sometimes feel so separate and disassociated with nature, but the connection runs deep whether we are aware of it or not.
Thanks for your eloquent words, Hannah!
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I really appreciate the honesty and authenticity that you, and your other cohort members, have shared through this post on Ecopsychology. The fact that you express how certain concepts and practices shared in the writings can help in your personal coaching vision, and other parts may not, is a great testament to how this material can serve you best.
Not everything we cover needs or has to be applied in your coaching practice, but it is meant to open your perspective and possibilities in this line of work. For me personally, Ecopsychology is one “extreme” side of the NCC spectrum and has allowed me to broaden my coaching skills and methods, but I only apply what feels like honest expression in my own coaching.
I’m glad to hear that the reading material has given you a few good ideas for coaching practices with your own clients and that you are able to distinguish between what hits home for you and what parts may not. Keeping this openness and awareness throughout the program will be a huge benefit as we keep working on new material over the year! I encourage everyone to practice this awareness while still being open to what the learning material can show you.
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Hannah,
This statement….”In both the fields of coaching and ecopsychology, I have an overwhelming perception that problems that arise in those seeking healing are not isolated events occurring simply in the interpersonal realms of their lives, but a much larger, and almost generationally-based trauma around their whole connection to all life on the planet.â WHOA!
This resonates with me on so many levels…there is a teaching among medicine people that in every environment there is a medicine for treating that which harms. I.e. Jewelweed is used as a very effective treatment for poison ivy and is often found growing near the ivy patches. From a Earth connection perspective, as the “disconnection” sickness becomes more severe an increasing number of healers will emerge to meet that sickness. A balancing of shadow and light.
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Iâve had a bit of difficulty and resistance to this weekâs question and paper, not because I donât agree or relate with ecopsychology. Actually, quite the opposite. Some of the readings, especially the content from Roszak, was incredibly moving and touched on a deep knowing in me. At times in reading the articles I felt as if someone else had been in my head and was writing out my own very thoughts.
I think what Iâm having a bit of resistance to is not the content of the material at all, but (like Brian mentioned) the over-intellectualization of it, which seems somewhat counter to the subject matter itself. I even feel a bit of that very over-intellectualization in trying to write out this paper to post here. However, I am pushing through that to try to get my thoughts and feelings out on paper because I know it is helpful to my own process and to the group.
I was just outside on a night wander under the full moon and wandered down to a huge old cottonwood tree that is down near a lake on this country property I live on. The cottonwood has got four main branches that split out from each other, and in the middle of all the branches there is a place you can sit. I asked permission to enter and just stood there, held within the embrace of this huge grandmother tree. As I stood there, without even trying, I started to feel myself settle. I could feel my energy coming into the very center of my body. I could feel all of the cells of my body relax and become receptive. I felt myself attuning to the tree herself. Soon, I heard a prayer coming out of my mouth from my heart thanking this tree and all her relatives for their support, their nurturing, their unconditional love. I found myself beginning to weep as I apologized and grieved for the ways in which we humans have forgotten these tree people â how weâve overlooked them, ignored them, used them without asking, and maimed them. And I asked this cottonwood if there was anything she or they needed from me. How can I give back to you? I sat down in the middle of the arms of this tree and waited. And listened. As I sat there I began to become enveloped by this almost overwhelming sensation of love. My chest and entire torso felt warm and open, and there was this incredible dual sensation of expansiveness and being held. Everything was alive and tingling. I realized then too that my breathing was slow and rhythmic, and I imagined that as I breathed out she was breathing in, and we were in this sort of intimate reciprocal exchange. And we just were like this â giving and receiving, seeing and listening to each other. And it was enough.
This experience to me encapsulates all that I read about for this section. It really is very simple for me â we are in relationship with all other beings on this planet and out in our solar system into the universe, and many of us have forgotten this. We are in large part humans that suffer from amnesia. This is part of the human condition in my opinion, and it has become increasingly exacerbated over the past century. Most of our society has grown incredibly detached from the Earth, from nature, and from any sort of notion that we are interconnected. Roszak, in Psyche and Nature in a circle of Healing states, âThe problem of our day is an inner deadening, an increasingly deployed defense against the stresses of living in an overbuilt industrialized civilization saturated by intrusive advertising and media, unregulated toxic chemicals, unhealthy food, parasitic business practices, time-stressed living, and a heart-warping culture of perpetual war and relentlessly mindless political propaganda. No wonder so many of us disconnect, feel nothing, and resort to medication or other addictions, inflicting violence upon ourselves in an attempt to temporarily drown out external hostilities.â As a result of this detachment and even dissociation from the ground of our beings and from the living Earth, there has become an ever present feeling of NOT belonging. I think there is a strong sense that many have that they donât belong anywhere or to anything. When I really feel into this, NOT belonging to something or to someone or to someplace removes you from any sense of responsibility to it. It is through connection and belonging, through relationship, that we begin to recognize our responsibility to that thing and that we feel a moral obligation to honor it and to tend to it.
I think ecopsychology is about re-orienting those that are suffering, lost, dissociated, confused, or detached towards that which we all know somewhere in our bones and breath â that we are a part of the living Earth, and that we indeed come from her along with all other beings on this planet. In Where Psyche Meets Gaia, Roszak states that âat its deepest level the psyche remains sympathetically bonded to the Earth that mothered us into existence.â I believe there is an ever present amount of resourcing we can tap into when we remember this and seek out support and relationship with her and the natural world. Part of what I am seeing as my role as guide is to help bridge the gap of remembrance between where we are as a society today, and where we have come from and must tend to. The great storyteller, Dr. Martin Shaw, talks about something he calls Bone Memory, which is a sort of primordial connection to something greater than ourselves and our own lives. Bone Memory is where you remember something deeper, where your remembrance is not tied up with what youâve experienced in the walk of your particular life of however many years, but that is a larger deeper truth of our collective unconscious and the psyche of the living Earth. This is precisely what I think some of these articles allude to, and what part of the focus of ecopsychology is. To me, ecopsychology is not a new idea or a brilliant concept. It is the most ancient way of being and relating that has been remembered more recently by a few in the western world and has been presented in such a way that has garnered the approval of the scientific community.
As I stated above, these concepts and ways of relating with the natural world speak to my soul on such a deep and fundamental level, itâs almost difficult to break them down and analyze them for the purposes of this paper. It is a no brainer to me that âif the self is expanded to include the natural world, behavior leading to destruction of this world will be experienced as self destruction.â as stated in Where Psyche Meets Gaia (Roszak). I think a big part of the work that we are learning to do as guides is to help others to slow down, to learn to open and become receptive, to allow the flow and to trust in the messages received from nature and from the soul. To allow ourselves to open all of our cells to receive the love, the story and the answers that are just waiting to fill us from Spirit in nature. Martin Shaw says, âMy mind is not contained in my head, but is part of the perocity of the forest.â We are one connected web all born from the same place. In opening ourselves up in this way, the self expands and begins to sense and feel the interconnectedness of ourselves with our natural world. This leads to relationship, which leads to a sense of belonging, which leads to a desire to serve, love and protect.
I truly believe that we have to fight for what we love, and I am fighting to acknowledge, serve and protect mother Earth. I believe that there is deep and profound healing that nature can provide for all of us in simply accepting us, holding us, breathing with us, modeling for us how to allow and trust in flow, and in giving us the love we so desperately desire. I see my role as guide to shine a light on the doorway to the unending availability of this healing, and I believe that once we receive that healing, we will find in ourselves not only a desire, but the capacity to serve and protect what gives us life â our most fundamental relationship. The guiding back towards remembering this most ancient relationship is a big part of my WHY for wanting to work with others in this nature-connected way.
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Mandy! Thank you for sharing your experience with grandmother cottonwood! I could envision it in my minds eye and relate to the sensations and feelings you encountered. Really, really beautiful. And this statement really hit home for me, “As a result of this detachment and even dissociation from the ground of our beings and from the living Earth, there has become an ever present feeling of NOT belonging. I think there is a strong sense that many have that they donât belong anywhere or to anything. When I really feel into this, NOT belonging to something or to someone or to someplace removes you from any sense of responsibility to it. It is through connection and belonging, through relationship, that we begin to recognize our responsibility to that thing and that we feel a moral obligation to honor it and to tend to it.” I always mention the sense of belonging I feel in nature when I talk about nature connection with other people. I used to cling to that feelings so strongly that I often didn’t see or feel belonging to anything or anyone else, and in some respects didn’t want to. I believed nothing BUT nature could give me that feeling so I didn’t even attempt to connect. In my sense of belonging to Earth I felt/feel that responsibility but I felt like people and society rejected me because they couldn’t understand me. How much that has changed for me and I am so grateful. I BELONG. That encapsulates everything for me and I am honored to carry this responsibility.
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Yes! Thank you for sharing this personal experience with the cottonwood tree and how your experience relates to ecopsychology! Sometimes the best thing we can do with learning and understanding new reading material is to take a from a thought/mindful experience and intertwine it with a felt/visceral experience. Tying the two together can create a deeper understanding and familiarity that cannot be duplicated any other way.
I really get a sense that your really understanding that the connection with the earth, like they talk about in ecopsychology, is directly related to the connection we have within ourselves. And that the inner-connection must be created before a greater connection outside of ourselves can be manifested.
Thanks so much for sharing a personal story that relates to the material. This was exciting to read and I think we all took away some good stuff from what you have shared with us. Thanks Mandy!
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Mandy,
What a beautiful experience you describe, that realization and witnessing of the reciprocity of the natural world is a true gift. A gift which, for those of us on the path of the true human being touches us to the marrow of our bones and the depths of our soul. I’ve had this “two way” communication experience many times, and the underlying message I continue to receive from the beings which share this space with us…..1) the Earth and her offspring (which include humans) misses being in healthy relationship with us. 2) These beings hunger for interaction, intimacy with their human relatives. Something I practice at my sit spot is singing, speaking out-loud and/or reading to the life around me and of course with all relationships…listening. I’ve found the depth of intimacy with these beings has increased exponentially by including these in my practice. Thank you, -Z
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“When I really feel into this, NOT belonging to something or to someone or to someplace removes you from any sense of responsibility to it. It is through connection and belonging, through relationship, that we begin to recognize our responsibility to that thing and that we feel a moral obligation to honor it and to tend to it.”
This is amazing! A lot of what you said, including your beautiful story, really embodies the essence of what we read about ecopsychology. I think the heart of ecospychology can be summarized by what you said about relationship – ecospychology seems to dive into our relationship to Earth and Soul. Through that relationship comes a responsibility that both the environmental movement and the school of psychology have tried to make us aware of for so long.
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Iâm thinking about dance and how it all relates to me and this process of discovery through nature connection. Before I really go into it, I feel like I need to have a sort of disclaimer about what I mean by âdanceâ because it can conjure up anxieties in many as they instantly begin to think âI canât dance, Iâve got two left feetâ, or âdance just isnât my thingâ. When I say dance I am not thinking of performance or beautiful, synchronized, graceful movements. Though all of those things might happen in the true dance of the soul, what I mean is movement that expresses from the innermost part of our beings out through our bodies. It is movement that gives shape to the truths deep within. It doesnât necessarily look pretty, it may look messy, but it is truth and it is beautiful.
Whatâs coming up for me is that dance is a bridge, a connection to soul and to spirit. Itâs as if the body can either be a barrier between soul and spirit, or it can be a doorway. We can go through so many experiences of living, of making it through childhood in this society, in a disconnected and isolated environment, just the experience of making it to where you find yourself today can put us into a state in which we are protecting ourselves (literally our Self and our cells) with our defenses up so strongly that the fence becomes thick and the mote wide and the shadow cast so huge that we canât even see or hear or feel the soul any longer. The body becomes so rigid and stiff with its defending that parts of it even close off entirely. We are âprotectingâ ourselves so much that we actually move out of our bodies entirely and take up residence in the brain. We put our trust into the brain and shut down the body and close off to the whispers of the soul. But dance can be a way to open up those relationships yet again, those connections that weâve become so closed from. Dance can be a doorway into soul, just as nature can. Perhaps, as ecopsychology points towards, as much as nature reflects to us our larger consciousness and psyche externally, dance reflects to us our inner consciousness, inner psyche and soul, that inner wilderness. Iâm beginning to see that there is a sacred union between the two â inner, outer; soul, spirit; body, earth; dance, nature. Just as nature will give us symbols and metaphor for what is going on in our psyche that we may not yet be conscious of or be able to give words to, I find myself sometimes without words for what is happening inside, but able to make a shape of it or give it some expression through dance and movement.
Iâm writing all of this out in a search for how dance ties into what we are doing with nature connected coaching because it is absolutely related for me, but the threads are not yet woven together. I was really struck by the ideas in this ecopsychology portion regarding the psyche, something we so often think of as contained within our own minds, as being completely interlinked with the entire natural world. âThe psyche is rooted inside a greater intelligenceâŠthe psyche of the Earth herself that has been nurturing life in the cosmos for billions of years.â (Rozsak, Where Psyche Meets Gaia, p.16) There just seems to be something coming up that I have not fully unraveled yet about the interplay that dance, the body, movement have within the context of psyche, truth and soul, and I wanted to open it up for discussion.
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I really enjoyed reading this, Mandy! It ties into a lot of work I do in Yoga Therapy. I am also trying to tie the body into this work that we’re doing.
Personally, I can see my state of mind so much clearer when I tune into how my body moves. When I am able to really dance and let go, my soul and mind feel free and unleashed. And there are times when I cannot get out of my head enough to really enjoy moving in my body! The body has become such a potent way for me to access what I am experiencing in my mind.
There is a Tantric Goddess called “Bhuvaneshwari,” which means “She whose body is the Universe.” I often think of her archetype when I am dancing. What you wrote reminded me of this Goddess and I want to share an excerpt Sally Kempton, who has a book called “Awakening Shakti,” wrote. The parts that really stick out to me are in bold.
“Bhuvaneshwari represents cosmic spaciousness, the matrix
out of which all things manifest. In that sense, she is the field of
possibility, the creative potential that always exists within
consciousness. So tuning into her energy is a way of tuning into
creative possibility itself. When we ask questions in meditation,
or ask for help in resolving an issue in life, or practice
âmanifestingâ, it is the Bhuvaneshwari energy in consciousness
that creates these mysterious creative shifts.
In terms of life practice, I like to consider Bhuvaneshwari as
the divine spaciousness within which contradictions and
difficulties can be resolved. As the space that holds all forms, she
is also the power within consciousness that can effortlessly
dissolve knots, and return your mind and heart to the state of
peace.
Bhuvaneshwari is pure Beingness, the Beingness that underlies
our world and our doings. In one sense, our suffering comes from
the constant drive to do, to fix things, to create success for
ourselves. In invoking Bhuvaneshwari, we open to the Being that
contains all doings, and which has the power both to bring things
to fruition and to resolve our contradictions. To practice with
Bhuvaneshwari is to give ourselves the space to allow surrender
and acceptance, surrender to reality as it is, surrender to our own
inability to control outcomes.
Bhuvaneshwari represents that power that grants peace
through acceptance, yet, which can also resolve in unexpected
and seemingly miraculous ways the situations and conflicts that
seem irresolvable by the ordinary mind. She is the space we reach
in meditation, where creative solutions arise spontaneously, and
external dilemmas are resolved by the power of Being itself.
She is also the Great Heart, the compassionate love within
which our divine humanity, in all its complexity, can be held and
transformed, and within which we realize that we are, really, a
part of all that is. The love of the Great Heart is not emotional, but
neither does it feel abstract or impersonal. It is a palpable sense of
being held, embraced and seen. The Bhuvaneshwari Shakti can
opens us to the felt experience that we are part of all that isâa
sense that our perceived differences are simply appearances
within the underlying Beingness that we share.-
Wow! This archetype feels really related to this entire discussion on ecopsychology, particularly noting the difference between two different states of being, stating “In one sense, our suffering comes from the constant drive to do, to fix things, to create success for ourselves.” And, “The love of the Great Heart is not emotional, but neither does it feel abstract or impersonal. It is a palpable sense of being held, embraced and seen. The Bhuvaneshwari Shakti can open us to the felt experience that we are part of all that is.” Thanks for sharing this Kaity!
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Foundations 2 Initial Post
Where does Ecopsychology and Coaching come together?
Nature-Connected coaching is the bridge between Coaching and Ecopsychology. I believe that a practice/method like nature-connected coaching is a missing link to some of the gaps in how Ecopsychology functions, or doesnât function, in the modern world. For me personally, reading through some of the material about Ecopsychology can be frustrating. I agree with it, and itâs important, but sometimes I feel like itâs a lot of unnecessary intellectual information about nature that does not necessarily entice me to be in nature. Ecotherapy, however, is the application of Ecopsychology and employs âNature-reconnection practices, animal assisted psychotherapy, horticultural therapy, time-stress management, wilderness work, and various restorative methods….in disciplined and systematic attempts to reconnect the psyche and the body with the terrestrial sources of all healing.â (pg 18, Ecotherapy).Threshold experiences during Nature-Connected Coaching could involve any/all of the methods mentioned above. The difference I see, and where the power of coaching comes in, is that these methods are created by the client. I canât speak for how Ecotherapists operate, but I imagine it is the therapist that arranges these practices and encourages the client to try them. Not that that is a bad thing, but a client that is able to make choices is much more empowered during the process. Also, âtherapyâ can carry a bad connotation for some people; the perspective that âI must need help if I am in therapy.â in my opinion, âtherapyâ is something being given (without to within), while âcoachingâ could be seen as drawing out something that is already there (within to without). And while coaching is not therapy, Nature-Connected Coaching results in therapeutic benefits due to the connection to natural processes and systems found in nature, and the effect it has on the human body/mind/soul.
In many respects what this material does offer, for me, is a historical account of how movements in environmentalism have fallen short and why (enter Ecopsychology). Ecopsychology, in and off itself, is mostly a study and not a modality for change. The âwhyâ may be clear, but the âhowâ is more difficult within the functionality of Ecopsychology. From an âoutsidersâ perspective Ecopsychology may seem like itâs simply trying to logically blend two foundationally different concepts of environmentalism and psychology, while it is actually trying to explain is that the two are intimately connected. The âtheoryâ is valuable to understand, especially for professionals operating in this space, but I do question some of the intellectualism offered in this material such as this statement in the chapter Where Psyche Meets Gia; âSome are quick to see elements of sentimentality or romanticism in our growing appreciation of the sacred ecologies that guide traditional societies. This is mistaken. There is nothing âmysticalâ or âtranscendentâ about the matter as we might understand these words. It is homely common sense that human beings must live in a state of respectful give-and-take with the flora and fauna, the rivers and hills, the sky and soil on which we depend for physical sustenance and practical instruction.â(pg 6 Ecopsychology).
I agree and disagree with this statement. I believe it is common sense, but common sense rarely moves anyone into a different space. The reason religion has become as powerful as it is, is because people want to believe that there is something bigger than themselves, watching over them and calling them toward something good. There is a certain kind of romanticism involved. But there are the religious fanatics too who seem to lose sight of common sense. I see the need for balance between the âcommon senseâ and the âmysticalâ and I think Nature-Connected Coaching can help strike that balance.
Herein lies the gap; human beings do not change based on information. Right now, as I type this, humanity is at a peak of its ability to obtain more information than ever previously known. As a species we know more about everything, and that information is literally at our fingertips, yet we continue to destroy one another and the planet. The unfortunate thing is that we cannot make someone VALUE anything solely based on information. The information must be combined with experience (enter Nature-Connected Coaching).
How does this blend add foundation to your interests as a Nature-Connected Coach.
While some of the details of Eco-psychological theory may not be fully necessary, the higher arcing view of Ecopsychology is why I want to be a Nature-Connected Coach; to help people help themselves through gaining awareness, insight and value with their connection to nature and their soul. Itâs like a two for one deal; the client learns/chooses to value themselves and to value nature (as they also learn to see themselves as). Happy people, happy planet.In many respects I used to value nature over people. I ache over the way Earth is treated and people are the reason why. But I canât fully love people seeing them that way. Now I see them as nature too, which of course we always have been. I needed to make that shift so that I could fully enter into a position to help others see themselves as nature too.
How might it fall short?
The nature connection cannot fall short. I can on the other hand. If I operate too much out of my head or my own agenda, then I will cause to weaken the delicate thread my client has begun to weave into their lives.What skills are needed?
I must make the choice, everyday, to honor my commitment to self, nature and client. Through my personal daily practices of ceremonial severance, threshold, and integration I am able to show up in life as the most authentic me; ready to listen deeply, reflect, and ask powerful questions. As I continue to accept myself through non-judgment and self love, I will radiate the frequency of Earthâs magnetism which will attract the people I work with to be calm, vulnerable, and feel a sense of safety and support.-
“The Earth’s cry for rescue from the punishing weight of the industrial system we have created is our own cry for a scale and quality of life that will free each of us to become the complete person we were born to be.” Roszak, The Voice of The Earth (p 14)
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Kent,
I really appreciate your sentiments about the difference between operating on information only versus having a felt experience. This quote stood out to me: “Herein lies the gap; human beings do not change based on information. Right now, as I type this, humanity is at a peak of its ability to obtain more information than ever previously known. As a species we know more about everything, and that information is literally at our fingertips, yet we continue to destroy one another and the planet. The unfortunate thing is that we cannot make someone VALUE anything solely based on information. The information must be combined with experience (enter Nature-Connected Coaching).”
This sentiment also stood out to me: “The nature connection cannot fall short. I can on the other hand. If I operate too much out of my head or my own agenda, then I will cause to weaken the delicate thread my client has begun to weave into their lives.” To me, this speaks directly to that idea of operating too much from an information standpoint (the brain) rather than from an experience standpoint (engaging the senses and the body).
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Hannah,
So much of what you said was helpful to me personally. I had such a challenge looking past my ideals and really diving in to this discussion. You seem to have a great ability to look at the big picture and to see how both Ecopsychology and NCC fit in to your path. You mentioned that âSeeing these different aims gives me more inspiration to branch out with clients into these realms to play with the best practices for becoming reconnected with nature and themselves.â This quote of yours helps me to look past my issue with âlabelingâ to something vastly more integral to the work we all will be doing. Being open to learning these labeled practices as coaches we will be able to better serve our future clients. Much gratitude for your post. -
Mandy,
Thank you for sharing your experience with the Cottonwood tree near your house. You paint an incredible picture of what deep connection to self and another being can be. This quotes just following your story landed in a very real. âIt really is very simple for me â we are in relationship with all other beings on this planet and out in our solar system into the universe, and many of us have forgotten this. We are in large part humans that suffer from amnesia.â And it really does seem that simple, and we are all on a path towards guiding others to this realization. And wow!!!!! Your final paragraph is so powerful. It isnât just about us connecting with Mother Earth. It is equally about acknowledging and feeling the love and reverence She has for each of us, and every other living being. Guiding others to that awareness seems so vital to this whole thing.
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Kent,
I like the idea you expressed in the 1st words of your postâŠâNature-Connected coaching is the bridge between Coaching and Ecopsychology.â In fact I relate very much with your whole 1st paragraph. The following quote is a really interest idea and concept, âin my opinion, âtherapyâ is something being given (without to within), while âcoachingâ could be seen as drawing out something that is already there (within to without).â This is fundamentally what we are learning to do, help guide our clients to an awareness of something inside them that has been there all along (within to without). âHerein lies the gap; human beings do not change based on information.â When I read this statement of your I began to think about how I have approached people in my life (brothers, parents, friends) who see the world very different than I do. I have passed countless bits of information on to them expecting them to âsee the lightâ so to speak. Not once has is hit home. In fact it just causes more issues. I still do this from time to time, like yesterday! So holding what you wrote with me as I work with people as a coach and as I simply connect with friends and family, will help me to have more healthy interactions.
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I have been having a difficult time writing this reflection as well. I feel extremely connected to the philosophy and teachings behind eco-psychology but am likewise struggling with the over-intellectualization of it as I sit here trying to put my words together.
An additional layer for me is a resistance toward being on my computer, indoors, while writing about nature connection and eco-psychology. It feels counter-intuitive at this moment in time. The intellectual approach isnât happening for me today. I feel like Iâve been staring at this forum for hours, trying to create words that end up feeling forced and separated from my present moment experience.
Part of my job requires hours of computer work each day, and Iâm feeling a little fried sitting here trying to put together words on how eco-psychology and coaching come together, while feeling like I would much rather actually be outside, relaxing, and feeling the sunshine as far away from my computer as possible.
It is such a consistent struggle for me: how to balance living in the modern world and a feeling like I want to ârun awayâ from it all, into the woods, to never return.
I have taken breaks from writing this, given myself outdoor time to decompress, and when I come back to it end up feeling the same dread about being on my laptop. Dread.
And dread slowly opens up to a softer, more subtle longing. Longing to Connect to nature to connect to community. I feel like the technology use can numb and distract me from connecting to others, myself, and the natural world. This feels like a branch of eco-psychology that could be deeply explored: how excessive technology influences the psyche and ecology.
The eco-psychology underneath my âdreadâ feels like an intuitive acknowledgement of how much technology use gets in the way of my ability to truly be with people.
This writing feels like a learning process of showing up as I am. This is messy, scary, unknown. But, so is nature. Perhaps the ecopsychology I am currently diving into is the courage and openness to sit with the deep unknown, with the dread and pain, not run away. To hold it and breathe with it, just as Mandy described in her beautiful recollection about the cottonwood tree.
Overall, I would say that I feel really unsure today. I feel a lack of words, but a deep longing in my heart. Maybe tomorrow I will have more to say on the topic. For now, I need to log off and take a nice long walk!
Lots of love for you all.
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Thank you for your honesty, Kaity. You’re not alone in the feelings you expressed. I think you are on to something with this statement, “Perhaps the ecopsychology I am currently diving into is the courage and openness to sit with the deep unknown, with the dread and pain, not run away. To hold it and breathe with it, just as Mandy described in her beautiful recollection about the cottonwood tree.” I trust you will discover your own resolve. I remember when we were working together in a practice session and I visualized your answer being built up in your belly then moving its way up your center and out of your mouth. I see this happening with you again.
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Kaity,
Thank you for sharing so authentically in your post. I can totally relate to what you describe. What struck me in reading your post is that you seem to be tapped into and present with exactly what is happening for you internally, in your inner world, which seems to me to be precisely what the desired outcome would be of ecopsychology — to be able to read and be aware of your inner landscape. I appreciate your thoughts and feelings, and your willingness to let it be what it is at this time. That seems like such a valuable step towards NOT forcing, NOT efforting towards an outcome, but engaging with the flow and with what is.
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I’ve read through all your heartfelt posts a few times now, and something that keeps coming up for me is this piece of the over-intellectualization. I’ve now had the chance to consider it from various perspectives, and the following is what I’ve come up with.
We all so clearly have this deep, felt connection with nature that it has (literally and figuratively) pulled us on to this life path of connecting others to their inner and outer nature. We feel this transformative love so richly, that we have decided that one of our driving purposes in our time on Earth is to help allow others to access that same love. It seems to me to be the subjective experiences of feeling and emotion, which we all know too well, appears to be lacking in this time and place of human existence. Within this subjectivity, I’m seeing in myself and possibly within many of you that going “up in the head” too much with these concepts feels disjointed, and possibly even dangerously counterintuitive to this important work.
On the other hand, I feel called to speak to how all aspects of human experience have a purpose and a value, whether felt in the body or experienced in the head. Without intellectual concepts, it would seem that we just have the expressions of our own experiences and the experiences of others. In a lot of ways, these concepts can have a grounding quality that may allow us to use our varied experiences to get on the same page with one another. There is an evolutionary developmental purpose to the formation of concepts that reside in our intellects, and they serve this purpose in innumerable areas of study and interest. It might also be worth noting that it is nearly impossible for even the most intelligent individual to not be ruled in some way by their emotional subjectivity, and for the deepest embodied experiencer to not use concepts to orient themselves to the rest of humanity and planet. It seems to me that we rarely ever have entirely felt experiences or isolated intellectual experiences.
I feel that, personally, I want to use all the tools available to me in terms of how I can experience life, connection, and work with my clients. I know that I want to feel into why there may be resistance to merging intellectual concepts and emotional sensory experiences. I hope that we may all be able to effortlessly flow between the two (as well as all other ways we can use our tools of humanness), and utilize them purposefully when appropriate to creating real and lasting change in the world. I’m so thankful that many of you spoke to this in your posts, because it allowed me to see this perceived dichotomy a bit clearer in my own processes! I hope we can continue the conversation; it seems pretty important for this work. Love.
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I appreciate your desire and depth of understanding, Hannah, thank you so much.
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Oops, I made a typo (and I’m unsure how to edit; anyone know if that’s possible on this forum?): “It might also be worth noting that it is nearly impossible for even the most *intellectual* individual to not be ruled in some way by their emotional subjectivity, and for the deepest embodied experiencer to not use concepts to orient themselves to the rest of humanity and planet”.
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Hey everyone,
Sorry Iâve been M.I.A. in this discussion. Ive been dealing with quite a few interferences as Michael put it in the video call today. But things are settling a bit and I plan to engage more in the next discussion. This post will be short, unedited, and hardly academic because I honestly donât have too much energy to put into this oneâŠ
I share a similar discontent others expressed regarding the over-intellectualization of being in relationship to the Earth. All the theoretical talk of connecting to the Earth almost took me out of a place of true connection and flow. But as I think through it more, I appreciate the highly intellectual argument for connecting to the Earth. Because some people likely havenât felt Soul- or Nature-connection, the academic world of ideas can help people to take a step into the depths of being in relationship with themselves and the Earth.
Reflecting on the readings while thinking of where Ecopsychology and Coaching come together, my mind jumps to Linda Buzzell and Craig Chalquistâs âPsyche and Nature in a Circle of Healingâ, where they refer to ecotherapy as âapplied ecopsychology.â However, the application of ecopsychology is not confined to ecotherapy. Coaching â nature-connected coaching in particular â can also be a profound partner in the application of where the field of ecopsychology is going. The more I learn about therapy, the more I believe it is more effective alongside coaching (either by the same practitioner or as a team). Iâm not sure whether ecopsychology informs nature-connected coaching or vise versa. They surely need each other. The scientific knowledge of why humans need to connect to themselves and the Earth is nothing without the guides to get people there. And coaching without a strong foundation in ecopsychology is barely productive.
Buzzell and Chalquist end their chapter on this note:
âThe environmental crisis now threatening all species with extermination represents a crisis not only of uncontrolled pesticides or rampant sprawl, but of consciousness itself. Because the crisis ultimately springs from the unmanaged demons of the human psyche, hopes for an end to the long and self-destructive war between humankind and Earth depend on repairing the damage inflicted on both. Heartfelt ways to reimagine our responsibilities to this world, to its creatures and elements, to ourselves, and to each other will require approaches to healing that can no longer be confined to the consulting rooms, doctorsâ offices, or the inside of peopleâs heads.â
In this regard, both ecopsychology and ecotherapy NEED the coaches and guides that can offer a tender walk to the depths of the Soul and its reflection of Nature.
Human beings evolved from the Earth. We are living creatures connected both chemically and spiritually to everything on this planet. Water, minerals, proteins, sybiotic relationships with microbiota â we are composed of particles of the Earth and itâs ecosystems. Yet our viewing of the Earth and other forms of life as âother thanâ truly is a form of dissociation. According to Psychiatry.com, âDissociation is a disconnection between a personâs thoughts, memories, feelings, actions or sense of who he or she is, and dissociative symptoms include âthe experience of detachment or feeling as if on is outside of oneâs body.â Does this not sound like the current human condition? The Earth is our home, just as our body is our home â we are sustained by it and would not exist without it. Yet we disconnect from our primitive feelings of connectedness to the Earth, from our destructive behavior towards it, and to the sense of self and embodiment as Earth creatures bound to and dependent on the Earth.
On other thought that came up for me during these readings…
I see people who consider themselves spiritual unknowingly treating the earth with disrespect. An example of this is when I was on a camping trip with fellow Naropa students and they littered cigarette butts and trash while deep in wilderness after having conversations about Buddhism and self actualization. I also see people who consider themselves environmental activists who treat other human beings with disrespect. Iâve noticed this in my social/environmental activist friends who talk down to and bully anyone who doesnât live exactly how they do. Relationship and responsibility to the Earth and to oneâs own psyche are seldom connected in todayâs world. I believe the disconnect of the two resides in oneâs estrangement from oneâs Soul. Deep listening to oneself, others, and to the Earth is dependent on a relationship with Soul, because Soul shares kinship with Nature and all beings. This is the core of the ecopsychology readings through my EBI lens.
Iâll end on a story from my week, where I felt both Soul- and Nature-connected. I planned to go on a medicine walk on Sunday. The first half of the day was beautiful â blue sky, sunny and warm, calm. I read from Coaching Skill while shirtless in my backyard until the weather suddenly took a turn and my discomfort brought me back inside. By the time I was ready for the medicine walk, the temperature dropped and wind picked up to where I needed to jackets. I drove up to Shanahan Ridge and fought the wind to walk towards the foothills. In wide angle vision, my senses were overwhelmed. Intense cold, carried by the power of strong and loud winds plowed through my clothes and the landscape like an avalanche. Even the pinecones on the ground moved. My self-doubt told me I wouldnât hear my inner vision. Then I remembered to not push it away, but to listen to it and say, âI see you, and I love you like everything else.â We soon decided now was not the time be informed by doubt.
I started to follow my inner vision. The less I judged it, the stronger it felt and the less was doubtful of its accuracy. It led me through the landscape â some trees to converse with, some bobcat scat whose age I pondered, a beautiful and open view of the whipping grasses and trees. Then I felt I was entering a threshold. There was an object ahead. Either a rock or a tree stump. I though that was it. I paused and felt my being and the world around me. The moment I stepped into that threshold, a coyote stood up from a laying position about 20 feet away. Coyote looked at me, and we locked eyes for what seemed like hours. Then, like the story in the fist chapter of Coyoteâs guide, Coyote lead me on a journey. Walking and trotting short distances at a time, Coyote would stop, look back, and look me in the eyes. We kept this up for about 5-10 minutes until I lost sight of my guide and walked to the edge of the horizon where it disappeared. It was a spot Ryan and I had wandered to a year ago in search of mullein stalks for hand drill kits. I was reminded of our ability to listed to our internal map of the landscape â to where the mullein offered itself. Then I dropped deeper into a remembrance of deep connection in that moment with Ryan, and my gratitude for the connection in this moment with Coyote. I took a surrender breath and dropped into a joyous laugh-cry. I felt true rapture in the face of Coyote, the landscape, the almighty elements, and of the great spirit and mystery that moves in and all around me. Thank you, Coyote.
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David,
This quote really stood out to me as just being totally spot on: ” Relationship and responsibility to the Earth and to oneâs own psyche are seldom connected in todayâs world. I believe the disconnect of the two resides in oneâs estrangement from oneâs Soul. Deep listening to oneself, others, and to the Earth is dependent on a relationship with Soul, because Soul shares kinship with Nature and all beings.” Totally agree with you here and this is so well stated. It’s as if Soul is the thread that joins everything together or is in true resonance with all other beings/souls, so this work of awareness and connecting and listening to the soul is the most important thing we, or any of our clients, could be doing at this time. At least, that’s how it feels to me.
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Also, YESSSS! Coyote… following and trusting your inner knowing… the elements, and seeing and loving your doubt!?! So wonderful!!
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David, thanks so much for sharing the story with the coyote. You bring up some really great insights in this post, but sharing that experience you had on the land is what intrigued me most. It seems that your experience with the coyote that you shared was a great representation of trust and surrendering out in nature. With this somewhat “heady” topic that you all have been discussing it’s wonderful to read about your personal experience that was felt in the body and soul.
I would be curious to hear more personal stories from everyone else like this, even though I’m sure we don’t all get a chance to encounter a coyote regularly, about taking everything we’ve been learning and discussing and sharing/experiencing it out on the land. What intention did you bring while you spent some time on the land? What lens/vision were you looking through?
Thanks again for sharing all of this David!
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David, you post brought me so much joy to read! Thank you for sharing. I really appreciate when you discussed how the lack of nature connection in our society is essentially the clinical definition of dissociation. The following piece really stuck with me: “The Earth is our home, just as our body is our home â we are sustained by it and would not exist without it. Yet we disconnect from our primitive feelings of connectedness to the Earth, from our destructive behavior towards it, and to the sense of self and embodiment as Earth creatures bound to and dependent on the Earth”. This created a real “aha!” moment for me in considering how we are not only disconnected from Earth itself, but also from our destruction of it; what an immense coping strategy we’ve been using as a species.
Reading about your coyote moment was magical! I’m so happy you had that experience. Totally resonate with the process of feeling the self-doubt, surrendering, and being whisked away by the forces that are trying to get a message across. Also, I’m picturing your laugh-cry in response and am feeling so very heartwarmed đ
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I have been reflecting on my initial post the last several days. As I alluded to you all in the video call I have had personal life challenges the last week or so. I feel like âinterferenceâ has been a non-stop attack on me lately. From personal health, physical injury, wifeâs sick and pregnant, work stress, and family issues. I know we all have these things and for some reason this week I gave it the power to control my thoughts and emotions. That barred me from feeling into the reading and stopped the process of learning and growth. These interferenceâs will not stop as long as I breathe. I now have a great frame of reference as to when this is happening for me and I am aware of how it may affect me. This awareness will help me to not let it be such a barrier to the rest of my world.
All that said, I have re-read all the articles with a fresh perspective. I am not going to go into it too much with quotes from the reading, but I have a different appreciation for Ecopsychology and what it can offer us as Nature-Connected Coaches. David, in your response to my post you posed the question, âHow do we nudge the nature-disconnected intellectual towards nature-connection?â This is, in part, why I am at EBI. To help guide those who are not connected to nature to a connection with it. Holding on to rigid ideals will greatly inhibit my ability to reach these people. Utilizing and being open to the ideas and practices we learn here is paramount to reaching those that are seeking.
I do believe that over intellectualizing anything can be a barrier to productive growth and transformation. Striking a balance between intellectual and practical/instinctual/simple approaches, for me, seems the key to staying in line with my vision. Walking that line as a coach will help to reach people on both sides of it.
Thank you all for your insights and posts. They were challenging, yet pivotal for me to rethink the way I look at different approaches to working with people. Much gratitude everyone! And lovely to see some of your faces on the call today! -
Thank you for the breadth and depth of your post even though you feel like you didn’t have much energy to put into it…I think you did đ I appreciate this statement,”some people likely havenât felt Soul- or Nature-connection, the academic world of ideas can help people to take a step into the depths of being in relationship with themselves and the Earth.” I think I have lacked having this empathetic insight. Just because I’m not highly intellectual doesn’t mean the intellectual side of this discussion won’t attract those that are. And then hopefully those folks will eventually move into soul space.