Remembering a Sense of Belonging with the Earth

"Please come home. Find the place where your feet know where to walk and follow your own trail home.

And once you are firmly there, please stay home awhile and come to a deep rest within.

May we wake up and remember who we truly are. Please come home." - Jane Hooper

I invite you to think back to your childhood...

~ Can you remember your earliest memories of connecting with nature?

~ What feelings did you experience?

~ What senses arise in your body as you recall those experiences?

Stay for a moment with those memories, feelings, and sensations. Allow them to really land in your body and mind...

There are three formative memories that arise for me. First, I remember waking up one morning and looking out our front window to see a doe with her two fawns lying on our front lawn. The second was going to watch the salmon spawn. I will always recall the stench of rotting carcasses that hit us as soon as we stepped outside and utter joy of splashing around in the water. The third is a recurring experience where I would lie down on the stairs beneath the skylight in our home. I can still feel the warmth of the sun on my face and experience of utter peace in my body.

When we are children, we are in a constant state of wonder for all the things we are experiencing for the first time. It is truly magical to witness, whether it's a human child, your pet kitten, or a hatchling that has just emerged from the nest. They have so much to teach us.

As we grow older, we have a way of slowly forgetting the simple joys in being alive on this sacred Earth. We get caught up in everyday things that pull us away from this sense of awe. But, the beauty of nature is within us and around us every moment of every day. We simply need to open our senses and slow down long enough to allow ourselves to remember.

Next time you step outside, I invite you to embrace the world as though you are experiencing it as a child. Take time to notice to colours of the leaves, feel the rain or sun on your face, take a deep breath to drink in the smells around you, and become quiet enough to hear the different bird songs in your ears.

The Earth is calling us home in countless ways. All we have to do is allow ourselves to remember it is where we truly belong.

#nature #naturelovers #naturelover #natureheals #naturehealing #naturehealsthesoul #naturalworld #foresttherapy