Taking the future to the land

If we surrended

To earth’s intelligence

We could rise up rooted, like trees

(from Book of Hours, II, 16 by Rainer Maria Rilke)

How beautiful is it to turn to the nonhuman world for inspiration, connection and belonging?

Take it to the land

As explored in a episode 2 of the #earthconversepodcast ‘taking it to the land‘, I learnt this term through vision fasting.  It is the intuitive human practice of going out to nature, for inspiration, connection and belonging. To reset and resource ourselves. To evolve. In ‘taking it to the land’, we go into nature and consciously engage with its mystery. Whether it be the dilemma we are facing. Or the dreams we want to manifest. The future we long for. The answers we seek, can be all aided by a conversation with mother earth.

Rocks, trees, ants, birds, the moon and the stars. The natural world is full of good listeners. And sage wisdom.

Going to the deserts, the mountains,  the seas, the forests and the plains to seek connection to ourselves, others and the earth is a fundamental part of our human story.

Individual and collective conversations

Who are we? What do we want our futures to be? Individually and collectively? These are questions which surely we have to ‘take to the land’.

Mediation teacher and author, Tara Brach offers “thinking is not the pinnacle of our human potential”.  The complexity and scale of the issues that face us are so immense. We have to access a deeper wisdom. So to not sit in presence and partnership with nature, the source which reminds us of that, will surely, limit our evolution.

What different conversations and different outcomes will result if we sat and conversed in and with nature in a deep way?.  Or for that matter, our own family? team? organisation and community?

Tuning in

As Steven Foster and Meredith Little, founders of the School of Lost Borders, an organisation which has helped me develop my nature based approach wrote, “the exercise of intuitive cognition – one of humankind’s greatest gifts – begins with the exercise of respecting and listening to our inner voice. If we cannot value our own inherent wisdom, the bird and the moon will have nothing to reveal to us”.

Many of us have become disconnected with our own voice. Our intuition. We are out of alignment with not only ourselves, but our interrelationship with nature.

However, if we can reconnect with our own voice and turn up to nature fully present, with an open mind and heart, we will have an opportunity to feel the benefits of interconnectedness. If we are prepared to pay attention to what is revealed to us by nature, signs and symbols of our inner journey and therefore guidance on our outer journey, will be reflected back to us. Nature is our greatest source of metaphors, our greatest meaning maker co-creator.

Put it to the test

So start with yourself.  Go out to nature, with your question, intention or idea. And notice what happens. The raven that circles, the scar in the tree trunk, the rotting carcass, the busy bees, the breeze that whispers. Nature is always a mirror to our soul. Our literal and metaphorical mystery guide.  If we are prepared to look.

“If you are not already convinced of this, put it to the test. Ask the wind a question about your own destiny.  If you hold your attention steadily on the subject, the wind will answer. Then you must be willing to accept the answer, even if it seems inconsequential, or “what I already know”. (ibid)

And if you are in Mallorca..

Contact us here to do exactly that.