Connecting to the magic of nature

Most people move through their days laser-focused on their to-do lists and responsibilities, without really looking around them and taking note of the constant beauty and magic that surrounds us all.

If you close your eyes right now, and just listen to all the sounds around you, you will hear the call of the birds, maybe the chirping of the crickets or perhaps the sound of the wind moving through trees.  This beautiful symphony of nature reminds us that we are never alone.  There is life all around us.

Most of us live our lives never really noticing the beauty and magic of nature all around us.  Even if you live in a city, there are still places to take a stroll, parks to sit in and many other ways to get in touch with nature.

Connecting to nature can be a very powerful experience.   It is a way to really open yourself up to the power of love, as well as move into a space of gratitude. 

Being in nature grounds you.  It provides a space to let go of your stresses, release you worries and just be.  But to receive the full effect of this, you need to open yourself up to all that surrounds you.  When last did you stop to smell the flowers in your garden?  When last did you take a moment to notice the magic of a smiling half-moon?   A full moon has so much power and potential associated with it.  It can be used to cleanse stones and crystals; it acts as a reset to cleanse your being; it brings light to a dark space. 

Get out into nature.  Find a comfortable spot and do this exercise:connecting with nature

  • Allow yourself to really examine everything. Notice the grass – what colors do you see?  What does it feel like on your hands? What life lives within the grass and soil?
  • Perhaps you can hear the water moving through a pond or river – maybe even run your fingers through the water.
  • Listen to the wind. Notice the way it feels on your face or blowing through your hair.  Observe the ways it stirs the plants around you.  How many different types of bird song can you hear?
  • Look at the many different types of plants and flowers around you. Study the canvas of nature and all the pigments She paints with.
  • Smell the scents of nature – the sweet smell of grass, the scent of the flowers and trees, the varied scents in the air.
  • Run your fingers on the bark of a tree. What do you notice?
  • Allow your mind to wander, not thinking about anything that weighs your down, but just letting your senses move through the space you are in. Allow your body to relax, your breathing to deepen, and release any tension you are holding within your body.  Let your eye close and just take a few deep, cleansing breaths.  Do this until you feel yourself completely relax.  Now open your eyes and take stock of how you feel within.  Are you calmer, more grounded and centered?

When we pay attention, so much springs to life around us. If you are in a regular haunt in nature, perhaps you are even seeing plants and trees that you never noticed before.

Nature is a constant but ever-changing experience.  When did you last experience either a sunrise or sunset ?  Observing this beautiful and powerful force all around you and connecting to this force, serves as reminder that you are never alone and are always surrounded by love.  This can help you move yourself into a space of gratitude just by observing everything around that you are blessed to see, hear, touch, feel and smell.  If you truly experience nature in all Her  glory, it is impossible to leave feeling anything less than calm, centered and energized. 

We are but one tiny piece of the glorious and magical tapestry of life – a Source that is ours to fill our cups from.

What action will you take to truly experience nature this week?  Share and let me know.

Be Well, Be Blessed 

Santa

RUNNING THROUGH DARKNESS
MEMOIR OF A SPIRITUAL WARRIOR

BY SANTA MOLINA-MARSHALL ‧ RELEASE DATE: MAY 3, 2022

This debut memoir chronicles a woman’s spiritual exploration and growth as she overcame a disturbing childhood and helped others heal.

Brought to America from the Dominican Republic as a youngster, Molina-Marshall should have led a happy life. Her father was a diligent worker, and his large family wanted for nothing. But the author recounts that her dad had a drinking problem and was a serial philanderer. Molina-Marshall’s long-suffering mother left him for a woman. Then it was all downhill for the bright, 12-year-old girl, who was shuttled between foster care and relatives. According to the author, she was sexually abused by the husband of one of her siblings. This resulted in Molina-Marshall becoming alienated and moody. By 15, she simply tried to survive. In her favor were grit and a restless intelligence. She quit school, rented a room, and found a factory job. Time went by, and for a while she was happily married. Yet when her husband left her, her life truly began. She turned to religion for answers but decided that blaming God for her woes was a cop-out. 

In this absorbing and moving memoir, Molina-Marshall’s vivid storytelling is fearless. She frankly discusses the truths she discovered and the indignities she suffered. These admissions are disclosed with a touch of resignation and plenty of bite. However painful, everything she experienced was a lesson, and she bravely realized that she was part of the problem: “The fear of being hurt, rejected, or abused often led to me feeling lonely and misunderstood. No one knew the agonizing pain I felt being trapped in my thoughts and anger. I was becoming my biggest threat.” 

The author skillfully recounts her intricate spiritual journey. To deal with her psychic wounds, she searched for an inspirational system. Her open-mindedness led her to the interfaith concept—cherry-picking from various religions and spiritual movements, yoga, and Indigenous beliefs as a way of finding peace. Along with her female partner, she built a therapy practice, making use of every spiritual element that aided her and others. The road was bumpy, and she found that women of color in same-sex relationships were not welcomed everywhere. To do good works—and finally live on her own terms—she effectively overcame bigotry.

An engrossing, cathartic account of empathy and success through determination and confidence.

Pub Date: May 3, 2022   |    ISBN: 978-0-578-38315-6  |   Page Count: 264    | Publisher: From Trauma to Triumph  |   Review Posted Online: June 13, 2022