From "Seeking Wholeness"

This is an extract from my book "Seeking Wholeness", published in 2001.

Connecting to the Natural World
We live in an increasingly secular society, yet here is the paradox: while many people actively reject formal religion, more and more consider themselves to be on a spiritual path. Unlike bygone eras when formal religious institution had a spiritual monopoly, increasing numbers find spiritual serenity through immersion in nature.

Do you spend time in the natural world? Do you find yourself craving the quiet of a forest or the freshness of green open space? Have you wondered what it is that makes a hike in the country special and different from walking city streets?

There is a magical energy emanating from the natural landscape. Millions of acres of national parks, state forest and protected wilderness attest to the growing realization of the preciousness of those parts of the earth where human impact is curtailed. The wish to feel an ecological connection with nature reflects our urge towards wholeness. We see the trees, but more deeply we resonate to the forest, the connected whole, dimly sensing the "web of life" from which we have become estranged.

It does not require the grandeur of the Rockies to connect to living things. I am a gardener, and gardeners everywhere know the joy of coaxing a house plant to verdant health, of seeing the bulbs bloom in the spring, of eating your own vegetables. Creating just the right environment of soil, water and light for a fragile seedling is a powerful symbol for our own development. When I lived in England, my garden was miniscule. Yet it spoke to me of my connection with the mystery of the earth.

We all can invite the natural world into our lives. Trees, grass and flowers are never far away, even in the midst of the city. I have a respectful relationship with that elderly ponderosa pine near my hogan. Do you know a particular tree intimately? They too are beings.

All of us children, young and old, spontaneously pick up and take home interesting natural objects. We feel their wild magic. Those rocks, pinecones, shells and feathers that grace our shelves are informal altars to sacred nature. The earth has always been a Goddess. She requires our respectful devotion. We are beginning to recollect what was obvious to our ancestors -- all humanity is intimately connected to a great natural being that is Gaia, the spirit of our planet. If we neglect or mistreat her, maybe she will shrug us off like offending parasites.

The stars above us look down on our delicate world, a uniquely bountiful globe sailing in a vast sea of darkness. Can we feel the earth, alive with billions upon billions of organisms, all connected and breathing together? We too are natural organisms. Can we inhale and exhale to the slow rhythm of nature? When we are still and aware, there is always a vibration in the depths of our being. We know and sense the Life Force flowing through everything.

Reading
Roland Evans. Seeking Wholeness: Insights into the Mystery of Experience