I went outdoors worried about accomplishing many tasks. I often like to think about my talks while working outside. This particular day, the mental preparation for the talks and the physical chores were all overwhelming. I thought, "I've got to get from here to there and get the work done." My body felt tight, but I ignored it. I wasn't attentive to the sounds, the scenery, the breeze, or the light. I was only focused on getting to the picnic table to tighten its bolts and stop it from wobbling. I felt just as shaky as the picnic table and no thoughts were coming to me about the subject matter of my talks. "I need to get all this done", I thought. I felt angry, hurried, and irritated that I had so much to do.

I began tightening the bolts on the picnic table near the pond. I lay down on the ground beneath the table and it felt good. The dog followed me and laid down and turned on her back with a big sigh. She put her paws up in the air and began basking in the sunlight. I tightened one or two bolts, paused and felt so good again, feeling the Earth supporting my body. I felt the gentle breeze, shifting directions, and became aware of my breathing in and out, and how comfortable both were. I felt the sun on a portion of my right hand and face and became aware of heat throughout my body. I heard the sound of fish splashing water in the pond, and became aware of my circulation. As I heard the blend of the sounds of water, wind in the trees, and birds, my mind began to quiet. The dog came over to lick my hands.

I tightened a couple more bolts with ease and was amazed how fast it went. Over half the picnic table was done and it seemed effortless. It was as though healthier rhythms were re-awakened in the task of tightening the bolts on the picnic table. Ideas began to flow again with ease on what I wished to present in my talks. I wanted to stay there all day, under the picnic table laying on the earth. The dog, sensing I was nearly finished, began exploring other areas near the pond.

When I did finally get up, everything around me looked more alive. Even when standing or walking, I felt connected with the earth, enjoying each step touching the ground. As I continued walking, I felt attuned to everything around me. It seemed as if every blade of grass under my steps was aware of my presence and I was aware of every blade of grass cushioning my step. I moved on to many other tasks that day with the awareness of this connection staying with me. Everything seemed in sync.

The experience I had is free and available to us all. It was as though at some deep level of consciousness, every cell of my body was renewed and had rejoined with the earth. My senses were heightened; there was a deeper perception and an effortless flow of thoughts. I felt awake, clear in my thinking.

An appreciation of the beauty of creation all around us, can free the mind, to be open to our Spirit's inspirations and is also healing for the body as cells return to harmony. The earth and its beauty are good for the immune system. Studies have shown that hospitalized patients whose rooms have a view of a dumpster, parking lot or alley, take longer to convalesce than those whose windows open out to flowers, trees and other natural landscapes.

Every time we see a leaf and are filled with awe, we are appreciating the miracles and wonder of life in ourselves. As we hug a tree and embrace the miracles of creation all around us, we embrace the same miracles of creation within each of us. The chlorophyll in plants is similar in its molecular makeup to human blood hemoglobin. Even the processes of bacteria, many of which nurture our bodies in helping us to digest our food, are also are so similar in their activities to the cells in our bloodstream and lymphatic (immune) system. We are interconnected and interrelated with all life. Every time we support and witness consciously, the rebirth of a forest or any ecological system, we are supporting the same within our own bodies.

In my experience at the picnic table, the natural sounds of water, wind through the trees, and songs of birds opened my mind so that I could begin to think clearly and creatively again using my whole brain. The Japanese, who are raised with a deep appreciation of nature have been found to process nature sounds as if they were a symphony, utilizing, more holistically, both their left and right brains as musicians of all cultures do. Cultures which do not support an appreciation of nature from an early age, were found to use smaller portions of their right brains and little of their left. They process nature sounds as if they were noise, not music, communication, or language.

As I was lying on the ground feeling its support and the breeze, I became aware again of my breath, "taking in and letting go." I could feel the rhythms with each raising and lowering of my chest, the expansion and contraction of my diaphragm. These are the pulsations of life. Our organs, tissues and all of our cells each pulse in their own vibratory patterns. Even our brain wave frequencies, are pulses that can open corridors to expanded levels of consciousness. The alpha brain wave frequency, which is achieved in meditation states, oscillates at approximately 8-13 hertz (cycles per second). The earth's electromagnetic frequency is also at approximately 8 hertz. Our bodies and brains are most similar to the rhythms of the earth.

We are all made of the same stuff. The stuff of our bodies is the same stuff of the earth, the stars, the universe. We are composed of earth matter and the elements of the earth compose (calm) us. There is a deep healing that takes place when we experience the composition in the beauty of nature, around us and within us. When we exclude earth (elemental) consciousness, we set up cascades of ecological disharmony in our bodies. We cannot ignore the stuff that we are made of. When we ignore Gaia, the subtle effects occur at the deepest levels of our unconscious. The consequences can be profound in our peace of mind and corresponding physical health. Just as children cannot ignore that they have features from both of their biological parents, we cannot deny that our bodies are connected to the earth and its multitude of features. Holding our body with reverence is holding the earth with reverence. Holding the earth with reverence we are holding our body with reverence. They are the same symphony, orchestrated by the same Master. They are the same composition.  

All materials © 1998-2010 Dr. Darryl Pokea
10288 Stallion, Topeka, KS 66615-9118