“We have to walk in a way that we only print peace and serenity on the Earth. Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
Awareness
Becoming Aware
When was the last time you had a conversation with mother earth? A real conversation. Out loud or silent. One where you were completely in the moment, aware of her gentle yet extremely powerful forces. Forces that allow all life to exist. From the smallest microbes to the largest mammals, plants and trees.
The water we drink.
The air we breathe.
The ground we walk on.
Think about these forces and how they relates to the earth and sun. How they relate to you, your loved ones and everything we do.
The earth is truly an amazing place. In our daily lives however, we frequently forget about the earth. We acknowledge her power in times of “natural disasters”, birth and death, and sometimes in brilliant photogenic landscapes but otherwise, mostly we pay little attention on a daily basis. But her energy is everywhere and awareness of this energy is so important.
Mindfullness
I encourage you, wherever you are, to open your heart, mind and body to become more aware of the earth. How do we do this? We can start with mindfulness, a concept you’ve probably heard of. To me, mindfulness is the act or energy of being completely aware of the present moment. Paying attention to the moment here and now without judgement, whatever that moment is. Truly becoming aware of the moment itself with an emphasis on kindness to yourself and others. We can do this through awareness, meditation, sitting in the sun, walking in the wind and many other means. The goal is to become completely aware of the present moment.
Walk barefoot and feel the ground on the bottom of your feet.
Feel the texture of a tree’s coarse bark.
Taste the sun’s rays as you sip your tea.
Crumble fallen leaves in your hand and smell the earth.
Breath deeply as a strong wind kisses your skin.
Wonder in amazement as rain drops caress your face.
Watch the moon rise and travel across the sky.
Take off your jacket and feel the cool air.
Hear creaking trees as they sway in the wind.
Become aware.
Aware of the present moment for yourself and this present moment on earth, right here, right now, exactly where you are. Look at your surroundings. The nature around you. I assure you it is there.
As you practice mindfulness you will find yourself becoming more aware yourself, others and the world around you. Your heart, mind and body will open to the beauty of life that surrounds us all. As your awareness grows, you will start to notice textures, sounds, feelings, emotions, thoughts, inter-relationships, smells and all sorts of energy and new frequencies you may never knew how to tap into or possibly never knew existed.
Awareness will form a powerful and ever expanding foundation for your human existence on this planet. As you practice, your awareness will continue to expand and inevitably you will find yourself adding a new layer to your foundation. That layer is appreciation.
Appreciation
In order to appreciate something, we must first be aware of whatever it is we are appreciating. Appreciation will only be truly possible if you are first aware. With an open heart, mind and body, there is beauty everywhere, in all stages of life from birth to death and in both directions infinitely beyond. Becoming aware of this beauty will take time and effort but I assure you it is not difficult once you learn to tune into the correct frequency. As your awareness foundation grows, appreciation will follow without effort.
“We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness.”
Thich Naht Hanh
When your awareness kicks in, the natural progression will lead to appreciation and gratitude. You may find new appreciation for your life, your surroundings, your existence, the earth and all of its life forms. Many life forms on earth don’t receive the love, nourishment, light, compassion and upliftment they deserve.
It is easy to appreciate a perfect sunny day but a little harder to appreciate a cold rainy and windy day. Cute cuddly Koala Bears touch our hearts more than slimy crawling critters. Blizzards that knock out power and delay airlines are frustrating to some and beautiful to others. Yet, they are equally beautiful and necessary for the earth to exist.
Meditating on Earth Appreciation is likely to stir some uncomfortable emotions. But don’t fret, for these too are natural and necessary. In fact it is these deep emotional gyrations that frequently lead to action that ultimately brings upliftment to the earth and all of its life.
Action
Awareness of the present moment on earth and learning to appreciate her infinite beauty in all forms may lead you to question your daily habits and how all that you do affects the earth. All of our actions, regardless of how significant or insignificant they may seem at face value, are impactful. It is through awareness and appreciation that we come to this realization that all that we do is connected and that we are all in this together.
Here are some things you can do to raise the frequency of humanity on earth and realign our collective human consciousness to reconnect with nature.
Plant a garden.
Thank the earth for your food.
Pick up litter.
Reduce your consumption.
Walk or bike instead of driving.
Know where your food comes from and treat it with respect.
Plant trees….or a forest.
Drive less.
Reduce chemical consumption.
Use less electricity.
Get outside.
Refuse plastic bags.
Buy fewer packaged groceries.
Use your local library.
Meditate.
Phone a friend.
Smile.
Help others understand the 3A’s.
Realize that energy cannot be created or destroyed and that all of our actions have an impact. What you choose to do does make a difference.