Empowering Yourself Through Nature by Nadia Dahdouh
How many times have we heard this phrase? It has become as trendy as it is important to take care of our earth and not waste its resources. The green movement is profoundly vital to our existence. But what about just getting back to the heart and soul of our relationship to the earth–spending time with her? You know, taking a long walk in the woods, watching the sunrise, or gazing at the night sky—just simply enjoying nature.
I was thinking of ways that I could start spending more time in nature, mainly just to acquire a sense of peace and happiness in doing so. I admire nature on a daily basis, whether gazing out of my car window at the distant mountains while driving down the freeway, or taking a moment to delight my eyes with the sight of lush trees in the park. But honestly, I don’t spend nearly enough time outside as I would love to, and should.
According to Joe H. Slate, author of Connecting to the Power of Nature, it turns out that hanging out with nature can do a lot for us.
Slate explains in his book that nature is so powerful, that it can help us to achieve our personal goals. I knew that spending time in nature can give us the mental clarity and peace that might assist us in pursuing what we want in life, but I hadn’t really thought about it as being so supremely powerful as Slate conveys. I had the opportunity to talk to Slate about his book and his insights on nature.
As a child, Slate grew up on a farm in the Deep South, so he developed a connection with nature early on.
Slate reveals to me that as a child he had, what he describes, as a “breakthrough experience.” While climbing a tree in a forest, he lost his grip and fell to the ground, his head hitting the roots of the tree. When this happened, he explains that he felt himself ascending above the tree and the forest, reaching some point up in space. He hovered there, and while doing so, he describes that an iridescent sphere began to form around him. In the distance, he saw planes of different colors, which he describes as full of energy. Slate notes that these planes were non-threatening and friendly. He was not afraid as he looked upon them; rather he embraced their presence before his eyes. The planes then gave off beams of energy which struck the sphere that Slate was hovering in. When this occurred, he explains that he instantly felt a complete oneness with the universe.
“I was responding to the universe and it was responding to me,” he says, describing that he was having a two-way interaction with it. Slate tells me that he had achieved reaching a different dimension of reality. After these moments of enlightenment, Slate says that the sphere he was in then began to slowly descend, encircling the tree as it did so, until finally it settled down at the base of the tree. When he opened his eyes, he was lying on the roots of the tree where he had fallen; his friend standing over him, asking if he was okay. He said that he was perfectly fine, in fact, much more than fine after having had such a wondrous experience. Aside from a few minor scrapes, he was virtually unharmed from the fall. (You can read about this experience in his book.)
Slate emphasizes that this event never led him to a sense of arrogance or superiority for having had such a profound experience. Rather, he describes it as a “humbling awareness,” and tells me that he felt honored to have had it.
He notes that he feels we are all a part of the wonders of the universe, no matter what types of experiences or revelations we have had.
“It’s my view that we’re all in this together,” he says.
Thereafter, Slate looked upon nature and life from a different perspective. But regardless of this spiritual awakening, it seems that he had felt connected to the power of nature already. He tells me that simply holding a handful of sand and allowing it to flow through his fingers enabled him to experience a powerful oneness with nature and its energies.
“Tapping into this power by interacting with nature is how we achieve our goals,” he explains.
So, simply touching sand made him feel energized and powerful? What other interactions with nature could lead to revelations like these?
In his book, Slate details a variety of “exercises” he has created that involve interacting with nature to achieve your goals. He tells me about the “Crumpled Leaf Technique.” The exercise, he explains, is based on the idea that when a leaf is removed from a tree, it holds a connection to that tree and to the universe at large.
You begin the exercise by selecting a tree.
“Place your hand upon the tree’s trunk and sense its unique features,” Slate explains. “Think of the tree as your interactive partner that can connect you to the highest sources of energy and power.” You then carefully remove a leaf from the tree, and while holding it between your palms, sense its connection to the tree. You then crumple up the leaf, keeping in mind the feeling of its energy in your hand. Carefully unfold the leaf and examine its lines and patterns.
“Take plenty of time for thoughts and feelings to emerge,” Slate instructs.
Then, close your eyes while holding the leaf and sense its energies interacting with you.
“Note your sense of renewal and balance,” Slate says, and explains that at this time you can state a personal goal and engage the leaf as your partner in achieving it. End the exercise by returning the leaf to nature or keeping it in a safe place for the future. Sounds simple enough, right? But according to Slate, the benefits of doing this can be pretty powerful.
“It’s through this technique that profound new insight often unfolds. Spiritual enlightenment, including awareness of a guiding presence, can emerge,” Slate says.
He tells me that his nature exercises can positively affect us in many different ways. By connecting to nature, he says you can “generate a state of mental, physical, and spiritual balance that promotes health and fitness, increases longevity, and even reverses the effects of aging.” A nature exercise a day keeps the doctor away? Sounds great to me!
He details many other exercises in his book, including gazing at the stars in the night sky, tossing a pebble into a body of water, and interacting with other plants as well as trees.
Slate doesn’t really differentiate between the various elements of nature—one doesn’t hold more power over the other. He explains to me that he has felt a connection with trees and plants, as well as with insects and animals. From a huge tree that towers over all of the others in the forest, to a tiny lizard scurrying across the ground, all manifestations of nature are equally amazing to Slate. He explains that it is just as wondrous to observe a lizard as it is to observe a star in the sky.
Hearing this from Slate awakens my own inner child. I recall playing outside in my backyard when I was a kid, marveling at a simple plant or insect, as children do. It seems that as we age, we tend to take nature for granted. Listening to Slate’s perspectives on nature and how even now as an adult he still experiences a sense of wonder when coming across something as small as an insect, reminds me of just how incredible nature really is.
Slate adds that engaging in nature can even empower us to find ways of solving global problems, such as poverty, war, and discrimination. If only everyone could take a moment to do these exercises, maybe we could create a better world. Maybe peace and understanding could begin to seep into the cracks where hostility and conflict have been imbedded for many years. Humanity could turn over a new leaf, no pun intended.
“Absolutely nothing is impossible for you, once you are connected to the power of nature”, Slate says.
But what about Mother Earth: Do these practices benefit her as well? Slate explains that when we engage in these exercises, we gain an appreciation for the globe as a place for growth, as well as a vessel for the powers that sustain our existence.
“The planet becomes more than simply a material place for our physical existence,” he states.
He says we will be motivated to better care for the planet and to share it in peace with others. So not only do his practices benefit us, they will encourage us to care more for Mother Earth, and in turn, benefiting her.
How frequently should we engage in nature using Slate’s methods, in order to get the most out of the experience? Slate says that practice makes perfect.
“With practice, you will discover the techniques that work best for you per-sonally,” he says, adding that frequent practice will lead to perfection. “Perfection in this context can best be defined, not as a lofty unrealistic goal, but as continuous growth and progress.” And Slate tells me that by practicing his techniques, “you will discover the best of all teachers—the one existing within yourself.”
“That inner teacher is an essential part of your being,” he says, and he explains our inner teacher will guide us through the journey to achieve our goals, whatever they may be.
Connecting with nature in this way seems really to be about merging nature with oneself. Viewing it in this light, no longer would you look at nature as a separate entity from yourself, rather, you would feel it within yourself. Talking to Slate and reading his book has certainly made me feel more connected to nature’s power, and has awakened in me the realization that I can continue to let nature into my life on a daily basis. Building a relationship with the earth in this way is more than greening your life, it is greening your soul.
Joe H. Slate is a licensed psychologist and professor emeritus of psychology at Athens State University. For more information on connecting to the power of nature visit www.llewellyn.com. Nadia Dahdouh is a writer and journalism student. Email her at editor@visionmagazine.com.