Back to Basics
Marlow Shami
Spring 2001.

Greetings NaturalSense Readers--

Spring greetings. I am pleased to welcome 80 new subscribers to the NaturalSense e-newsletter and another fifty to my twice monthly activity offering. Thank you all for introducing NaturalSense to your friends, colleagues and family. Your forwarding NaturalSense has brought new faces to my workshops and delightful emails.

For those of you new to NaturalSense I invite you to subscribe to my twice monthly nature based activity. The short activities are designed to enhance your daily sense of well being. If you are interested in participating, hit reply after typing "YES activity!" into the subject line. Only those who respond will receive the activities.

A reminder. If you live near New Haven, Connecticut, my monthly Energy Healing Meditation Circle meets this Monday, May 14 (details in calendar section)

I have great news for those of you near Litchfield, CT. I start a new monthly Energy Healing / Meditation Circle May 16th. See details the calendar section.

Enjoy the spring season -- Marlow Shami

NaturalSense
SPRING 2001 ISSUE
Volume 2 Issue 5


CONTENTS:

* Mission statement
* Essay: Back to Basics
* Activity: MAKE A COMMITMENT TO YOUR SPRING GROWTH
* Resources

Mission Statement: NaturalSense e-newsletter offers the opportunity to investigate how and why our relationship with nature can be a healing one. We are a part of Nature, not apart from Nature. Many of modern culture's problems are symptoms of our inner nature's longing for connection with our natural environment and authentic self. This column provides examples of how you can rekindle connections with Nature and enliven both the personal and collective healing journey into wholeness.

Essay-Back to Basics 
By Marlow Shami

We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are. -- Anais Nin


So, what do you see? How is the spring season growing your life right now; right this minute as you read these words? How are you feeling physically, mentally and spiritually?

Now is a good time to get back to the basics. Spring inspires my topic. This is a time of transition. Today while walking by a stream, I witnessed life renewing itself. Dozens of garnet colored skunk cabbage sprouts poked up through the moist soil, and the stream's wild movements played on the texture of rock, root and leaf. Birds flew above weaving through the lace canopy of deciduous tree branches. Squirrels scrunched across the dry leaf forest floor. These gray furry streaks are everywhere and very busy, but never too busy for play, especially with spring fueling their antics. This woodland area I walk through almost every day has definitely changed in smell, activity, color and mood. The forest is now renewing itself after a long winter of fitful rest.

How can we participate in this wonderful season of growth and new beginnings and go with the flow of what nature does naturally? Lets start where we are sprouting, right here and now, this spring. There are choices to make based on your personal experience and reflection.

Spring-cleaning starts with your Back to Basics Inventory. Make it short and concise. The following questions may help. What does your world look like right now? What are you noticing? Is there excessive chaos, boredom, or a nice balance of high energy and calm times? What kinds of places, things, and people are you attracted to? Do these attractions create or deplete your energy? Take a close look. How does your body feel? Are there areas that hurt or feel neglected?

Think of your life as a habitat. What are the conditions that provide proper nourishment for you to thrive and grow? Those little skunk cabbage sprouts need moist soil and shade to thrive. You need certain conditions to optimize your habitat. Rest, activity, people, and food are just a few elements to consider. Remember, the elements you address are unique to you. You are the expert when it comes to knowing what you need to thrive. Counselors, friends and allies of all kinds can inform you, but in the end, you follow what works for you.

Most of us were not taught how to recognize and grow our authentic self. In a consumer based society, uniqueness and self-determination spell disaster to the corporations that market products designed as substitutes. These substitutes feel very real for a good reason; we cut our teeth on them. We received praise and created a culturally sanctioned sense of value for believing in them. The challenge we each face today is this: how do we recognize what has true value and supports growing a true self that is conscious of its connection to all life.

Feeling in the dumps? You deserve a treat, a pick me up: a new outfit, a pint of ice cream, a better job, car, house or a new gizmo. When these "treats" become habitual and we experience the same empty feelings shortly after consumption or purchase, it becomes clear the real problem has not been attended to.

In 1990 12,055 new products were introduced to American drug stores and supermarkets alone; a rate of thirty-three per day. Many of them are indistinguishable from one another except for packaging. By the way, half the cost of the food we buy is spent on packaging. What about the environmental impact of transport (pollution, sound, etc.) Who is profiting from this excessive production? Not the environment or consumer. Maybe we need to consider why the air quality is so poor and reduce air pollution rather than creating dozens of identical medications to address the symptoms?

Now, once you complete your inventory, the next step is to take action. Just pick one item you'd like to deal with for now. Just one. Rome was not built in a day; the same goes with our habits and beliefs. Be patient and dedicated.

It is important to make a plan that is realistic. For instance, a few months ago I was not feeling very energetic and my moods were very erratic. I thought I was doing all the right things. Yoga, healthy food, weight training, meditation, daily walks outside, and journaling are some of the practices I have found helpful over the years. Unfortunately, none these activities were doing the trick. A sympathetic friend, who lent her ear often as I vented my frustration, suggested I try eating a little differently. She is a biologist and well versed in the symptoms of blood sugar imbalance. "But I eat mostly organic foods, and don't eat much sugar" I protested. She knows me well and just handed me a reference book with the complete run down.

It has been two months since I made the adjustments in my eating habits and I am feeling much better. In fact, I am far more aware of what I need in order to thrive now that my energy and senses are more grounded. I re-learned an important fact of life from this experience. Nothing stays the same. When I do my back-to-basics inventory, I create the opportunity to learn how I have changed. Unless I do this, I may not recognize what I need to enhance my habitat. I need to consciously experience my changes in order to thrive.

Take one item from your inventory each week. If it's more outdoor time, take a walk each morning before work. If your body feels out of shape, extend your walks, look into a yoga class or join a gym or your local YWCA. If you are feeling stressed, how about a meditation class or a basic how-to book. Need more companionship? Make a point to join a weekly group involved in an area you find interesting, or form one yourself!

One simple step at a time will keep you on the back-to-basics path. Keep checking in on your inner and outer experience of the world. Update your inventory with this feedback. Recognize what has changed, congratulate yourself for each success, and be patient and kind when plans don't work as you'd hoped. Regroup. I like to interpret these unexpected turns as redirection. As much as I wanted something, as perfect as it seemed, when the plan doesn't pan out, remember, this is redirection not rejection or failure.

Remember dear reader, it is most important to have some fun along the way. The ability to play and adapt is a sign of intelligence. So roll with the falls, and aim for the mud if you're falling. Its soft! A proactive approach feeds your unique habitat. Getting back to the basics can provide the wisdom only your authentic self has to offer.

ACTIVITY: MAKE A COMMITMENT TO YOUR SPRING GROWTH. 

Take one item from your spring inventory each week and work with it. Each week add another activity to address an item on your inventory list. One simple step at a time will keep you on track. Here are the basic steps to optimize your spring growth.

1. Decide on a time each day to reflect and take action on one of your Back to Basics Inventory items. Write your self a note, a simple sentence that declares your weeks mission. "I will eat a salad twice a day, I will meditate for ____minutes at 6am and 9pm, I will walk for 30 minutes each morning etc." Hang your note some where you'll see it often, on your mirror, refrigerator or bedside table. If you are walking, reading, or doing a solo task, do it first thing in the morning. You'll feel great having your day start with this under your belt.

2. What kind of change is your daily commitment creating? How do these changes make you feel? Note even the most subtle change. Update your inventory with this feedback. Change can be subtle or abrupt, just relax your expectations and notice.

3. Each time you recognize what has changed, congratulate your self. Each success grows your momentum. This momentum may help you formulate the next natural step in addressing your Back to Basics Inventory.

RESOURCES:

Books:

Blue Mountain, A Spiritual Anthology Celebrating the Earth, By F. Lynne Bachleda
This collection is a quest and celebration. Author Blachleda writes: " The song I sought to sing here was to help all of us fall in love again, to help all of us reacquaint ourselves with our most ancient of dear friends...My belief is that in this loving, in this genuine relationship, we will rise to cherish and to protect our beloved. And, oh, how she longs to hold us, and to be held, too!" For those of you who have studied the Natural Systems Thinking Process, ecopsychology or attended any of my workshops, you recognize the importance of establishing a mutual sense of value and care with any entity. This lovely little book is filled with inspiring quotes gleaned from around the world. This is a book to savor.

Ecopsychology Restoring The Earth Healing The Mind, Edited by Theodore Roszak, Mary E. Gomes, and Allen D. Kanner. The essays in this powerful anthology present an essential overview to what is amiss in our relationship with Earth and advises well on how we can help make things right. "This is a book that transforms our idea of both the psyche and consciousness. We are not isolated beings, but connected to all of creation. A wonderful, various, insightful exploration into this reality. A text essential for our attempts to save the planet." --Susan Griffin, author

Organizations:

Project NatureConnect-This organization has lots to offer anyone who would like to learn about how to deepen a mutually healing relationship with Nature. PNC offers online classes, discussion lists, and resources for personal and professional development. You can learn more by visiting the following websites:

Nature-Connect Home Page http://www.nature-connect.com/list.html,

Nature-Connect Resource Page http://www.nature-connect.com/resource.html

Project NatureConnect http://www.ecopsych.com/


READERS WRITE COLUMN
NaturalSense™ from time to time publishes a Reader's Write column. Please don't be shy, email any questions or comments and I'll do my best to respond to them in a future column.
MShami@aol.com
Marlow Shami
P.O. Box 186
Bloomfield, Connecticut 06002 USA

GIVE A GIFT TO A FRIEND!
Please forward this article to your friends and colleagues, since your recommendation is how NaturalSense™ grows. Anyone can subscribe to NaturalSense™. It's FREE. To subscribe or unsubscribe email Mshami@aol.com with your intentions. Make sure to let me know what email address you would like to use for delivery of NaturalSense™.


Copyright © 2001, all rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute NaturalSense™ Newsletter as long as this copyright notice and full information about contacting the author is attached. The author of this article is: Marlow D. J. Shami. Contact her by email at: MShami@aol.com, or by phone at (203) 720-0302


Create balance and healing by deepening your relationship with Nature.

Marlow Shami
NaturalSense ®
PO Box 33
Goshen, CT 06756
TEL: (860) 491-2067
Email: MShami@aol.com
www.naturalsense.org