Essay  ~ "Being the Peace We Seek "!
by Marlow Shami“

The Merriam-Webster's Collegiate dictionary defines "natural" in this way: "Based on an inherent sense of right and wrong." It would seem that many of our country's leaders have lost touch with the inherent ethics of being natural. What can we do about this? As a healer and teacher I am interested in looking at the personal level as the basis from which we extend ourselves into the world of thought and action.

Have you heard the expression "we all live down stream?" Living down stream is a metaphor for our thoughts and actions and how they effect ourselves and others. If we stand downstream from a factory that dumps its waste into the water, we see how the toxic waste touches our lives and community and maybe we take some action.  Our thoughts and actions have a similar effect on the global community. We see the various outcomes running by us as we stand on the shore...wars, poverty, injustice, disease we also see justice, peace, and health. We can miss the truth of how interrelated all of life is if we only watch it pass by from our detached perspective standing on the shore.

We can also take the perspective of being the stream. Being the stream is about mindfulness and ultimately being present to our life and all the relationships and complexities of life without judgment.  When we choose to be the stream we set our intention to personal healing and as a result naturally contribute to the healing of our global community. When we become the stream we remember we are a part of the web of life. Everything is connected. We drop the illusion of duality. We allow life to flow through us. This is a place to gain strength, healing and a grounded perspective. We become natural here. It is here we experience truth and vision; a healthy place to work and play from. Being the stream has become an alien place for much of our country's leadership. The condition of our world's environment, and relationship with the middle east are symptoms of this high level of dislocation.

If we forget to be the stream and habitually stand on the shore we can become overwhelmed, victimized, depressed or develop a habit of fearfully clinging to an artificial lightness ... a defensive ungrounded safe haven. We might become attached to a sense of superiority or complacency, maybe an "us vs. them" position engulfs us. All of these perspectives can cut us off from our true nature and the healing our world needs now. We cannot be the peace we need when we only experience life from the shore.

How do we remember to be the stream? We spend time out of doors developing our ability to resonate with Nature and in so doing, we remember what we need for homeostasis. We notice how our body feels, the quality of our thoughts, the emotions our thoughts elicit; we notice what we are attracted to and if this attraction is life-giving or life-taking.  When we become the stream we move into native territory. We become aware, on a cellular and spiritual level, of how connected we are to everything else. We become natural. When we become the stream we soften with compassion and this is healing. We notice our fears, anger, grief, joy, love, envy_we notice all these things and can say yes, this emotion/thought is here now, we don_t have to hide from it, deny, fight it or relish it. We can sit with the feelings and experience them in the stream and allow them to inform us. It is through this experience of being the stream that allows us to think and act from our innate sense of right and wrong.

Our natural body, mind and spirit can provide the trail blazes needed to help us find and stay on our healing life path. Each of us has experienced being this stream of life. We were born from and into it. In Modern culture we are taught to slowly forget our native roots. Still, we know deep inside that we are this stream, how could we not, we are a part of nature.

How can we remember to be the stream? Pay attention to your life experiences and the senses that awaken you. Forgive yourself if you run and hide sometimes, finding solace in food, drink, or distraction.  Come back to your practice of remembering you are nature.  Nature designed us to remember. Our pain and suffering are cries from our inner nature to attend to our healing needs.  What is calling to you now? What needs your attention for healing to take place? Be the stream and honor your truth as part of the web of life. It is in this honoring that you contribute not only to your personal healing but towards the healing of the world.

Try the following activity on a daily basis and listen to nature's healing guidance. Remember, a key to being the stream is to have direct contact with the natural world. There is no substitute for the real thing. This activity is based on the Natural Systems Thinking Process. Learn more about the NSTP in the resource website section.

~~~~I enjoy reading about your experiences. If you would like to share your activity experience with me or the whole activity group simply email your comments and let me know your intentions on sharing. Email comments to Mshami@aol.com.

Step ONE:Go outside and follow what you are attracted to in nature. Choose only natural attractions such as a tree, pool of light, bush, rock etc. Once you have found a place you feel welcomed and safe in proceed to step 2.

Step TWO: Pick one situation you would like to deal with. Maybe you have been feeling depressed about the possibility of war in the middle east and feel your peace efforts are not making a difference? Has your life been feeling empty as though you have lost sight of your personal mission? Is your body feeling out of shape and hurting? Is there a workshop you have been meaning to attend but keep putting off? Have you been thinking to call that old friend or make a new one?

Step THREE:Once you are clear on the life situation you would like to address ask the natural area or entity for counsel on your situation. Be clear about your particular situation / concern as you ask for guidance. You may talk out loud, to yourself or write your question down on a piece of paper.

STEP 4: Quiet your mind and just be present. Drop any expectations; they block receptivity towards nature_s guidance. Notice whatever you notice in the natural area (smells, sounds, colors, animals, etc.) and within your self (feelings, memories, songs, images, etc.).  After five to twenty minutes write down some of the highlights of what you experienced and notice how they address your life situation. Take your time. Trust that more understanding may become apparent the following day, or in a dream, or when you do the activity again another day. Make sure you thank the area for joining you in this activity before you leave. Gratitude feels good and acknowledging your nature relationship builds your sense of connection to the natural world. Remember the sense of gratitude amplifies the healing effect of your connection with nature.

WEBSITES OF INTEREST:

~ Project NatureConnect- Learn more about how you can enhance your relationship with Nature at this cutting edge website created by a leading researcher in the field of sensory ecology. Dr. Cohen created the Natural Systems Thinking Process, a powerful and effective nature connecting tool. I use NSTP in much of my work. www.ecopsychology.org

~See a great new website: Natural Creative Earth Politics A Coalition of New Progressives--http://www.reststop.net/NCEP/index.html

~Learn more about how nature heals by visiting the International Community for Ecopsychology website. List of events, resources, essays, and links for more depth.  www.ecopsychology.org


READERS WRITE COLUMN
From time to time NaturalSense^® 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~NaturalSense^®
PO Box 33
Goshen, CT 07656

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Copyright © 2003, 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 (860) 491-2067