An excerpt from Josh’s book, Conscious Nature: The Art and Neuroscience of Meditating In Nature
A Return to the Wild…
The word wilderness comes from the Old English for “wild deer,” and translates as “a place of the wild animals.”
The wilderness is beyond human control. It’s a place of adventure and mystery, and of vision and healing. The wild places bring us to a sense of humility (related to the word humus — literally, “of the earth”) as we revel in their vastness, power, and beauty.
Many cultures have come to understand the vitalizing power of the wild. Gary Nabhan, in his thought-provoking book Cultures of Habitat, shares how the Piman-speaking peoples of the American Southwest have very similar words for health and wildness; both terms stem from the root-word doa, which means “to be alive” or “to be cured.”
As we step into the wilds of Nature, we strip away the dross of daily life and remember the wild places inside ourselves.
With this remembrance and unification, we find new sources of energy to heal and empower our lives.
Experiencing the Unity of Life…
Meditating in Nature opens us to experiencing the basic unity of life. When we connect with the primal energy of the elements, breathing in the pure mountain air or immersing in the crisp cool waters of an alpine stream, we realize we are part and parcel of Nature. There is no separation.
The same air that flows across the mountain trees reaches into our lungs to give us life; the same water that cascades down the forest streams feeds into every cell in our body, a body made of the minerals and very stuff of the earth that forms the mountain trails. The warmth of the Sun reaching down from above touches our skin, mingling with the metabolic fire exuded with each step we take.
This understanding is basic, but essential. In this return to our foundations, we find a certain peace that nourishes and inspires our own Inner Nature.
Discover more in Josh’s book, Conscious Nature: The Art and Neuroscience of Meditating in Nature
Experience mindful meditations for connecting more deeply with the Nature within and around you
Expand your senses as you relax into Nature’s patterns
Feel more at home in the outdoors, and more grounded in your body wherever you go
Learn how to harness the Five Key Brainstates of Awareness for well-being and creativity
