“When a man moves away from nature, his heart becomes hard.”
Lakota Proverb
The joy of the birds flying and the sun making everything golden – nature is the best medicine.
When I’m out walking with my flask of tea, I feel the Spirit saying, “Rejoice in all I am giving to you!” and my gratitude is immense.
Twenty-four hours a day, we have nature accessible and free to us; opportunities to smile at how pretty the trees and flowers are. Sometimes, I stand in the rain; those really heavy showers which almost shatter your windows. I love freezing to death and then warming up with my towel and more tea. Such a cleansing moment.
When the sun is bright and high at midday, I stand outside to be coated by the rays – just beautiful – and an excellent boost to the immune system. Connecting with nature is vital; not only to maintain good health, but to remind us that we’re always being given to. This abundance will never stop because nature doesn’t. It’s always growing, and I feel that I should grow with it: a rose inspires me to bloom, and the tallest tree gives me the confidence to aim so high. Waterfalls make me feel that I too can be an unstoppable force, and butterflies remind me I have wings.
During my final year at Music College, I took a trip to Scotland with my flatmate Alison. Her family lived up in Aberdeenshire, and as we drove further north into more rural parts, I was beaming at how wild the landscape was.
“Oh wow, look at that little wall!” I said.
“It’s just a wall,’ she replied, laughing at me.
“Yes, but I’ve not seen this one before.”
Even if I’d seen a hundred birds during that journey, I’d still be joyful if there were more later on in her garden. We can choose how we respond to nature and what we notice, but it’s so important not to lose our wide-eyed innocence and the sense that even as adults, everything is magical.
The Native Americans talk so lovingly of their Grandfather Sun and Great Spirit which they would honour and listen to; they didn’t have the noise and distractions we have today. Their lives were lived outside, literally on the earth, their Mother, and all the nature around them, they believed, had a living spirit.
One of my favourite Disney films is Pocahontas. The scene with her and the wise old tree, Grandmother Willow, is beautiful. Grandmother Willow says, “All around you are spirits child… if you listen, they will guide you.”
This incredible openness and trust in our being ‘given to’ is luminous to me. God can choose how and what He communicates through to help us be it nature, animals, signs, or each other; we just have to be awake and be willing to listen.
At the Carmelite convent in Norfolk where I lived for four months with the nuns, I had regular study of scripture. One afternoon, I was going through the bible with my novice mistress, looking at the messages from God, when a huge bumble bee came to the window, hovering for ages. I noticed it straightaway and was completely distracted; trying to remember the bee totem message because I knew that God was speaking to me.
After tea, I searched for the bee meaning online and found exactly what I was looking for: bees represent a strong community life with each one pulling their weight and working hard, but they also stop and smell the roses. I was in a particularly rough space that week with the grief of losing my mother. So, through the bee, I knew that God was gently nudging me to continue at my work, as a community of nuns requires that, but also not to be too hard on myself and breathe.
The bible is wonderful food, and I love the sayings of Jesus, but that day the bee gave me what I needed. Animals and insects are important; they have a great purpose alongside us in life and we can learn so much from them. Discerning how God truly speaks to you can take a long time, but once you have that awareness, the messages are impossible to ignore.
Taking time to be silent within nature allows you to hear your thoughts and feelings more clearly, and what your heart is trying to tell you. We mustn’t harden our hearts because all the wisdom we need is within, waiting to be revealed. How could we not want to deepen that relationship when it means we become more enlightened people? It is our responsibility to share this light for the good of all humanity. Think of what would happen if everyone did that! If we’re stale and anxious or full of mess, we can’t help each other properly. In the silence of nature, we can heal, ready to go again, and be the best we can be.
Life is the greatest teacher, with God radiating and giving through all of it, and we cannot physically survive without nature. Love it and embrace it! Mankind is not supposed to be separate from nature; we are all connected.
Article by Caroline Leighton
Pianist, Author, Composer
