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Seven
Meditations for Connecting with Nature
By Mark
Coleman
In the
wilderness of the Rainbow Trail at twilight, silence reigns. On
this silent backpacking and meditation retreat I am leading deep in
the red rocks of Arizona, a small group of men and women have been
walking and camping under the steady presence of Navaho Mountain
for seven days and seven nights. Immersed in winding sandstone
canyons 650 million years old, we have been alone except for
occasional visits by curious ravens.
Now the
retreat participants are returning from spending twenty-four hours
alone. As we sit around the campfire, the moon rises slowly above
the sheer canyon walls, casting shadows and animating wizened faces
in the rock.
Since I
began leading meditation retreats in nature, I've observed again
and again what a profound sense of peace people feel when they
spend some meditative time outside in the forest or in open
meadows. The power of the natural world encourages us to let go of
our habitual mode of being, which is usually self-centered,
acquisitive, and endlessly seeking something outside of ourselves.
The everyday thinking mind, with its restless concerns and
perennial planning, begins ro calm down. The body feels more at
ease, and the heart slowly opens and resonates with the peace of
the natural world. On wilderness meditation retreats, people taste
the depth of intimacy it is possible to experience with nature,
themselves, and their community.
Nature
teaches us simplicity and contentment, because in its presence we
realize we need very little to be happy. Since we are part of the
animal kingdom, our senses are naturally more alive in the
outdoors. The rustle of leaves or the rapid flight of birds could
indicate the presence of a mountain lion or bear. Hiking in places
where we are not the only predator helps us understand that all
oflife is intimately interwoven and that we are a part of that web.
Meditation training, on the other hand, provides the tools to
steady the mind so we can be open to receive the jewels of nature.
Through meditation we learn how to work skillfully with thoughts
and emotional patterns that interfere with simply being able to
rest wherever we are, with full presence.
The
following are some exercises to help you connect with the natural
world in a meditative way.
Beginner's
Mind
Take a walk and let yourself be called to a particular tree. Stay
with the tree awhile to study, look, feel, smell, and sense it.
Listen to it as wind rustles its branches. Bask in its shade in the
midday sun. Get to know it at different times of the day and in
different seasons. How is it connected with life around it? How do
you get to know it, and which senses do you use?
Feel the
difference between your idea of the tree and the rich textural
experience of it. Notice the impulse to move on because of
impatience, resistance, or boredom. When you feel you "know it,"
what does that do to the sense of curiosity and mystery? Can you
maintain interest even when you think you have reached the end of
your exploration? Is it possible to fully know what a tree really
is? Start to bring this curious attention to all that you
meet.
Silence
Spend a period of time in a quiet place in nature to experience
silence. Can you connect with the silence that is there even when
there are sounds? What interrupts the experience of silence? Does
being in silence create any sense of discomfort? Do you want to
distract yourself from it? Does the silence allow your mind and
body to rest more in stillness and quiet?
Working
with Thoughts
Take some time to sit or walk in nature. Simply be as present as
you can, Notice when your attention is lost in thought, and how
thinking makes you less present to your environment. For a period
of time, practice letting go of your thoughts as soon as they arise
and returning your attention to what is happening in the physical
environment. How does that affect your experience?
Letting
Go of Our Stories
When you are lost or caught up in an emotional storm or contracted
in self-centeredness or plagued by obsessive thoughts, notice what
happens when you step outside or go for a walk and pay attention to
the sky, the air, the light, the movement of wind, the feel of
grass under your feet. Be aware of how the spaciousness that can
arise allows a natural dis-identification with inner turmoil and a
regaining of perspective.
Knowing
Your Backyard
Take some time to investigate the source of your water, food,
lumber, firewood. Where do your waste products go? Is the food that
you eat grown locally? What are the indigenous animals, birds,
plants and trees in your local area? What are their habitats, where
do they nest, eat? What species, what land is currently under
threat in your region? Since you are part of this chain of
interrelated life, what are you doing that supports or threatens
the health of that which may be in danger?
Love
Take time to be with something you love in nature that brings out
your natural curiosity and delight, It may be a wild iris, the
shimmering luminescence of water in a stream, the patrerns and
colors ofa butterfly's wing. Let yourself be drawn to it. Engage
your senses. Are you touched by the sense of wonder? Practice daily
or weekly, spending time in nature with what most allows your heart
to open. How does such love feel in the mind, body, and heart? What
effect does it have on your sense of connection with the web of
life?
A Day in
Nature
Take a day to be alone in nature. Select a location where you are
not likely to be interrupted by many people, You can divide the
time between periods of contemplative sitting and gentle walks. In
sitting meditation, cultivate an open attentiveness toward the
present moment. You can focus on the inner experience of breathing
and the sensations of the body. Or you can pay attention to the
experience that arises from sitting outside—the touch of the breeze
on your skin, the physical connection with the earth, the sounds of
birds, animals, and the wind, and the fragrances in the air. Try
meditating with the eyes open, allowing the eyes to be soft and
receptive with a wide field of vision while maintaining awareness
of the other senses, especially hearing.
While
walking, let go of any goal-orientation. Simply let yourself walk
slowly, carefully, with full awareness of the space you are walking
in. Let go of any intention to get anywhere. Listen to whatever
draws you in the landscape—a particular tree, rock, stream, or a
vast open vista. Or perhaps a lizard or beetle draws you into a
conversation. Let your senses be wide open and receptive. Give
little attention to your thoughts and instead keep turning to your
inner and outer environment. If you begin to feel spacey or
unfocused, resume sitting meditation, centering attention upon the
breath. The less you do outwardly, the more will open to
you.
Mark
Coleman teaches Vipassana
meditation at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California. He is
currently writing a book on meditation and nature for Inner Ocean
Publishing. His website is awakeinthewild.com.
