Written by Brittany Jacobs
An indescribable amount of joy and stillness engulfs my being when I am immersed and surrounded by nature. Any thoughts or worries that I have running through my mind are eradicated the moment I dive into nature trails flooded with different heights of Sabal palms and cypress trees, ferns, mushrooms, and other shrubs. There is a certain stillness that removes any negative thought patterns and anxiety that have a tendency to remove me from present awareness. I am able to simply stand or sit and observe the beauty and abundance that nature spoils us everyday.
My senses are heightened and I transition into “survival” mode. My fear of the unknown is conquered by taking each step further into the areas of the mysterious land, forcing me to be 100% aware of my surroundings and embracing the present moment.
The sounds remove any unpleasant thoughts; Ranging from tree branches rustling in the wind, birds chirping, lizards running under leaves to hide away from my strange presence, and the occasional noise of a car zooming past the entrance of the forest. Beyond all the commotion I can find the silence and stillness of my presence within and it is the most beautiful thing to experience. My over active mind is finally conquered and I can find my center of being.
When I observe the different species of plants and trees, I instantly enter a state of trance. The way the trees standing tall and stout, silently educates me the importance of being down to earth and well rooted. Look even closer and you will find broken limbs, torn leaves, and burnt bark; No matter how many storms, hurricanes, fires or other disturbances nature experiences it will do anything in its power to thrive. Nothing should hamper our motivation to grow and develop, NOTHING.
I see the trees in full bloom, offering fruits implying to act as selfless, benevolent givers. Nature is very generous and abundant. There is absolutely no dearth of anything. What we can learn from this is, giving and offering are great qualities! We can always offer to help someone. The plants and trees don’t discriminate or pass any judgment, they love unconditionally. You don’t have to know their name, how old they are, where they are from, their true essence of being is love. Something humanity has lost and needs to be returned to, for it is of our true nature of being.
My mind cannot begin to comprehend the intricate systems nature. Many people are not aware of the science behind the multiple cycles that allow us to experience this crazy thing we call “life” and I believe that has an tremendous negative effect for the way we appreciate nature.
Photosynthesis, the process that plants use to process their own food and releasing oxygen for us to breath, permitting this experience we call life.
Here an example in simple explanation of what happens during this process in case you may not know or have forgotten…
Here is a more specific diagram of how his process works, you don’t have to understand it, but do attempt to appreciate the intricacy of it.
Incredible isn’t it?
I am currently attending Florida Gulf Coast University and one of the missions for the school is to promote environmental sustainability. The university requires all students to enroll in an environmental education course designed to explore the concept of sustainability as it relates to a variety of considerations and forces in Southwest Florida.
A few weeks ago in class, we were assigned to read an excerpt from Earth in Mind: On education, Environment, and the Human Prospect, more specifically a chapter from David W. Orr’s book, Love it or Lose it: The coming Biophilia Revolution.
Biophilia is defined by dictionary.com as a love of life and the living world; the affinity of human beings for other life forms.
The reading resonated so well for me and inspired me even more to follow my passion for educating others of the nearly infinite number of reasons why we need to return to nature to heal us. Here is the paragraph of the book, that stimulated my heart and sent an electrical pulse through my body.
“The human mind is a product of the Pleistocene Age, shaped by wildness that has all but disappeared. If we complete the destruction of nature, we will have succeeded in cutting ourselves off from the source of sanity itself. Hermetically sealed amidst our creations and bereft of those of The Creation, the world then will reflect only the demented image of the mind imprisoned within itself. Can the mind doting upon itself and its creations be sane? Thoreau never would have thought so, nor should we.
A sane civilization that loved more fully and intelligently would have more parks and fewer shopping malls; more farms and fewer agribusinesses, more prosperous small towns and smaller cities; more solar collectors and fewer strip mines; more bicycle trails and fewer freeways; more trains and fewer cars; more celebration and less hurry; more property owners and fewer millionaires and billionaires; more readers and fewer television watchers; more shopkeepers and fewer multinational corporations; more teachers and fewer lawyers; more wilderness and fewer landfills; more wild animals and fewer pets. Utopia? No! In our current circumstances this is the only realistic course imaginable. We have tried utopia and can no longer afford it.”
It was the most powerful epiphany that I believe I have experienced yet and I will never forget the feeling it left me with. It’s the same feeling I find myself with when I am enclosed at my university’s food forest, mindfully wandering the paths of our nature trails. I love it more than anything and I am confident that this is the path for me.
I want to be the LIGHT: lead, inspire, guide, help, and teach
To lead a revolution in consciousness more specifically to eradicate the illusion of separation between us and nature.
To inspire others to do the same and to follow their heart and mind to find what their passions are.
To guide others in the direction that is best for them and where they can find these resources.
To help others with reconnecting their body, mind, and spirit back to our roots while benefiting myself as well
To teach others the importance of environmental education, how to live sustainably, all while teaching myself through these experiences
With that being said, I want to leave you with this quote.
“Everything natural – every flower, tree, and animal – has important lessons to teach us if we only STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN.”
-Eckhart Tolle
What are you waiting for? Get outside and explore your surroundings. You truly never know what you might learn and discover.
Thank you for your support and please return soon for more articles on how we can achieve these goals.
Love and light to all,
Brittany Jacobs
Email: [email protected]
Originally posted @ Divine Society
