the land

the four pillars of health -

they do need a base

something to stand on

something to anchor them

something that connects everything

what is it?

our beautiful planet of blue

(Photo by NASA on Unsplash)

It is the land. Whenua as it is called in Maori. Our planet (her name is Papatuanuku) is sacred. 

The land is a big part of her. It gives us sustenance on so many levels, not just with food. 

As I write this, I am about to head off into a light drizzle of rain, so that my feet can make contact with the earth, and to take wee Pixie for a walk. Yes, I may have trainers on, but on another level, that energy does go into the soles of our feet.

for this is a little known secret about energy: we absorb it from Mother Earth. 

* in through the soles of the feet as already mentioned

* in from the air which surrounds Mother Earth

* life force rising during the night from trees, Mother Earth's coverings. This is one of the reasons why early mornings give us such peace - we are moving around in the life force/prana/chi/mauri from nature

* food which grows above the ground absorbs  life force from the sun, which in turn bathes Mother Earth with it's rays of light, energy and warmth

* food which actually grows in the soil. Rich in soil nutrients which nourish us so strongly

and let's not forget the waters of Mother Earth:

* mist *rain *streams and rivers *lakes *ice * ocean

connect with that which sustains us

When we start to feel a connection to The Land and everything about it, I can assure you that this brings a deep peace. And we have a sense of being Part Of The Whole. 

Similarly, by having each of our pillars anchored into this base, so that each is not only connected to each other, but also to the whenua, I have found (personally) that this changes everything about my life.

How can you bring nature into your life?

I think that this is a good place to start. And just so you know - I'm not an airy-fairy New Ager, nor a modern day Yogini - no, I'm more practical than all of that. But definitely, the connection to the whenua does bring about a mystical beauty. 

So where to start?

For me:

* for sure my heart longs to live next to the ocean, to live in rhythm of the sea, to sleep hearing the waves

* or surrounded by bush - 

but, alas, it is not to be. Fate has so far decreed otherwise. 

But I do acknowledge in my inner being that "merging" of oneself with nature:

* leaves moving in the wind

* birds flying and singing (not often where I live)

* the majesty of dawn and dusk. Sunset where I live is always fantastic.

* walking in all sorts of weather (ok - still working on this one)

How can you bring nature into your own life?? 

** link here to my yoga blog - fantastic breathing technique to clear blocked sinuses

** link here  for the first of the four pillars of health - after that most blog posts have been about this