True North Nature Part 2
TRUE NORTH NATURE – Part Two
In my last post I shared what is True North Nature and how it helps us to feel connected, inspired, resourceful and empowered in our daily life. This month I am sharing some of the tools or resources you can utilize to strengthen your connection with this powerful inner resource. Are you ready?
TOOLS THAT HELP US CONNECT TO TRUE NORTH NATURE
Are you a seeker? Has the rumbling started deep within you to connect again? Here are just a few ways to help you connect to your True North Nature. You may notice that one just leads you to another. There is no pecking order here, just start with one and you will find that the others will follow.
SPEND TIME IN NATURE
STILLNESS, QUIET, CALM
OFF COURSE SIGNS
TRUST
LOVE
EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN
FEEL
EAT FRESH, LIVE and ORGANIC
BREATHE CONSCIOUSLY
SPEND TIME IN NATURE- Some of what keeps us from being connected to our True North Nature is the discordant way we live, so disconnected from the harmonious way of our planet. Getting off the “junk” of noise, crowd, concrete, electronic, cellular, etc and out into the wild will reset your inner compass. Think natural often, and then go be in it!
STILLNESS, QUIET, CALM – Find ways that bring a stillness, quiet or calm to your everyday life. Yoga, meditation, reading, tai chi, knitting, gardening are just a few ways to get your quiet on. Doing them outdoors in spacious, calm environments will only help to magnify your experience in connecting to your True North Nature.
OFF COURSE SIGNS – Listen to your self-talk. Notice how often you say things like “I have to…” “I must…” “I should have…”. Know that each time you “should”, “have to”, “must” or “supposed to” on yourself (or others) you are OFF COURSE with your True North Nature. Yes, I know you are not alone doing this, but that doesn’t mean it is a healthy way of living. It only means that MANY people live disconnected from their True North Nature. Being unhappy along with many people doesn’t make it happy, it just makes it feel less lonely.
TRUST – YES! Feeling some doubt, recognize it as a signal and then dig deeper. Go sit outside. Be still, be quiet, find your breath. When the rumblings of doubt start to rise take an action listed above, find your breath and let your exhalations help you shed the doubt. Create the intention to TRUST through your connection to something greater than you are- be it nature, a greater sense of order, God, Universe, Gravity, Zero point. Sometimes all it takes is the decision to TRUST, and then let the space around you create the results.
LOVE – OFTEN! It is said that Love HEALS, and yes it does. When we are disconnected from our True North Nature our ability to love shrivels up. Bring on the love, and you will find that your ability to feel life, understand your feelings, and be guided by the essence of knowing is greatly improved.
EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN – Yes, I know this can be a very scary one. As a culture we are taught to “fill it up” with busy work or “control” it. There is tremendous power in finding a calm center when change is brewing around us, and a factor of the unknown is very present. When we approach it with an attitude of willingness to be in a state of unknowing, some of the other tools will also show themselves to be useful. Go ahead and “multitask” with some TRUST, TIME IN NATURE, become QUIET or STILL, BREATHE CONSCIOUSLY. You will find that an ease will guide you through the darkness, to light and lighten the way.
FEEL – Often what keeps us from our True North Nature is a dullness we have created around us in attempt to feel safe. It is a false sense of safety, and can even lead us to miss signals we need to really establish safety. If you have had a trauma in your life that has left you feeling less than safe it is important to work through it with help, and often with professional help. It is crucial that the result of the healing leaves you open to feeling again and not afraid of feelings or using medications that shut off feelings. True North Nature relies on feelings as its communications system. It is through feelings you will be guided. Learn to feel what brings you joy, excites, enlivens you – acting more and more on that!
EAT FRESH, LIVE and ORGANIC – The body, and its feelings, is the communication system of True North Nature. Keeping the body in a healthy, clear, and vibrant quality will help that communication system function in its most vital way. The less you “pollute” the system the greater its ability to communicate and be understood, leading you to be guided by True North Nature. Think in terms of “wholesome” food that is at its freshest. If you can, grow it! If you can’t grow it, buy local, fresh, organic foods. Minimize processed foods. Watch out for eating to dull your feelings.
BREATHE CONSCIOUSLY – Every breath you take is an opportunity to be mindful, to sense, to be present with all that is happening around you and to detox. Your vital breath can be automatic or conscious. You can breath to survive or to thrive. Every inhalation is an opportunity to nourish and nurture and when done consciously you are making choices of what to allow and what to by pass. Every exhalation gives you the opportunity to release those things that you are complete with, or hold on again. When we move from the automatic breath that is patterned, often just enough to sustain the moment, into a conscious breath we open our life possibilities. Our breath becomes a vehicle for our True North Nature communication system. It transports our mind to experience the feelings, and helps us to make choices to let go, nourish or hold on to emotions, thoughts, food, experiences, people, etc. Life is transformed. Connections are made. True North Nature is alive!
Life is a winding path we travel. Just like any trip we take it helps us to have resources – a compass, a map, a guide. Even with all of that we can still get lost, and will need to use our inner resources to find our way again. May you find your connection to TRUE NORTH NATURE. Onward!