Nature; Hands-on

[organic born]

I'm starting this thread because I want to turn you on to something that oddly makes a huge difference when it comes to our spiritual inquiry.

I've invested about 40 years or so delving into the spiritual path (among many other things) and have over-all been terribly disappointed by the results, that is, until the last couple of years. Spiritually I've had plenty to work with. I've had several out of body experiences, and countless lucid dreaming experiences. I've read just about everything I could on the subject so have a fairly comprehensive appreciation for the stories and Ideal/ideals that are out there. But having said that the results of an intellectual inquiry into a purely non-thought related process has something of an emptying feeling to it!

I then started to look deeply into "physical" stuff. I studied the body and what it's made up of and how best to accommodate it's needs. The results were stunning. I was steadily getting sicker with age and after applying what I was learning I noticed improvements right away and these improvements keep going deeper with time! I then started studying what's now known about the way our minds and thoughts take shape from infancy-on and was then able to take was I was learning and effectively alter my own approach to thinking, with these resulting realizations in mind.

Having done the eating-food-thing for awhile I saw the need to start growing my own food, for the sake of cleanliness and nutrient density, and have been steadily amazed by what I'm being exposed to along the way. I'm going organic (of course) but I'm also taking the path that focuses on using microbes as the number one focus of my efforts. This is proving to be simply an amazing exposure to the intensity of life right under our noses (literally)!

I feel as though I've learned more about nature in the last couple of years than anything I was ever exposed to while reading spiritualist material. It's almost like the authors of spiritual books are critically remiss when it comes to our ~omnipresent~ physical experience!

What we've been taught about nature is more idealized than it is substantive. As you delve into the real thing you may quickly learn, as I did, that much of who we are, and how we view ourselves, is naturally-derived in the deepest of ways!

I've always run tense in the past, not any more, hardly even a little bit... and I attribute this to the fact that my body is now running the way it's designed-for and my thoughts have come home to join me..

The secret here is in the "application". You need to take what you're learning off the page and plant it firmly into the ground, into your body, and within the ways that you are processing your thoughts! This is not about "belief", it's all about direct/actively applying what you're learning... it's hard if not almost impossible to do similar with spiritually related stuff. This natural focus is absolutely for real and it clearly makes a difference as to how you daily experience your orientiation-to-self.

So, no real beliefs are required other than keeping it clean and a continual focusing on natural directives. Eventually the conclusion that this is 'truly' a spiritual journey settles in.. for, with this path, you can touch, taste and directly benefit from each new step along the way!

[naturesflow]

Originally Posted by organic born

I'm starting this thread because I want to turn you on to something that oddly makes a huge difference when it comes to our spiritual inquiry.

I've invested about 40 years or so delving into the spiritual path (among many other things) and have over-all been terribly disappointed by the results, that is, until the last couple of years. Spiritually I've had plenty to work with. I've had several out of body experiences, and countless lucid dreaming experiences. I've read just about everything I could on the subject so have a fairly comprehensive appreciation for the stories and Ideal/ideals that are out there. But having said that the results of an intellectual inquiry into a purely non-thought related process has something of an emptying feeling to it!

I then started to look deeply into "physical" stuff. I studied the body and what it's made up of and how best to accommodate it's needs. The results were stunning. I was steadily getting sicker with age and after applying what I was learning I noticed improvements right away and these improvements keep going deeper with time! I then started studying what's now known about the way our minds and thoughts take shape from infancy-on and was then able to take was I was learning and effectively alter my own approach to thinking, with these resulting realizations in mind.

Having done the eating-food-thing for awhile I saw the need to start growing my own food, for the sake of cleanliness and nutrient density, and have been steadily amazed by what I'm being exposed to along the way. I'm going organic (of course) but I'm also taking the path that focuses on using microbes as the number one focus of my efforts. This is proving to be simply an amazing exposure to the intensity of life right under our noses (literally)!

I feel as though I've learned more about nature in the last couple of years than anything I was ever exposed to while reading spiritualist material. It's almost like the authors of spiritual books are critically remiss when it comes to our ~omnipresent~ physical experience!

What we've been taught about nature is more idealized than it is substantive. As you delve into the real thing you may quickly learn, as I did, that much of who we are, and how we view ourselves, is naturally-derived in the deepest of ways!

I've always run tense in the past, not any more, hardly even a little bit... and I attribute this to the fact that my body is now running the way it's designed-for and my thoughts have come home to join me..

The secret here is in the "application". You need to take what you're learning off the page and plant it firmly into the ground, into your body, and within the ways that you are processing your thoughts! This is not about "belief", it's all about direct/actively applying what you're learning... it's hard if not almost impossible to do similar with spiritually related stuff. This natural focus is absolutely for real and it clearly makes a difference as to how you daily experience your orientiation-to-self.

So, no real beliefs are required other than keeping it clean and a continual focusing on natural directives. Eventually the conclusion that this is 'truly' a spiritual journey settles in.. for, with this path, you can touch, taste and directly benefit from each new step along the way!

How could I not agree with you..my namesake speaks your language...

The more you know, the less you need to know and the more you can do for yourself more directly to manifest and create the life you wish to lead.

When all is said and done and those bells and whistles cease, the "coming of age" tends to notice what is important to a more inclusive, mind/body/spirit way of living.

My winter vegie garden is looking spiffy if I might say..

I have always been a more direct experiencer. Everything on the page literally had to become me to understand myself as all that more directly. So your post reflects something really important in the overall relationship to life, to ourselves and to each other as a way of being and living it more holistically. Benefiting more directly from the sources and keeping everything clean and in good working order in the process. :)

[RedEmbers]

Hi!

I am going to respond to this as I indulge in some not so pure salt and vinegar chips!

Lol.

My background growing up and becoming an adult was one which has been very environmentally focused. My Dad a Christian but sort of took on an earth stewardship role in his beliefs. I haven't delved too deeply on why he came to this line of thinking... I try not to engage him in too much intellectual discussion as the habit tends to begin to lean to overwhelm.

Anyway- my point was that I've always been quite earth based in my spiritual approach so I resonate with your post.

I like the point about the "non - thought" related approach and noticing how when the body is in alignment with nature the thoughts tend to align too that reality as well.
I think of the interconnected web here. Every thread affects the whole organisim and the entire organisim includes us as a part of it.
So get one thread into alignment and it seems to start pulling all the surrounding threads into alignment as well.

I've begun thinking even more in these terms lately as I have decided to bring much more of these thoughts into reality... I mean creating more of that which reflects the workings of our interconnected ecosystems into the way I operate socially and the way which I utilise resources...

I've been listening to quite a few speakers on various topics which run parrallel... one was about microbes and bacteria in our body... how they outnumber the human cells in our body and how they interact with each other to create harmony in our body and how we can relate this to creating our own positive social systems...
Challanges in the system don't always have to reinforce disharmony... instead at times they can act as a vessel to create a new way of existing...
And other stuff like that LOL!

There is a huge amount of depth to learn from our natural systems and so much more to uncover as well.
I haven't really even began to touch the surface of what you brought up here... I have sort of just today re -dedicated myself to be a continuous observor - to take a much deeper journey into all of this... what I am becoming aware of is just how creative life is.

"As above is below" - as found on earth, is found in the universe".

I get the impression that this unfolding is a much deeper part of what is emerging for many at this time...
Perhaps this is just my impression because I have choosen this path though and so I keep attracting people and experiences which reinforce this emergence.

[RedEmbers]

In writing all of that in my previous reply the feeling of "immersion" crept in again.

The thing which I am re discovering in my apprenticship phase of my new journey is learning and creating through immersion.

That relates to what you said about moving away from the non thought related process.

The beauty of what you are disussing is that the learning which one can obtain from all of this is predominantly learnt through an immersion.

This reflection I realise is part of the reason why there is so much imbalance in our educational and vocational institutes and society in general.

We have lost the art of being able to immerse ourselves "full sensory awareness" in knowledge, wisdom and apprenticship.

[organic born]

Originally Posted by naturesflow

I have always been a more direct experiencer. Everything on the page literally had to become me to understand myself as all that more directly. So your post reflects something really important in the overall relationship to life, to ourselves and to each other as a way of being and living it more holistically. Benefiting more directly from the sources and keeping everything clean and in good working order in the process. :)

Amazing replies naturesflow And RedEmbers!

There is a language that we're exposed to when we shift our full attention toward natural embeddedness, a language that simply sings with deep appreciation for the composition and wonderful complexity of psychical life!

Words themselves can only point in that direct, one needs to participate in increasingly intricate ways in order for this natural language to present itself.
When I first started studying what it is to nurture plants in good health I began feeling like I knew almost everything that I needed to know in order to get underway... that is until I actually started doing so, at which point I realized how little I actually knew. As long as I was thinking about it, I was removed from the process, it's in the doing where the rhythms become apparent in such a way that redesigns our very feelings about life!

I'm beginning to view plants as "animals without legs". They really are intense participants within a highly complex ecosystem. Much of my current focus involves the blending of microbial teas. I'm using regular garbage cans with a really nice air pump and large bubblers in order to stimulate batches of larger volumes. I'm needing such for the directions I'm heading in. I just planted 600 strawberry plants of differing varieties the other day with tons of other stuff soon to follow. I have several acres of land to work with so I'm designing with the farmers market,for starters, in mind. I'm focused on nutrient density as defined by the brix scale. I not only wish to grow for myself but to also help others in a nutritious way!

As a spiritual thing, I noticed something that was truly interesting about those who find peace when spending time at ashram's, something that seems to be generally overlooked. The implications are that the spiritual endeavors in such places are what does it. And yet when you look at the foods that they are eating in such gatherings there's something that jumps out at you. Most is grown locally/onsight and employ old-school methods of heritage seeds and complex integrative soil preparations. This slowly dawned on me while I was shifting toward such styles of eating and began feeling as though I was comfortably participating in a far-away retreat. I've been doing "spiritual" for years but never felt this level of "completeness" as I do now! It just grew over me naturally! :)

[organic born]

Originally Posted by RedEmbers

We have lost the art of being able to immerse ourselves "full sensory awareness" in knowledge, wisdom and apprenticship.

This is Beautiful RedEmbers! There's something that I started doing a few years ago that fits right into what you are saying! I stopped trying to direct my studies and stood back and told the universe "just show me!!" I let go of trying to direct and made myself available for fresh unencumbered instruction. OMG, was I ever in for a treat. Synchronicity went into high-gear and stuff just kept coming my way in formats that I never could have come up with on my own! Much of it in books at first and then within my daily experiences. Such things became so prevalent that I simply stopped trying to control everything and now primarily "go with the flow". Even to the point where a lot of time's I'll get dressed to go out an work not having a clue as what I'll be doing when I step out the door. Often by the time I'm about 10 feet from the door a direction with present itself and off I go in that direction. Sometimes it's to accomplish stuff that I hadn't thought about doing for months.

And this holds true with my reading exposures. I'll "stumble" across a subject that I never gave much thought to and will be intrigued by the opening insights, which often lead to evermore depth on the subject in an incremental way that almost perfectly fits with my now-growing ability to understand it's importance. I couldn't do this on purpose, I couldn't coordinate such exposures with this level of exactitude as I'm finding coming to me "naturally"!

Another word that fits with "immersion" is "surrender". Just surrender to the moment and allow it to take form in the way that it wants to. I used to be a control freak so doing so was an anathema to me at first, but it became obvious over time that my style of control wasn't nearly as good as what was occurring in my life "naturally". So consider surrender alongside immersion. It seems that they work together as a team! :)

[RedEmbers]

That's very cool OrganicBorn, it sounds as though we are travelling a path with some similarities and ideals. My focus is becoming very localised and more socially aware as well.
That which benifits our local ecosystems (inner physical and outer material) effects our social web as well.

I'm very new into my apprenticship phase... Nothing at school taught me this approach. It is very intuitive - faith based. Every day I re affirm that I am still on board by continuing to 'show up' and be led.
I like your openess in your approach. I feel like a sponge - ready to soak up knowledge belpful to my path LOL. Most of the fime I have just vague ideas of the relevance of such things but a comlete faith that it ties together perfectly !

Even the days when I feel tired - I ask to be carried for a time.
The thing that I am enjoying the most is realising that although there may be work incolved... Nothing has to be forced! I grew so tired of things which were not arising organically... surrendering is wonderful as the energy of surrender carries us forward with less effort... our energy is our such an important resource.

Your sharing has encouraged me and nudged me to keep committing to flow with my own creations and trust deeply the guidence within.

[naturesflow]

[quote=organic born]Amazing replies naturesflow And RedEmbers!

There is a language that we're exposed to when we shift our full attention toward natural embeddedness, a language that simply sings with deep appreciation for the composition and wonderful complexity of psychical life!

Yes very much so. For me personally this is the art of living a life more connected, aware and immersed in what I am and what life offers me. I said to someone yesterday in discussion while out and about, I tend to not do things in half measures when it came to myself and what I wanted as far as connection and deepening my understanding of life around me. If I notice life and notice myself one with that life, my immersion is what opens the window to the whole composition most naturally. It becomes a willingness and effortless dance as your true nature..

Words themselves can only point in that direct, one needs to participate in increasingly intricate ways in order for this natural language to present itself.
When I first started studying what it is to nurture plants in good health I began feeling like I knew almost everything that I needed to know in order to get underway... that is until I actually started doing so, at which point I realized how little I actually knew. As long as I was thinking about it, I was removed from the process, it's in the doing where the rhythms become apparent in such a way that redesigns our very feelings about life!

Yes the life experience is why we are here, to immerse and participate where and how we can. The process or experience itself is the integrative factor of all aspects of you. So the full immersion as I have learned can open up all of you to experience yourself more complete in what you are and are doing as one..I like your last line and its worth repeating because it is a little gem on the page I feel.
"It is in the doing where the rhythms become apparent in such a way that redesigns our very feelings about life"

I'm beginning to view plants as "animals without legs". They really are intense participants within a highly complex ecosystem. Much of my current focus involves the blending of microbial teas. I'm using regular garbage cans with a really nice air pump and large bubblers in order to stimulate batches of larger volumes. I'm needing such for the directions I'm heading in. I just planted 600 strawberry plants of differing varieties the other day with tons of other stuff soon to follow. I have several acres of land to work with so I'm designing with the farmers market,for starters, in mind. I'm focused on nutrient density as defined by the brix scale. I not only wish to grow for myself but to also help others in a nutritious way!

Wowzers that is impressive, makes my little garden very miniscule in comparison. I am growing enough to share with my little network of family and loved ones, healers and artist friends who all contribute and give to the community in some way. You have me thinking, I have a back block behind my house that could well be a little community project to get it up and running as a vegie garden. Its been on my mind and I am sure I could rally a few helpers to get it up and going.

As a spiritual thing, I noticed something that was truly interesting about those who find peace when spending time at ashram's, something that seems to be generally overlooked. The implications are that the spiritual endeavors in such places are what does it. And yet when you look at the foods that they are eating in such gatherings there's something that jumps out at you. Most is grown locally/onsight and employ old-school methods of heritage seeds and complex integrative soil preparations. This slowly dawned on me while I was shifting toward such styles of eating and began feeling as though I was comfortably participating in a far-away retreat. I've been doing "spiritual" for years but never felt this level of "completeness" as I do now! It just grew over me naturally! :)

Yes I understand this, its the "complete practice and provision" its a the holistic nature of living it more complete..I have just completed a yoga/nourish course here locally and this opened my eyes to another level of nourished mind/body/spirit. What hit me most was the "quality" and "more alive" aspect of food and how this supports my well being more complete. It not only enhances that "feeling" of connection to the earth, building a deeper sense of appreciation in the "whole" source of support, but it opens you to notice that natural provision and movements as one source..

Your story is inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

[slowsnake]

Hello Red Embers,

I really enjoyed reading that,very nice bit of writing too!

Kind Regards Billy.

[organic born]

Originally Posted by RedEmbers

Even the days when I feel tired - I ask to be carried for a time.
The thing that I am enjoying the most is realising that although there may be work incolved... Nothing has to be forced! I grew so tired of things which were not arising organically... surrendering is wonderful as the energy of surrender carries us forward with less effort... our energy is our such an important resource.

Amen!

We live within a mentally created context of socially derived imagery. Our attention is continually being directed by the pattern of cultural imperatives. A "culture" is a "language". We are encouraged, and become comfortable, with this network of associations as though it actually defines who we are. We tend to become "contained" by this language of associations.

A cultural language is transitory over time and varies dramatically from one location to another. And each individual who is raised within the confines of each rhythm of cultural expression forms their experience around such a container.

What I'm finding in nature is a language that's notably different than what a culture is able to design. Our western culture tends to look at nature as a "subject" to explore. And yet nature is that which we are while physical, so the essence of nature transcends the label of "subject". Indeed, while physical, nothing exists without nature... we can't walk, think, interact, without nature providing the very context for such events to occur in.

Nature has a language much the way that cultures do but it's built around a more fluid premise. It's seasonal, structural, profoundly perpetual... it exists as a process of continuous renewal. And we're not only part of that, there is no physical part of us that could exist without the integrity of natural unfoldment.

Much of our stress and draining of energies comes from trying to interpret and align-with/navigate the cultural imperatives that we were raised among. Mental/cultural imagery is inherently contradictory. While nature simply does what it does, and has been doing so for endless eons of doing. We can't figure-out nature, we can only ride along with it.

So that's what I'm allowing my associations to morph into. I already know how much of what the culture I was raised in operates. That doesn't go away and is still a wonderful tool for generally interacting with others. But I no longer view such cultural imagery as the primary language in my head. Natural language is far more interesting and far-reaching. The closer I align with it the quieter and more directed I become. No cultural language that I've found comes close to the ubiquitous expression of natural normalcy. :)