Wednesday

Embodying Earth Energy

The beauties and benefits of mindfulness practice in the natural world

by Donna Williams

“The human potential for intelligence and dignity is attuned to experiencing the brilliance of the bright blue sky, the freshness of green fields, and the beauty of trees and mountains,” Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Sacred Path of the Warrior.

I was teaching in Santiago, Chile during March of 2017.  When I came back to Vermont, I reflected on how so many students had complained of the stress of living in the city. Often workers spend upwards of ten hours a day at work and one and a half to two hours commuting. Shortly after my return, I came across a podcast/ interview with Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix. In this informative book, Ms. Williams discusses research into the healing power of nature, both medical and psychological.  A potent example: in South Korea, they have official healing forests; thirty-four are planned, with their own interpretive nature guides.  Various maladies are hoped to be addressed through time spent in these forests, from various autoimmune diseases, to cancer, to high blood pressure, diabetes, and other stress-induced ailments Continue…