Seeking guidance in nature yields results

Legend has it that the Founding Grand Master of Reiki, Dr Mikao Usui, received the Reiki system in a flash of insight while standing under a waterfall in Japan.

It is also said that Moses received the Ten Commandments on the top of Mount Sinai.

The Greek Gods lived on Mount Olympus. The rock forms of Uluru and Kata Tjuta in Australia are sacred to the Aboriginal people. Buddhist monasteries are built on the steepest crags, high above the world.

People everywhere know that there is ancient wisdom in rock formations and by natural bodies of water.

In fact, there seems to be a Spirit of every place we visit. This Spirit can have a powerful impact on us, so it’s important to choose wisely where we spend our time.

The teacher Sandra Ingerman writes in her book Walking in Light that if we find a place we love to be in nature, and we visit this place regularly, soon, the Spirit of the place will begin to reveal itself to us.

So if you are looking to get centered in life, I recommend finding a place outdoors that is close to where you work or live, and visiting this place often.

The most important thing is to find a place that feels special to you. A place that could be your secret hiding place, or a walk whose flowers, buildings, sounds, and textures feed your sense of peace, calm, and beauty.

If you live in a city, this might be harder, but it can still be done. When I lived in New York, I practiced morning yoga on the rooftop of my building, and jogged by the Hudson River most nights.

Once you begin a regular relationship with a natural space, you may begin to notice that you can take a question on a walk with you, and receive the answer as you are admiring the azaleas along the way.

You may find a creek whose bubbly bed you like to sit by, and one day while listening to the trickle of the water an idea for your next project comes to you.

In order for this idea to resonate with you, you have to believe in the Spirit, or the vibration, of a place. You can also view this as energy — after all, everything is made of energy, and vibration.

So when you are resonating with the vibration and energy of a place — and this resonance, this entrainment, are developed over time, like any relationship — when you are resonating with the energy of a place, its information can become available to you.

And this can be quite healing.

In a world where everything changes, it is centering to find a routine in Nature — a walk, a place to sit — that you can return to every morning or evening (or both!) of your daily life. A place where you can hear nature’s sounds, if possible, or notice the changing colors of the seasons.

As your daily relationship with the place grows — as you watch a bird nest in your favorite dogwood tree, or as you watch a creek freeze and then flow freely as winter turns to spring — you will develop a sense for the wonder of the natural world, and your place within it.

And you will be amazed at the ideas, inspiration, and comfort that this daily relationship with Nature will provide.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Do you have a special place to go outside, or do you have a regular walk or jog that you take that allows you to connect with the spirit of the place?