Barefoot With Nature

I think that I’m almost ready

Categories: My Story

Tags: Challenges, Distractions, Emotional Release, Into The Heart of The Earth, New Zealand

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Published on: August 10, 2012

Change is the only constant

Change is the only constant, and things, for me, are changing once more. I have spoken about changes, or at least touched on the subject before. Nothing ever stays the same, everything is always changing, and there is absolutely nothing that we can do about it, change is the inevitable constant.

Are art of change, is to be the change itself, if you are the change then you can guide the change as it unfolds but as you do so remember that others will also affect these changes and over that you have no control, these are the times to go with the flow.

I have been the change

For the past six months I have been the change:
First I decided to go travelling to New Zealand; I made the change from static to traveller.
Then I decided to hand in my notice at work; I made the change from employed to free.
Then I decided to sell or give away pretty much all that I owned; I made the change from material to possession free.

There have been smaller changes in between but these are the major ones, these are the major changes that I want to see in my life.

And so it comes together

I’m sat here typing this in an almost empty flat, the last of the furniture will be going in the next couple of days, most of that which I’m keeping in packed into 4 boxes, and today I went into work for the last time.

Growing through Change

As I initiated each of these changes, doing so from a place free from distraction, so I could set my intent with clarity for the change that was going to make. As I initiated each of these change there was a knock on effect, not necessarily manifest in the physical but more often on a deeper level, on a level of knowing, of purpose, of certainty. Also on an emotional level, encouraging me to clear out any baggage that I had left tucked in the corner.

It’s not been easy and I have been challenged on many levels sometimes pushing me to the point that I considered turning back, but I didn’t, because each time I had a knowing that things would turn out just as they should, and that if my intent was set from pure of mind then what will be will be as I see.

Each challenge brings with it a lesson, an opportunity to grow. That is exactly what I release I have been doing over this past six months. It’s all part of the preparation.

The purpose

I really believe that we all have a purpose on this planet, that we all have a job to do, so to speak. We don’t always realise this purpose, and some never do. But when you start to realise you purpose in life, when the pieces start to fit together then life really does become exciting.

As each of these changes progresses, and brings with them their challenges, and the lessons to be learnt from those challenges, as each piece of the jigsaw is laid out, the picture starts to become clearer.

The picture isn’t clear enough yet for me to tell you, but it’s enough to tell you I am VERY excited. The slow dawning of this picture is just another part of the preparation; the purpose.

The mental preparation

Sometimes this happens subconsciously, I know that while travelling there could, be should I chose, be extended periods on my own. In preparation I unknowingly have started to become more isolated, happy to lock myself away from the world for days at a time. Not intentional I assure you but something that I noticed.

Then there are some that require a more hands on approach, things that I have to be more conscious of. I have to constantly remind myself of my creature comforts, many of which I will be leaving behind. For each one I discover I prepare myself, I imagine life without it, to put myself there so that when they are gone there isn’t going to be any emotional surprises!

The physical preparation

Well I may look young and youthful, and most of the time I feel that way, but I also know that I’m physically not as strong and fit as I used to be. So another of my changes is to start doing a morning exercise routine, which will be mostly stretching and a little workout, followed by a very powerful yoga routine that incorporates moves and stances from many traditions and material arts (it’s not of my making this is one of Ben’s).

I will also be spending time at a festival in North Wales and time on a Shamanic/Survival retreat on the South Downs, both of which will contribute towards the physical as well as the mental preparation.

So I think I’m almost ready!

Expanded Awareness (Part 1)

by Chris

Categories: Things You Should To Know, With Nature

Tags: Distractions, Expanding Awareness, Into The Heart of The Earth, Meditation, Nature, The Woods, Walking

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Published on: February 29, 2012

In a number of my previous posts I have mentioned and touched on Expanded Awareness, and each time I do I keep saying I’ll be posting more about Expanded Awareness at some point in the future, well that point is now.

Before I get into the details I must say that Expanded Awareness is something that is best experienced firsthand, I will try and describe the process of entering a state of Expanded Awareness (this will be in ‘Expanded Awareness Part 2’) and the experience as best I can but as I say it’s something that is best experienced for yourself.

Please excuse the plug for my friend and mentor’s courses that are going on this summer in the South of England, “Into The Heart of Earth”, during these courses Ben guides you through the process of Expanded Awareness and allows you to experience it and work with it both physically and spiritually. His contact details are on the above link give him a call if you have the slightest interest.

What is Expanded Awareness?

Assuming for no disabilities we all have five senses, seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling, and tasting. The various organs that are responsible for these senses send information to the brain, the brain filters and processes this information resulting in the awareness that we have of the physical world around us.

It is important that you note that the brain filters the information that it receives from the various sensory organs. What you actually ‘see’ is only a fraction of what the eyes actually take in; in fact it’s only a very small fraction. The same applies to the other four senses as well. A prime example of this is the person who moves into a new home next to a busy road, the first couple of weeks the noise of the traffic is a conscious hum but after a while the brain filters this hum out to the point where the person doesn’t hear the traffic at all.

Also when we concentrate on something our brain filters out information that is not related to the subject of concentration. Have you ever been engrossed in a book and not heard your name being called, we’ve all done it.

The process of Expanded Awareness is to remove these filters that the brain applies to the sensory information it receives, so that we can perceive more of the physical world around, so we can see more, hear more, smell more, taste more and feel more. We literally increase our awareness of what is going on around us, we Expand our Awareness.

What Are the Perceived Benefits?

Expanding Awareness is more than an increased perception of the physical world, it is a subtle shift in consciousness and the way we use that consciousness to experience the world around us.

1. Expanded Inner Awareness

The way we see the world around us is to a greater extent governed by our consciousness. There is a saying ‘as above, so below’ or ‘as within, so without’. Expanding our awareness of the outer world, the physical world around us, also expands our awareness of our inner world or inner self, the person we are inside.

So the first benefit of Expanded Awareness is an expanded inner awareness of what is going on in our inner world, that world that only we know about, a greater understanding and appreciation of the inner self, the true you.

2. Inner Peace and Calm

The process of Expanded Awareness is a form of meditation. Any process, routine or exercise that changes the brain wave patterns from beta to alpha is a form of meditation. Expanded Awareness does just that, it is a quick and very effective way to enter a meditative state, and as such brings with it a deeply relaxing feeling and an instant sense of peace and calm.

I will add here that just because it’s a form of meditation is doesn’t mean that it’s practiced sitting cross legged on a yoga mat, although it can be. Once in a state of Expanded Awareness I would recommend moving around while staying in this state, the way you perceive the familiar world around will be totally changed.

3. Being Present

In this modern world there is so much to think about that sometime you just feel as if your brain will explode, thoughts about what went on yesterday, what will happen tomorrow, where you have to be and when, what’s for dinner and so the list goes on. Once you enter Expanded Awareness all these thoughts just fade away, as you become more Present more in the Now. This really is part and parcel of being in a meditative state, but even so it’s still worth mentioning as an individual benefit.

4. An Increased Ability to Absorb and Retain Information

When in a state of Expanded Awareness you’ll find that you have none of the usual chatter going on inside your head, everything is quiet. This means that the information that is presented to you is absorbed as presented it is not being dilute or distorted by your own thoughts. You also become aware of the other or complementary ways that this information is being present, subtle changes in the tone or volume of the speaker’s voice, slight body movements or subtle body language, there is also an increase sense of the energy that the information is delivered with, all of which increases your ability to absorb and retain what is being told to you.

There really is less vying for your attention, you are not being pushed and pulled because you are aware of it already.

5. Increased Connection

For me personally Expanded Awareness increases my connection with Nature, with the natural world around me, be it the woods, in the open countryside or in the middle of the city. Once you become fully aware of everything that is around you find that you start to develop a deeper more meaningful connection with it, and this includes the people that you interact with.

This increased connection is also a two-way street, not only do you develop a deeper connection with your surrounds but your surroundings develop a deeper connection with you and this does apply to people too. I have found that in a state of Expanded Awareness that I become part of Nature and Nature accepts me as being a part of it. In this state I have had an Owl land next to me in the tree I was climbing, I’ve had Squirrels and Mice scamper across me, I’ve had Foxes walk past me. All as if they were perfect natural occurrences, all as if I was just another part of The Woods.

6. Beauty

As I said at the beginning of this post Expanded Awareness increases your perception of what is around you, you see more, hear more, feel more, smell more, taste more. You experience things completely differently. Colours become more vibrant and alive, sounds become more vivid and clear, smells become more intense and somehow sweeter. The world takes on a completely different ‘look’ and feel. The only way that I can describe it is that the world becomes more beautiful. You start to sense beauty in places that you would never imagine, you start to sense things that you previously missed. It really is a completely new way to experience life, a beautiful new way.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the benefits of Expanded Awareness, and each person’s perception of the world is different, what you experience may be the same as what I have described here, it may be similar or you may have a completely different perception of the world in Expanded Awareness. Whatever your experience, once you start introducing Expanded Awareness into your everyday life, practicing at every opportunity, then you’ll soon be amazed at everything that you’ve been missing out on, this I truly believe.

How Do You Expand Your Awareness?

Well I’m afraid that you may have to wait for my next post (which is here) for me to explain this to you, as I’m contemplating recording a mini guide to Expanding Awareness, almost like a guided meditation and it may take me a couple of days to sort out the technology to accomplish this. But rest assured I haven’t finished on the subject of Expanded Awareness… not yet.

5 Simple Steps to Connect With Nature

by Chris

Categories: With Nature

Tags: Bare foot, Barefeet, Barefooting, Distractions, Expanding Awareness, Nature, Parks, The Woods, Walking

Comments: 2 Comments

Published on: January 16, 2012

No matter how much we distance ourselves from Nature it is unavoidable that ultimately we are part of it! In the modern world with so many distractions and gadgets we often forget that it wasn’t that long ago that we also lived as part of Nature, in a time before our modern houses, cities and technologies.

Connecting with Nature or RE-connecting with Nature allows us to connect to ourselves and the rest of humanity. To shun Nature is to shun ourselves and our fellow human beings.

Nature is the greatest teacher, if you’re prepared to be the student.

Here are 5 very simple thing that you can do to connect with Nature.

1. Be Present

Being present is being in the Now and directly emulates Nature. If you watch any animals, wild or domestic they live completely in the moment, in the Now, and if you are to connect with Nature then you too must be 100% present or fully in the Now.

When out and about don’t walk along thinking about what you’re going to be doing when you get home, or mulling over that problem at work. These are all things that you cannot do anything about while you are out walking, unless you’re carrying some mobile device. This brings me onto another point about being present.

Turn off your mobile phone or any other technology that could interfere with or disturb you while you are out about and this applies to mp3 players as well. All of these can and do bring you away from the Now.

Act on impulse also, if a certain path looks inviting then follow it! Don’t think about where it will take you or how long it will take you to get home, follow it; be in the Now.

2. Be Observant

So many people I see walking through the woods or across the fields or even down the street, walk along with their heads down, only focusing on the ground in front of them, while over some terrain this is advisable most of the time it is perfect safe to look around you as you walk along.

Being observant doesn’t just mean just looking around, being observant also means that you hear the sounds around you, you notice the smallest of movement in the undergrowth, you feel the wind on your face or the undergrowth against your legs.

Being a part Nature also means observing Nature, I have touched on this before, I was taught this as Expanded Awareness, and I will go into greater detail about Expanded Awareness in forthcoming posts.

3. Establish a Direct Link

Direct links with Nature will give us a greater connection with Nature. Bringing Nature into our houses or gardens is one of the most effective ways to establish that direct link.

There is any number of ways that we can bring Nature to us; pets, house planets, a ‘wild’ section in the garden are just some; alternatively we buy an acre of wood land, or adopt a tree.

Bringing Nature to us gives us a connection that we can tap into 24 hours of the day, 7 days of the week.

You could add to this another method that I use to establish a direct link with Nature and that is to go barefoot! Walking barefoot is the simplest and easiest way to have a direct physical connection with the planet and Nature.

4. Compassion and Love

When you are loving and compassionate towards another human being you develop a strong, direct connection with that person, doing the same with Nature will also develop a strong, direct connection with Nature.

Compassion and love can come in many forms, recycling all that you can is a start. Picking up litter that you see as you walk around and of course not littering! Using the car less and walking more shows both love and compassion for Nature, and take only that which you need, no more.

As well as showing love and compassion also be grateful for what Nature you have, you may not be surrounded by open fields and woodland but that doesn’t mean that you cannot be grateful for the parks and open spaces that you have around.

5. Get Outside!

Well this may seem like I’m pointing out the obvious, but it is the most important way to connect with Nature and it is one that is over looked so often. You don’t need to go on a 10 mile walk through the woods every day, but that will help

I am lucky I live on the edge of town and less than 5 minutes walk from the nearest wood and open fields, but I have lived in the city; in fact I lived in New York city and even there on Manhattan island there are more parks and open spaces than you can believe.

Every town or city has parks, woods or just open spaces. Make the time to get outside into these open spaces, there you WILL find Nature, even in the middle of a city like New York.

Nature is Everywhere

There are numerous health benefits that you can achieve by establishing a connection with Nature, by being a part of Nature. Not just improved physical health but improved mental health as well. As I say this doesn’t mean that we are reject modern society and move to a little shack in the middle of nowhere. Nature is all around us no matter where we live, it just takes a little time and effect to join it.

Thursday 3 Nov – Day 3 On The Other Side

by Chris

Categories: Back To The Basics

Tags: Back To The Basics, Common Sense, Computers, Distractions, Phones

Comments: No Comments

Published on: November 16, 2011

Technology

Over the past few days I have been observing peoples general use of technology. It would seem that technology gives people the permission to be dangerous, it removes common sense and makes people damn right rude! This is a generalisation and obviously doesn’t apply to everyone.

Danger!

When I was learning to drive, all those years ago, my driving instructor told me that (at the time) the most common cause of accidents was people messing with the radio while driving. It now looks as though the radio has given way to the mobile phone. Despite the warnings people still seem to HAVE to answer their phones regardless of where they are and what they are doing, not only putting themselves in danger but everyone else. It’s not just mobile phones it’s also mp3 players and even laptops – yes I have seen someone driving while using a laptop!

Driving is not the only place where people allow technology to put them in danger, but it is the most obvious.

Common Sense

I would have thought it common sense that texting, watching youtube clips etc while walking down the street was a little on the daft side to say the least. Or is that just me?

At the weekend I watched as a teenager who was listening to an mp3 player and texting (I assume) on his mobile phone, walk straight out in front of a car, totally oblivious to its presence, fortunately for the lad the driver WAS paying attention and not on the phone otherwise I would have been witness to what could have been a very nasty accident.

Again this is just one example of where technology supersedes common sense, there are plenty more!

Rudeness

Plan and simple good manners also seem to have been superseded by technology.

I have seen people stop mid conversation to answer a mobile phone or reply to a text, how very rude! I’m sorry but if you were talking to me and did that I would get up and walk away. Mp3 players are just as bad, the number of people who walk around with just one ear piece in and the volume tuned up to compensate, so that everyone can hear their music and they can also hear everyone else. What makes them believe that others wish to listen to their music?

At the small Coffee Shop where I work, you WILL NOT get served if you are texting or talking on a mobile phone OR listening to an mp3 player, I will NOT compete with tech for your attention.

Good or Bad

Technology has its place and uses and generally I believe that it has more benefits then hindrances. I still believe that technology is a distraction, it’s generally designed to speed up our lives, which just encourages us to rush from one thing to another, not experiencing the journey in between. It’s not technology itself, it’s the way we use it.

Distractions

As I have already said on numerous occasions, we allow tech to distract us from the experience of life. We no longer just walk, watch and listen; it seems that we cannot go out of the house without our tech, what are we afraid of missing? Life?

Speeding Along

Admittedly I am using hot running water again, it’s nice to have a bath without running up and down the stairs with boiling water, but doing things the old fashioned way, boiling water in pans, really did give me a greater appreciation of a hot bath.

The majority of tech is designed to make things easier for us, to give us more free time. Yet it does seem to have the reverse effect. I had far more free time without tech than I did before these 10 days and even now on the other side where I am minimising my tech usage. But again I believe it’s our use of tech and not the tech itself.

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