I talked with nature and she told me a thing or two about life

It’s been almost 2 weeks since I arrived to Sattva Yoga Academy for a Yog Vedantic Teacher Training in the Yoga capital of the world, Rishikesh at the foothills of the Himalayas. Being depleted of traveling and meeting new people, the first days were all about the connection to the external rather than the internal environment. A few days ago I started feeling the call to go more inward. The universe delivered perfect conditions for inner journey unexpectedly early with a serendipitous collection of events. Yesterday we had a powerful energizing journey so we balanced it out with a very gentle flow in the evening. That allowed me to access the slower layer of my consciousness and be in a meditative state the entire evening. So naturally after a night like this, I woke up more connected to myself and as a cherry on the top, the song Sway from Pussycat Dolls played in my head.

I sat down for a meditation at a Ganga tributary with a personal mantra in my head that was accompanied by the soundscape of birds, monkeys, bees, and water. I connected with the nature and accessed deeper layers of sound. Or rather the void between my thoughts where the vibration took a form of a color and my energy body was expanding. In this state of consciousness an intention arose. Embody the tiger energy. Tigers are wild, fierce yet elegant, and powerfully grounded. Beautiful in their own skin, aware of their strength while being able to use it only when needed. Always on a lookout, sharp and their eyes are rested on the prey. I contemplated the symbolism and played around with it. The push from my soul to start acting and moving is getting louder and louder through the voice of nature in the vicinity of places, where tigers and leopards actually roam the forests.

Thankfully, instead of the morning intensive Yoga journey we went for a hike where I could connect to the nature even deeper. The sun was permeating from among the leaves, the dry ground was in contrast with the green leaves on top of the tall trees and the silence of our group walk was complemented with a silent sound of flowing water below us. A song appeared in my consciousness and not only I went with it, I also channeled language of light through movement to enhance the mantra song:

Earth my Body,

Water my Soul,

Air my Breath and

Fire my Spirit

My attention started to rest on the interconnectedness of everything in the nature. How humans are a part of an ecosystem, how the individual elements make up our being, how one event leads to another in an intelligent design. This song and its implications stayed with me for the upcoming couple of hours. Resting my attention at an uplifting mantra expanded my consciousness for a significant time and just now, looking back, I see how powerful the mantra technology is.

As we reached the waterfalls, everybody went on to find their spot along the water. Walking upstream I imagined how the water is taking away what I don’t need and charged myself with the element of water. When I found a rock to sit on, the Medicine Buddha mantra arose in my consciousness. I chanted it — directed at my digestion and physical body in general. The power of the mantra grounded me sufficiently to pay attention to the natural beauty of everything around me and calmed my Delhi belly — upset stomach that was usually taking a lot of attention.

Coming back downstream I stumbled upon a butterfly resting on a rock in the river. I came closer and admired the patterns on its wings. There we had a little conversation where the little creature became my great teacher, building upon the teachings of the tigers. As it was swaying the wings while standing still, I learned that even when it seems that there is no action in terms of progressing in a certain direction, there is still some movement and action taken — gradually taking consistent small steps that will create a momentum for when the time comes to fly. The butterfly turned around and started walking the other direction, indicating that it is completely okay to pivot when I realize that the current direction I face is not right for me at this moment. I moved a bit closer to the butterfly and it flew a tiny bit forward. It rode the energy wave caused by an external force and used it to propel forward. I took this energy exchange with the butterfly as a Spirit’s way of telling me that it is time to create a habit of taking actionable steps towards the direction of building the life I came here for. No waiting, no thinking, doing. And when I rest to recharge, I still create a teeny tiny progress while actively creating subtle actions to keep the momentum going. I thanked the butterfly for the lessons and took off for the journey back to the resort, realizing that the nature is gently guiding me towards finally dedicating my time and energy towards building a business I am passionate about.

The deep connection with the nature through the mantra earlier allowed me to hear her clearly on my way down. I took out a plastic bag and started collecting trash along the way. Everything that doesn’t belong to the nature was going with me. The small bag got filled up pretty quickly but I found a big plastic bag where I could collect more. I realize the interconnectedness of everything and how the big plastic pieces become micro-plastics that essentially end up in the bodies of plants, animals and humans. I collected the garbage for the nature and for myself too, as the nature is me and I am the nature. I did it for the pure fact of being one with the ecosystem. It felt good that I am doing something virtuous and (not) surprisingly it inspired others to join me.

That’s how leadership works. One starts with a pure intention rising from the deep desire and a sense of service and this aligned source energy is contagious. People naturally join — not for me, for them and for the intention, making it slightly theirs. When the momentum of the action begins, I don’t have to do it all by myself, I know that I can omit a small piece of plastic because people behind me will collect it. It is a metaphor for all the actions a leader takes. One just need to start and when others join, it becomes a collective effort. We might not clean the entire path but we do what we can. One small action at a time can become a foundation for bigger actions to sprout from there. And who knows, maybe the action takes on so much power that the Earth will eventually be clean. Or whatever the leadership action might be, reaches its completion.

After my bag was full, I just made peace with leaving the trash behind because it was beyond my capability to pick it all up. I’ve done my fair share at my capacity… To my pleasant surprise, the guys behind me found another big trash bag and filled it up with garbage. It is beautiful how one small action can inspire others to create great results.

Thanks for the story, but what is the bottom line?

It might have started like a regular day but my increased awareness actually enabled me to have a beautiful conversation with nature that will linger in my mind for months. When one slows down, calms the restless waves of thoughts and emotions through the use of ancient (and so damn available) technology of mantras, meditation, and breathwork, a completely new world of profound wisdom will emerge from a simple thing such as a silent walk in the forrest. The wisdom is always there, waiting for us to access it by surrendering to the present moment and attuning our senses to perceive the subtle realms of the omnipermeating intelligence and divine guidance. And in this space, there is no worry, no fear, no doubt. Nothing that could hinder the pleasantness of experiencing being alive.

We all seek happiness, joy, connection, excitement, peace, beauty, love, creativity,… It is right here, right now. Practice yoga. Meditate. Use mantras. Learn how to breathe. Take control of your energy through kriyas. Show up for yourself. Schedule uninterrupted time in nature on your own without any distractions. And bit by bit, you’ll experience all those things you are seeking. First it will be glimpses when you access the stillness in solitude, but the more you do it, the greater access to the silence you’ll get even when surrounded by distractions. It takes practice and commitment but trust me, it is more than worth it. Life becomes a playground for joyful exploration and co-creation and that, my friend, is the life you came here to live.

Allow yourself to embody the ecstatic aliveness that comes as package deal with being half-divine and half-human. When you tap into the silence of nature, you’ll understand both the physical and the metaphysical part of you and in this understanding lies the key to finding your way home, your way to everlasting bliss of being alive. Put your hand on your heart, take a couple of deep breaths and honestly ask whether this state of existence is the deepest desire of your heart. Is it? I bet it is and I am confident that you can achieve it once you make it your conscious choice to hind home ❤️

~The Simona

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