Most of us are familiar the benefits of 'getting away' from the hustle and bustle of it all. And being in Nature. Fresh air, fresh scents, gentle breezes tickling the skin, the sounds, the allure of our various co-critters simply being, and the sense of Rejuvenation that invariably occurs. It's almost as if we've come home!

And in a sense, we have. The estrangement from Nature that so many experience in the busyness of what I call hyper-culture is very real. So, getting back out there is at least temporarily shedding the roles, expectations, and all else that hyper-culture demands of us. Truly, 'a breath of fresh air' takes on a pretty deep meaning.

There is another, much less acknowledged, perception of 'getting back to Nature' which I find to be of critical importance. If one accepts that we humans are also a part of Nature - living, breathing, participating mammals - then how we care for Nature becomes increasingly relevant. Self care, if you will. It is important to note the distinction between participating in Nature rather than simply observing Nature. Observing has the tendency to separate us from, while participating embraces the notion that we are one with Nature.

I've often been appalled by the desecration of Nature that modern culture has wrought on the environment. Air pollution, noise pollution, over population (and all that that entails), tearing down natural lands to build more and more of this and that and so many other things, climate change, and on and on and on. These actions clearly scream estrangement from the very Nature that we, too, are. 

I often wonder how this desecration of Nature translates internally. Underneath the personas, roles, and defensive armor that most of us carry lies what I call our Deep Nature. Through the years I think many have attempted to reference this aspect of ourselves with terms such as genuine self, authentic self, deep self, and other such descriptors. Simply put, it's the very same Nature deep down within us as the very Nature all around us. 

Working in the field of psychology for many decades, I have seen many internal struggles, personal conflicts, free-floating dissonance, addictions, and a Diagnostic Statistical Manual that compiles and classifies more and more maladies with each new edition. One psycho-philosopher quipped that our definition of 'normalcy' is becoming increasingly narrow. What it indicates to me is that there is something terribly wrong, and in need of healing attention. Though all our maladies, afflictions, and addictions won't be resolved with this perspective, I do contend that it may be critical to identify our deepest self, genuine self, or what have you, as our Deep Nature. Our Deep Nature that has been and can be connected to the Nature outside of us. Through this lens, counseling, coaching, and therapeutic processes would be about addressing the multitude of symptoms that our inner and outer Nature experience. Without those blockages, there can be a freer flow of energy ultimately rendering both inner and outer Nature as one. This can lead to an empowered grounding, centering, and aligning that has been at our very finger tips yet so elusive due to the distractions of hyper-culture. 

Quick plug - Deep Relaxation is a portal to Deep Nature...