Alex Pietrowski, Staff Writer
Waking Times

The human mind easily adapts and conforms to ideas, behaviors and the environment around it, often as a means of fitting in and surviving. Most people are content to follow along with what others are doing, even if it transforms them to the point that they do not recognize themselves. Over time, one’s convictions morph to what is widely acceptable in society, destructive acts are deemed constructive and necessary, succumbing to authority is considered necessary, and blurring the lines of morality becomes the norm.

Once the mind is programmed, it often runs on autopilot...

Living in a working world where we are constantly distracted by stimulus and technology,  we have become vastly disconnected from our roots.  A deep connection with nature can have profound effects mentally, spiritually and physically— most of which we are missing out on.  Here are 6 things you can do to develop a deeper connection with nature:

1)  Sleep Outside

How often do we breath the fresh air and hear the sound of the wind whispering through the trees as we drift off to sleep?  Not often.  The norm for us today is to sleep in a room full of dust, stale air, wires and electronics.  We are so accustomed to sleeping in what is essentially a toxic box that we have forgotten what it would be like to sleep outside in the crisp, fresh air of the outdoors— surrounded by life.

By John Holland

Your body has a way of sending you signals using its own intuitive language. Whether it’s a gut response, a physical sensation, an emotion, or even a dream – your body is talking to you!

We generally don’t pay enough attention to it or heed the signals until something goes wrong. If you hear a ping, rattle, or whine in your car, hopefully you’ll be straight down to the nearest garage without hesitation, so all I am saying is to treat your body with the same respect. During the process of spiritual development, don’t push those physical sensations or your feelings away. Embrace them and listen to them. Often through meditation, you’ll be able to find the answer to what your body is trying to say – so just ask. You may not get anything at first, but it’s worth persevering, as it really does get easier with practice.

“Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in eternal awareness or pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity.” ―Voltaire

Matthieu Ricard, a 66-year old Tibetan monk and geneticist, produces brain gamma waves—linked to consciousness, attention, learning and memory—never before reported in neuroscience, leading researchers to conclude that Ricard is the world’s happiest man. The secret to his success in achieving bliss? Meditation, he claims.

“Meditating is like lifting weights or exercising for the mind”, Ricard told the Daily News. “Anyone can be happy by simply training their brain”, he says.

To quantify just how happy Ricard is, neuroscientists at the University of Wisconsin attached 256 sensors to the monk’s skull. When he meditated on compassion, the researchers were shocked to see that Ricard’s brian produces a level of gamma waves off the charts. He also demonstrated excessive activity in his brain’s left prefrontal cortex compared to its right counterpart, meaning he has an abnormally large capacity for happiness and a reduced propensity towards negativity, the researchers say.

You are on a ledge overlooking a beautiful mountain lake. It is a gorgeous day and so hot! But, you are standing there quaking in fear of the breathtakingly cold water. What are you going to do, wait there until the beauty of the day fades? Or jump in knowing, that once you’re in the water, it will feel wonderful. ~ Creator

The empowered human being is the human who has perfected the art of staying out of their own way. ~Archangel Gabriel