Soak It In

 

Earth’s Energy

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into the trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of autumn.”

John Muir

          John Muir, American naturalist who was an early proponent of National Parks that preserved wilderness and shorelines, was born in 1838 and died in 1914. Also known as “John of the Mountains,” he wrote many books and essays about forests and the preservation of green spaces. Long before we understood the earth’s energy, and that there are particular places, called vortexes, where it is stronger than others, he documented the effect these energy centers have on human wellbeing. In the quote above, he describes how one feels in the mountains, in his case the Sierra Nevada in California.

          We humans receive energy from nature—not just figuratively, but literally. Our bodies may seem solid, but they are made up of particles of energy. Deepak Chopra describes us this way: “In the deeper reality, your body is a field of energy, transformation, and intelligence.” Besides the food we eat, one thing that restores our energy, and therefore, our vitality, is being in the natural world—as Muir said, “nature’s peace will flow into you.”. We know when we are energized because we feel good, our minds are clear and bright, and we are calm, contained.

          There are certain places on earth where the energy field is stronger. The ancient people built monuments and markers on them—standing stones, cairns, sometimes just stacks of small stones. Some of them even carved words or symbols to say, “this place is sacred,” or “this is holy ground.” Remember the story of Jacob in the Old Testament after his dream of the staircase to heaven with angels ascending and descending? He built a stone altar and poured oil on it.

Stonehenge qualifies as an energy center, of course, and the pyramids of Gaza, the surroundings of Sedona, Arizona, and Cathedral Rock in Nevada, the volcanic openings in Hawaii, and others. They are considered “thin places” where heaven and earth meet, and one can experience having a foot in both worlds. I include the mountains of North Carolina, where the only old-growth forest east of the Mississippi lies hidden in the Great Smoky Mountains—the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest near Robbinsville, NC.

          If you have opportunity today, get outside. Recharge your batteries. Sit under a tree and let it shower you with its ancient earth energy. You’ll come away feeling better, I promise.

                                                  In the Spirit,

                                                  Jane