Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” ~ Rumi
Coming home to our true nature and discovering our true self.
We live in the age of disconnection. The frenetic pace of modern urban convenience living, fueled by screens, social media and work demands, leads us further and further away from that silent pull of what we really love. The soft whispering of who we really are is drowned out and neglected.
We also mute and separate ourselves from nature’s songs; the singing of birds, the soft whispering of the wind, the playful rustle of leaves and the tinkling trickling of water down the stream. We forget the song of nature, both inner and outer.
But there is a great longing within each of us. We long to discover the secrets and mysteries of our inner landscapes, to sing our own wild song, to be our raw, authentic selves and to bring the sparkling hidden treasures we carry within us to our communities.
This idea that each one of us carries a unique gift to share with the world, a life purpose, a true calling, a soul song, is at the heart of many spiritual traditions and ancient cultures.
Nature-based ceremonies and rituals were used by Indigenous cultures to help people come to know their true nature and personal Medicine. The system of Yoga is itself a practice of and a journey towards the state of total oneness and connection where we have unlimited knowledge of our true nature. The last stage in the 8 limbs of yoga is called Samadhi, a place of complete comprehension of the nature of ourselves and all that is.
So how do we find this hidden treasure?
Yoga is an important thread in the tapestry. Moving and breathing and listening to our body wisdom brings us into connection with our own natural rhythms.
We are nature, after all. In addition to our asana and pranayama, we can invite in a whole range of other practices to help us cultivate a soulful relationship to life; carving out quiet time and space with intentional solitude, deep listening and wandering in nature, traditional ceremonies, rituals and nature festivals, journal work, symbolic artwork, soul poetry, music, chanting, ecstatic dance and drumming…
And so, this is what we mean by rewilding. Saying a full-body yes to who we really are. Singing the song and dancing the dance that we were born to bring out into the world.
Thoughtfully written for Living Flow Yoga by Louise Kiddell – yoga teacher, nature connection guide and iRest facilitator.
