Environmental damage reveals through a wide-angle lens, the civilisational crisis we are currently experiencing. A scenario set as an unavoidable outcome of productive, cultural and economic dynamics of industrialised societies, which moves at an odd pace with the Planet’s capability for proper ecological balance. This state of affairs, for its part, is evinced by a crisis of perception and presence and by ongoing deterioration of health in populations, communities and ecosystems, all living beings considered. All due to detachment or denial of nature within ourselves or of the fact we are all part of a living organism – the Web of Life.
The imperative of reassessing our way of existing in this Planet urges us to regain inspiration, the innate and profound connection we have with Earth and the self-healing capability of this network we all belong to. It requires silence, slowing down, opening up our senses and exercising presence, going home to nature, inward and outward, as testified by our evolutionary history.
Those insights have guided me throughout my quest for certification as a Forest Therapy Guide at the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT). A path of life-changing discoveries which, I dare to say, have become my Ikigai (purpose), along pathways of reciprocity which I seek to forge in my daily relations. But how to deal with the many bifurcations, obstacles and challenges of the contemporary world along this path?
More than ever, one must take root, see and look, feel, reconnect to the essence of life itself. It means to understand there is a way of life that must be acknowledged and integrated to the pattern of choices we make. Deep Ecology theorist Arne Naess emphasises that the Ecological Self is the result of a natural process of improvement. His concept of Integrated Maturity can be defined as the awareness of oneself beyond one’s ego, towards a social, metaphysical, and ecological Self.
Hummingbird (Photo by Marcia Zizzi)
Through the observation of seasons and their cycles, one might identify patterns of transience which range from the beginning to the end of life, thus creating a poignant idea about time. Therefore, reflecting about time might be a good set-off towards this path of reassessment of our attitude in and about the World. With no ambition of delving into theories on time, object of multiple inquiries since Antiquity, I would rather highlight the aspect of presence. How can we apply our time on the “here and now”? How much are we, in fact, present? How qualified is our awareness, especially in terms of non-reactiveness? How can we become conscious of life’s cycles? “The biggest gift you can give is to be absolutely present”, Joanna Macy wrote. It means the quality of our relations is directly proportional to how acute our attention is.
Caliandra (Photo by Marcia Zizzi)
Such reflexion echoes as an invitation to Forest Therapy practice, which I perceive as more than an experience but as a way of life, an outlook which is broader, considerate and respectful towards the realm of relations. Among many findings throughout my training as a Forest Therapy Guide, I would like to emphasise the Sit Spot exercises; Creative Imagination Development; the Opening of Senses, perception and interaction with the More-Than-Human World (animals, trees, minerals, water, among others). Besides the physiological benefits, thoroughly well-verified through scientific research and studies by authors about Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing), Forest Therapy practice can provide emotional states of well-being, satisfaction and hope – a hope described by Joanna Macy as “Active Hope”:
“Active Hope is about becoming active participants in bringing about what we hope for. Active Hope is a practice. (…) The guiding impetus is intention; we choose what we aim to bring about, act for, or express”.
As, for instance, paying attention to the Earth’s biorhythm; coexisting in a compassionate, responsible way with the bioregion one lives in; becoming attuned with the reality of interconnectedness among all beings. Slowing down.
The exercise of choosing a Sit Spot – a given place within the natural environment where we might exercise our senses, look within ourselves, connect with the rhythm of this place and of the organisms who inhabit it – is a good example of practices one might adopt in order to decrease the frantic pace of everyday life. Presence and consciousness are also some of the benefits that can be acquired while spending time in this state of being with Nature (inwardly and outwardly). The Opening of Senses, a practice designed to convey Presence, drives us towards a more sentient process of appreciating the More-Than-Human World. It is always good to bear in mind the knowledge of native peoples when interpreting Nature’s signs and how this wisdom has been instrumental as a survival and cultural safeguarding strategy.
Fim-Fim / Purple-throated Euphonia (Photo by Marcia Zizzi)
While I’m writing, dusk begins to set amid generous morsels of sunlight on a tropical-hued winter. I watch the dance of birds and their peculiar symphony; so frequently present in this corner of the World – a garden within the heart of the Brazilian Cerrado, where my Sit Spot lies. Among a myriad of sounds, colours, scents and motions; my sensations renew during daily observation and contemplation sessions. A moment to simply be. Like a picture which reveals the common ground between internal and external landscapes, in the rhythm of a life that constantly flows, cherishes, nourishes, connects and throbs here and now. I partake and feel inside my heart the ripple of so many voices and gifts given to me in the shape of imparted wisdom. Amos Clifford states that those who explore the healing power of forests are more likely to fall in love with the More-Than-Human World and, once in love, become more interested in how to let this love shape their lives and manifests itself, as well as the joy and sorrow that go with it. Love, pain, hope, joy, are all experienced by the heart, as embodied energy. Loving is a labour that prompts us to cultivate our perception of intelligence and the wisdom in our hearts and bodies.
I perceive this work of love also as a state of being manifested by the Ecological Self – the bridge between the World and individual needs – considering the benefit for an entire interconnected system. A refined look and feeling that can make a difference for every being on the Planet, through an authentic, heartfelt and vivid experience.
And this refined look and feeling bring me back to Joanna Macy’s teachings once more. In the “The Spiral of the Work that Reconnects”, we are lead through gratitude, then through the process of acknowledging the pain of the world, so we might finally see with renewed eyes and move forward. A dynamic, ever-changing, deep process, experienced in the course of time in every bond that forms the web of life we are all part of. As in the Forest Therapy walk, the Spiral also displays the binomial Time/Presence, upon which we must hone our perception, attention and choices. In this sensory-perceptual journey, the goal is not the end but the process itself, within possible intersections and also imperfections.
In this manner, through the Opening of Senses, the act of learning to receive, as well as of exercising a sentient, compassionate listening – both in moments of calm and when sharing with other beings – can provide key internal resources in challenging times. By exercising silence, one is able to access the depth of time. We decrease our mental rhythm and make room to the other, the diverse, the new, and to ourselves. We broaden the inner space, of attention to the needs of other beings and to our potential for reciprocity.
Rosinha do Cerrado (Photo by Marcia Zizzi)
And it is from this spot of receptiveness and sensory perception that I resume my winter afternoon. I cast a glance now to the seeds which fell on the ground. Perhaps, as is the case with every seed-being – who, in their fulness, contain the essence, the memory, the symbols and mysteries of becoming – I might blossom my Ikigai so it can become a path of contribution to the benefit of many living beings.
And if the current moment requires inspiration and presence, it is worth recalling the songwriter Gilberto Gil: “The best place in the World is here and now”.
For further reading:
M. Amos Clifford – Your Guide to Forest Bathing
Joanna Macy – Active Hope
Arne Naess – Ecology, Community and Lifestyle
Gilberto Gil – Aqui e agora
*Cover photo by Marcia Zizzi