{"id":4315,"date":"2016-06-02T17:16:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-02T21:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/?p=4315"},"modified":"2016-06-02T17:16:00","modified_gmt":"2016-06-02T21:16:00","slug":"finding-your-true-self-in-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2016\/06\/finding-your-true-self-in-nature.html","title":{"rendered":"Finding Your True Self in Nature"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"IMG_3263\"We often speak about going off into<\/em> nature as if we are somehow separate from it. But aren’t we, by necessity, part of nature? Contemporary human has lost touch with its place in the natural world. If we are separate, then the rest of the world is just material resources to be exploited.<\/p>\n

David Hinton in Hunger Mountain\u00a0<\/em>reminds us of a time when humans destroyed the world around them:<\/p>\n

\u201cWildlife was was virtually extinguished by unrestrained hunting; the forests were completely cleared for lumber and farmland, allowing topsoil to wash away and fill streams and rivers with silt, which in turn decimated fish populations; and what topsoil remained on farms was depleted by unsustainable farming practices.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It’s hard to talk about this subject without buying into the duality that holds us in opposition to the natural world. We talk about going into and out of nature but nature is all and everywhere, just varying to the degree that it has been touched by human hands. It is still possible to find your true self in the concrete expanses of a city, as this quote from the film,\u00a0My Dinner With Andre<\/em> reminds us.<\/p>\n

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Why do we require a trip to Mount Everest in order to perceive one moment of reality? Is Mount Everest more real than New York? Isn\u2019t New York real? I think, if you could become fully aware of what existed in the cigar store next to this restaurant, I think it would just blow your brains out! Isn\u2019t there just as much reality to be perceived in the cigar store as there is on Mount Everest?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Nevertheless, being in landscapes with relatively less fingerprints, does provide a window to our true selves that may not be so readily accessed elsewhere. It’s just easier but by no means guaranteed. We can still be preoccupied. To find our true selves in nature, we need to do three things:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
  1. Know that it is possible<\/li>\n
  2. Want to access it<\/li>\n
  3. Have the capacity<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I take my dogs on a brief hike each day. On this route we have the pleasure of seeing two of Vermont’s highest peaks–Mt. Mansfield and Camel’s Hump (the closer and more spectacular view of Camel’s Hump is pictured above).<\/p>\n

    We are fortunate to have this exposure to the natural world each day. Yet, my mind can still be very noisy. Obviously, I know that quieter is possible; I also have to want to make the shift towards quiet, if I don’t go their automatically. To accomplish this, I have to have the ability to extricate myself from whatever stories are compelling me to turn my gaze to the horizon with its\u00a0purple mountains.<\/p>\n

    This is why we practice because we can know and even have a strong desire and still not be able to pull it off because the counter forces are just too strong. Practice can help us to make it happen when we have the opportunities.<\/p>\n

    To get some practice and to learn some methods for accessing your true self, join me and Jaimal Yogis for \u00a0a weekend workshop at Kripalu. There is still time to register here >><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    We often speak about going off into nature as if we are somehow separate from it. But aren’t we, by necessity, part of nature? Contemporary human has lost touch with its place in the natural world. If we are separate, then the rest of the world is just material resources to be exploited. David Hinton…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":268,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[964,7,8,9],"tags":[1086,1088,1085,1090,1089,1087],"class_list":["post-4315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-meditation","category-metaphors-for-mindfulness","category-mindful-living","category-mindfulnesss","tag-finding-your-true-self-in-nature","tag-hiking-green-mountains","tag-kripalu-retreat","tag-meditation-retreats-june-10","tag-mindfulness-in-nature","tag-nature-meditation"],"yoast_head":"\nFinding Your True Self in Nature - Mindfulness Matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Finding Your True Self in Nature - Mindfulness Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We often speak about going off into nature as if we are somehow separate from it. But aren’t we, by necessity, part of nature? Contemporary human has lost touch with its place in the natural world. If we are separate, then the rest of the world is just material resources to be exploited. 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Dr. Kozak's ability to translate ancient healing traditions into pragmatic applications suitable for modern lifestyles through the use of metaphors have made him a strong voice in healthcare and business. Beginning with a journey to India in the 80\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s where he took the Bodhisattva vows from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Arnie Dr. Kozak began his lifelong practice in mindfulness meditation. Intent on finding a way to bring the practical healing attributes of mindfulness he began incorporating these techniques in his private practice. In 2002 Dr. Kozak created Exquisite Mind in Burlington, Vermont as a vehicle that could expand his wisdom to larger audiences beyond individual psychotherapy to professionals and corporations, health care providers, public groups and, most recently with Exquisite Mind Golf, amateur and professional golfers. His award-winning new book, Wild Chickens and Petty Tyrants: 108 Metaphors for Mindfulness (Wisdom Publications, 2009) is a thoughtful, funny, and inspiring translation of mindfulness practice through the inventive use of metaphor applicable to our daily lives. In addition to his work with Exquisite Mind, Arnie Kozak, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist\u00e2\u20ac\u201dDoctorate has been a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Vermont and is a Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry and Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine. He has studied and practiced clinical psychology, meditation, and yoga for more than 25 years. He has studied with several meditation masters, including S. N. Goenka, Larry Rosenberg, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. After receiving his bachelors degree with honors from Tufts University, he was awarded a Presidential Fellowship to get his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University at Buffalo. He completed his training as a Psychological Fellow at the Harvard Medical School. Prior to founding the Exquisite Mind in 2002, Arnie worked ten years in the private sector for the PKC Corporation consulting on mental health content for this revolutionary software company.","sameAs":["http:\/\/exquisitemind.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/author\/akozak"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/268"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4315"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4315\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4326,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4315\/revisions\/4326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}