Reflections and Shadows - Nature's Healing Power - Deep Ecology

I wrote yesterday of Stephanie Sorrell's new book Psychosynthesis Made Easy, and in particular her thoughts on the healing power of nature. Here are some beautiful scenes photographed this last weekend. We must ensure that our children are brought up to see, appreciate and love the natural world, to understand their fragile interconnections with it, to appreciate the Deep Ecology of the late Norwegian Arne Naess - all life forms are integral, part of a living web, all supporting each other, a spiritual philosophy, Stephanie reminds us, that engages all life, much like Buddhism.

© Eleanor Stoneham 2011

Psychosynthesis Made Easy

I'm reading an interesting book at the moment, from O Books new "Made Easy" series, about to be launched at Watkins, the esoteric bookshop in London.

Psychosynthesis Made Easy has been written by Stephanie Sorrell, who trained at the Institute of Psychosynthesis in London and is an Applied Practitioner in the discipline.

This is a short, easy to read volume, ideal for the layman who would like to understand what psychosynthesis is all about. Stephanie illustrates the idea throughout with her own personal life experiences to which many, myself included, will be able to relate. Psychosynthesis, we are told, allows psychology, soul and spirituality to meet on mutual ground.

I was particularly interested in the chapter towards the end of the book linking psychosynthesis with ecopsychology, or eco-therapy. It has been understood since the mid 1900's, Stephanie tells us, that nature has healing power for humans, and that our empathy for the plants and animals we share the planet with is an essential part of our personal well being.
But this of course has a far wider significance for our world, a social significance, as we would surely not damage our world so much with our unsustainable living if we felt a greater empathy for all the life that it contains. And by our thoughtless actions we not only induce climate changes but we damage the very soul of nature that could help us most in our own healing.

"If we do not allow the natural world to speak to us, if we do not let the fierceness give us solace, or the silence reach and heal us, then we can turn our wounds, our own brokenness, against the natural world. And that is what we are doing.
"This powerful source of healing is itself now hurt. Nature has become the docile dog that will savage the child who innocently pokes it in the eye. We are hurting our planet. If we do not act quickly, it may turn on us and destroy us"

These latter sentiments come from my own book, Healing this Wounded Earth, where I write in one chapter of the healing power of nature, and the effect we are having on its fine balance by our present lifestyles, with a call for healing and change. But I further explore the need in some detail for empathy and compassion in all aspects of our lives, at work and at leisure, in our creativity and finances, in our faith and our healthcare, and of course in our relationships and our communities. This must be the future of a better world for us all, and for our children and grandchildren to inherit.

© Eleanor Stoneham 2011

Irrational behavior, Number 5

I have been writing quite a bit lately about our irrational behavior in the face of the many problems we need to solve in the world. The last irrational behavior, on 5 February, referred to the Hi -Tech weapons we continue to develop that are more dangerous than the conflicts they could possibly resolve. Why do we stock-pile these at vast investment of money and resources?
Here is Irrational Behaviour Number 5:

"The problems we face call for the commitment and participation of every able-bodied human being, but we put millions put of work to save the cost of labour." 

 
Nearly 10% of the USA labor force are currently unemployed at a huge social cost. In the UK it's not much better at nearly 8% What alarms me even more is that the number of 15- to 24-year-olds classed as Neet (not in education, employment or training)in the UK is around the one million mark, and one of the worst levels amongst the G7 countries.
What a dreadful waste of resource, and no wonder there are so many youngsters involved in crime, both petty and serious, yobbish behaviour, etc.
As Stephanie Sorrell explains in her latest book Nature as Mirror, we all need aspiration. We all need visions and goals, to aspire to the highest we can reach. Our unlived life has a powerful hold on us and feeling unfulfilled can have devastating effects on mental health. This all links neatly with another Irrational behaviour:
"The problems we face call for long-term solutions, but our criterion of success is the bottom line in annual or semi-annual corporate profit-and-loss statements."
We have let money rule our hearts as well as our heads.

In the early 1900s, the American capitalist of that time, Benjamin Ferdinand, wrote: "Remember that time is money.He that can earn ten shillings a day by his labour, and goes abroad, or sits idle, one half of that day, though he spends but sixpence during his diversion or idleness, ought not to reckon that the only expense; he has really spent, or rather thrown away, five shillings besides."

So we "cannot afford" to employ our youngsters, to give them fulfilling and worthwhile jobs, give them some self esteem and a promising future?

(all these Irrational Behaviors are being taken from the essay by Ervin Laszlo on “The World’s Health Problem: an Integral Diagnosis” in A New Renaissance – Transforming Science, Spirit and Society. I keep referring back to this book as it is such an important initiative from the Scientific and Medical Network. I have posted a review for this book on Amazon).

A New Renaissance: Transforming Science, Spirit and Society

A Tree Blessing

May you be like a tree whose roots quarry deep

Into the earth’s wisdom,

so that your mind is filled with vision and inspiration.

May you grow strong like a tree knowing your growth,

however slow and painful, is not just for yourself.

but for this lovely planet.

May you pause like the tree to feel the gentle winds of heaven upon you, 

    and the heart of the Creator warm and golden within you.

May you be wise as the tree who taps the centre of its

being for truth,

so that amidst every storm that shakes your roots

you will know that all is well.

Within your still centre may you know the magic

of love that opens all doors and heals all pain.

May you always be strong and firm and beautiful as a tree.

Stephanie Sorrell

I think that is so beautiful. It is in Stephanie's lovely new book, Nature as Mirror: an Ecology of Body, Mind and Soul.

Nature is a mirror, she explains, reflecting back at us the fractures and chasms within our own psyche. Because of this, nature can also be used as a powerful healing tool, and this book explains how to use nature’s own natural cycles and patterns to heal our own souls. Also, and importantly, until we develop an intimate sense of our union with nature, we will continue to work against the natural environment, with all that this implies in environmental destruction. If we do not heal our relationship with nature it will destroy us. Here are her links to Amazon, and do check out her poetry whilst you are there.

Depression as a Spiritual Journey - again

I promised, in May, to post up the interview conducted by Conscious.tv with Stephanie Sorrell and myself. Well, here it is!

Please let me know what you think.

Depression as a Spiritual Journey

Another day and another brush with the paparazzi - when will they leave me alone?! Seriously though, I have just returned from a day in London being interviewed for TV in connection with depression, more specifically a book, "Depression as a Spiritual Journey" by Stephanie Sorrell, published by O Books.
   Isn't that just a lovely painting for the cover - and if you read the book you will soon understand how appropriate it is. Of course the main focus of the interview was on Stephanie and her own experiences which led to her writing the book. I was asked along because someone else pulled out and I could talk from my own life around the same subject. And I think I could give Stephanie some moral support - I hope I did anyway.

The organisation is Conscious.TV. They produce programmes for Sky TV and other outlets. It all came about from a chance meeting with Iain McNay at a Scientific and Medical Network conference a few weeks ago. That was the weekend of flight chaos when Britain's planes were grounded because of a certain Icelandic volcano and skies were absolutely clear of aeroplane vapour trails. A unique experience. Just look at that sky!

Life is so full of wonderful serendipitous moments - they seem to have directed the course of my life for quite a while now. One thing I have learnt and now live by is that you get nothing in this world if you don't ask. And if you don't talk to people, strangers, anyone, you will never have chance conversations that can so often lead you in another exciting direction.
The film will be out in about 10 days and I will keep you posted. If I like the result, anyway! But I guess it will be in the public domain so there's no going back!

That same weekend at the SMN conference I found this quote from Thich Nhat Hahn. If only we could all understand that simple truth!

That's all for now - I am exhausted from the day and need to get supper!