Nature is alive in this humble expression; she is divine and therefore revered with utmost love and respect;

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” Lao Tzu.                                     

“Prayer has been made to Mother earth that she blesses us with the knowledge required to enjoy the treasures of her nature without disturbing the environmental balance.” Atharvana Veda

“A horse or a cow has four feet – That is Nature. Put a halter around the horse’s head and put a string through the cow’s nose – That is man. Let man not destroy Nature. Let not cleverness destroy the destiny of the natural order.” Chuang Tzu.                                                                                

IN YOGA WITH NATURE:
Nature consciousness begins when we become one with Nature- in Yoga with Nature. How do we become one with Nature? What does it mean to become one with Nature? Why do we need to become one with Nature? What is the Field of Natural Orderliness? What is our Natural state? In this presentation we will attempt to feel these questions through our Heart space.

When it comes to Nature there is no such thing as Chaos, there is natural variety, non uniformity and differing expressions. Chaos is used only in relation to us humans, in the context of our structured mindset and its need for a uniform way of thinking (mechanistic). We have become chaotic in trying to interfere and control what is Natural with our so called ‘cleverness’ and not respecting or allowing differing expressions that come Naturally to us. Instead of allowing ourselves to be Natural we have forced ourselves to become structured (an un-natural order) and chaos is the result, as opposed to Natural Orderliness which will spontaneously adjust and improvise to change quite naturally.

In yogic parlance the root chakra is known as Muladhara which can be translated as primordial support or foundation for the rest of the chakras-which are psychic centers within the human body. According to yogic philosophy-The Muladhara chakra represents the Earth principle (prithvi tatwa in Sanskrit) within our physical manifestation. In this regard the Muladhara will naturally represent Mother Earth within our psychic consciousness. Just as Mother Earth is the embodiment of all the potentialities of the creating world and its seat of power, even so the Muladhara is the primary support for a yogi’s spiritual ascent to super-conscious experience.

The foundational understanding of any yogic study will not be complete without knowing the relationship of our physical body with the Five great elements of Nature-Pancha Maha Bhuthas in Sanskrit; these are Earth (prithvi), Water (jal), Fire (agni), Air (vayu), and Ether (akash). Yogic practice begins with the experiential understanding of these five elements, their relationship with the chakras and our sensory perception which should lead to their proper balancing within us. All yogic practices are done prayerfully revering our psychic centers, the chakras and the elements of nature that they represent.

As such the practice of yogic meditation should begin by making the primary element of Nature and the foundational chakra, the Earth element and the Muladhara respectively, sacred within and around us.

This meditative consciousness involves respecting Earth as our dearly beloved Mother of all creatures and its natural environment; particularly rivers, landscapes, rocks, hills, mountains, soil, trees and all her living components. Becoming conscious of the presence of Divinity in all of Mother Earth’s natural manifestation is a realization that will lead to becoming aware of a Natural Orderliness that is present in and around us.

“Even in a single leaf of a tree, or a tender blade of grass, the awe inspiring Deity manifests itself.” Urabe-no-kanekuni

In this context we should also revere our physical body as a part of this naturally manifested aspect of Mother Earth. This physical body is to be regarded as a temple and dwelling place of the Divine within. Our bodies are manifested by Mother Earth to house the Soul and to facilitate its evolutionary process. Thus the compassionate intelligence and power of our dearly beloved Mother Earth who has made the formation and sustenance of this body possible should be regarded with utmost respect. With special emphasis on the sacred value of Mother Earth and all her natural elements, yogic tradition is inherently an ecologically conscious way of life and should be practiced in this respect only.

A yogi is truly inspired by what he or she observes of Mother Earth and sees within her, the manifestation of Shakti (the Natural power) and her grace as the living teacher of Natural wisdom. In Yoga with Nature-meditation, the yogi contemplates on being like a tree.

A tree is in stillness and well-rooted into the ground. While well grounded in stillness, it serves nature and mankind by producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide, it provides shade to humans and animals alike, it bears fruits and herbs for natural remedies, it provides shelter for little and large creatures alike. And while maintaining this apparent inaction and idleness, it is perpetually reaching for the sky in a very dynamic and steadfast way. As yogis we should endeavor to be like a tree and be mindful in NOT becoming like a furniture or dead wood rotting away in just idleness. Like this tree of Natural Yoga, a yogi should aspire to reach up to the Heavens, while he or she is firmly anchored in stillness of the mind abiding in the Heart space which is the center of our being.

Another Natural Yogic meditation is the merging of the mind into the Spiritual Heart. This merging brings out the natural calmness and contentment of the Spiritual Heart. A state of Heartfulness is achieved.

“As far as space extends, so far is this space within the Heart. Placed in it are both Heaven and Earth, in it are both, Fire and Wind (Agni & Vayu), both Sun and Moon (Surya & Chandra), both Lightning and the Stars, whatever is here and whatever is not here, all of that is placed within the Heart.” Chandogya Upanishad VIII : 3

HEARTFULNESS is feeling and listening to our Heart in every moment of our breath, before the mind begins to speak or even lift its head. This is unconditioned being which our Natural State is. We become aware of our Natural Unconditioned Existence in an ever-growing and changing environment. The mind when plunged into the Heart is in a no-mind or headless condition where the Heart becomes full and the mind loses its separate existence. Separation disappears and Heartfulness alone IS. The yogi is now in his/her Natural State.

“Only the One who has made his Mind Die, is truly Born.”  Bhagawan Sri Ramana Maharishi

When a child is born it knows no religion, race, class, creed or caste. It has no knowledge of religion, rituals, dogmas, philosophies, or customary rites. It is only in its Natural State of blissful consciousness- Sahajanandam!

This is our original state; Innocence where Natural wisdom alone prevails.
It is our state of Heartfulness, before the mind separates, becomes conditioned.
Innocence is thus natural and unconditioned, while Ignorance is mind conditioned.
When we become conscious of our natural original innocence, we achieve ONENESS with Nature.
We breathe in and breathe out Nature.
We are Natural consciousness, inherently unconditioned and free.

While sitting in Nature, observe the trees and plants around us, visualize that as we breathe In, the trees breathe Out, and when we breathe Out, the trees breathe In. Practicing this will bring us into a state of meditative ONENESS with Nature. Continued practice will allow us to FEEL Nature within the openness and vastness of our Heart. At this instance, the sense of “I” and its perceived separation disappears.
Heartfulness of our being brings us into a state of ONENESS with Nature – Prakriti – the Field of Natural Orderliness. The joyful current (spandan: Sanskrit for vibration) is experienced in deep meditation when the Heart is full and the mind is emptied.

We achieve Heart centered feeling with Nature when in tune with this field of Natural Orderliness. Nature and its field of Orderliness are like the Source and its expressing energy field, very much like Sun and sunlight. In Nature there is spontaneous orderliness, therefore no room for chaos or disharmony. If we were to closely observe Nature, one can’t help notice that there is a particular orderliness in the way Nature operates. The birds, bees, flowers, trees, little creatures, seasons, sunrise/sunset, moon cycles, the stars and their patterns, the migratory creatures and seasonal fruits, they all follow the Natural Orderliness. Even if there is a change in the pattern, all the creatures being organically involved with each other, spontaneously adjust and harmonize into this new shift of energy.

This tells us that there seems to be an invincible organizational pattern in Nature that we don’t truly understand or even know about. Human beings have fallen out of resonance with this Natural pattern. We have lost our attunement with Nature and its Natural orderliness. We have forgotten our Natural state and lost our Natural Wisdom. Natural attunement must start with us resonating with this Natural orderliness at every moment of our life. We must learn from our Natural teacher – Mother Nature on how to become Selfless and Natural. The Field of Natural Orderliness expands from the subtle aspects of what IS to the grossest forms of matter in Nature.

Training our awareness to become conscientious of everything natural around us is very necessary to naturalize our state.

The above practices on meditative consciousness will lead to our attunement with the Field of Natural Orderliness. Some biologists call this Field the Morphic field- the “memory” of Mother Nature, her psychic imprints…….she remembers!

The Vedic philosophers prefer to term it the Mahat: The Great Universal Intelligence and its Causal Field. According to Vedic tradition, it is the causal energy body by resonating with the Great Universal Intelligence that arrogates itself into rebirthing. It carries within its field of influence all of its past memories collectively known as “causal memory”. Motivated by The Mahat, it (the Causal Memory) conglomerates all necessary elements for a newly evolved rebirth to manifest. This memory is a reflective aspect of Absolute Existence itself, awaiting reproduction as and when situation facilitates its necessity. This process is cyclical and renewable recognized by us as cycle of birth and death! It is actually “causal memory” that takes birth and dies; it achieves this by ‘borrowing’ Divine light-Breath of Life- Moola Prana in Sanskrit, from the Great Universal Light of Consciousness. Rebirth and death is necessary to remove pain and suffering from causal memory, until what remains is Pure Bliss alone.

Similarly the entire ‘causal memory’ of Mother Nature can be reproduced by the Great Universal Intelligence as and when the situation necessitates its manifestation. Hence every Natural process is organic, cyclical and renewable. Mother Nature is spontaneous and very much ALIVE. It is the Great Universal Intelligence that ensures Orderliness in all of these.
Therefore Nature Consciousness gives us an opportunity to tune into the collective living memory of Mother Nature. It provides us with an understanding of how we may improve the conditions in Nature today by first improving our attunement with Nature. We invite you to join in prayerful recitation of the following declaration from the Heart.....

Collective prayers and sankalpas have the capacity to fulfill their intended request. A sincere humble and selfless prayer such as this can motivate the Great Universal Intelligence to manifest this Sankalpa.

Let us now add a prayer of peace to our Sankalpa which appears in Shanthi Path - Yajur Veda (36/17):

Aum Dyauh Shanthi, Rantariksha Gwam Shanthi,
Prithvi Shanthi, Rapah Shanthi, Oshadhayah Shanthi,
Vanas pathaya Shanthi, Visve Devah Shanthi, Brahma Shanthi, Sarvag Wam Shanthi,
Reva Shanthi, Sa Ma Shanthi Redhee
Aum Shanthi, Shanthi, Shanthi.

Translation:
Dear Lord, May there be Peace in the Ozonosphere, Ionosphere, Stratosphere, throughout space may there be Peace.
May there be Peace on Earth and Water, May herbs and vegetation bring us Peace,
May all personification of Divine bring us Peace,
May God bring us Peace, May there be Peace throughout the world,
May Peace be Peaceful, May God grant us such Peace also.
Peace! Peace! Peace!

AUM TAT SAT