There are those that expand the definition of the Nature Kingdom to include human nature, which honors our own abilities to heal ourselves.

This is a very special time of year for the natural kingdom. The gorgeous spring colors are just beginning to burst forth, plants everywhere are experiencing their rebirth, those of us who are avid gardeners can joyfully seed our flowers and vegetables, and there is, generally, a wonderful sweetness and freshness in the air. Now that many of us are starting to spend more time outdoors again, withdrawing from our winter cocoons, it's a perfect opportunity to share with you some of the infinite ways in which we can use the blessings of Mother Nature to cultivate our own healing and serenity. She is continually available to nurture and heal us. We are reminded of the lovely Native American chant: "Oh my Mother Earth, teach me to be humble...as you are when the feet of men walk upon you."

Here we offer some techniques which we have found very helpful to reconnect with Nature in order to heal, deepen our peace and understanding, and reunite our- selves with our Oneness. First there is the Earth element which represents magnetism, strength, purposefulness, rootedness. Some breathing practices which help to ground our energy, recharge our magnetism, and bring us strength and renewed commitment are the following. All are done, ideally, in a beautiful, preferably isolated, niche in Nature with one's bare feet paced firmly on the ground, but they can be done anywhere, even in the tallest skyscraper. l) This is an adaptation of the the Tree Pose in yoga. Either stand with both feet firmly planted on the ground, about a foot apart, or lift one leg and place your heel against your opposite thigh. Be sure to hold your gaze and concentration on a particular object which does not move so you will not lose your balance. You may either let your arms hang down and let your outstrectched palms face the earth, or you may hold your palms together at the center of your chest (heart center) as is traditional in yoga and symbolizes "Namaste", or I bow to the Divine within you . Now imagine that you are a tree whose roots begin to branch downward from your pelvis and allow those roots to extend very deeply down into the earth. As you stand, become aware of the gravitational pull of the earth on the soles of your feet and experience your body being pulled downward by gravity. As you exhale through both nostrils, become aware of the pull of the earth's magnetic field on your own and allow yourself to be emptied of any fear, insecurity, self doubt, or hesitation. As you inhale through the soles of the feet and, if your arms are hanging down, through the palms of your hands, draw in the qualities of strength, purpose, courage, and stability. Experience fully your own balance and your ability to be an instrument for infinite strength and power. 2) Find a special tree, one with which you have a particular connection. First, stand next to the tree, touch or hug it, close your eyes, and see if you can pick up on anything that tree might like to communicate to you. Open your eyes and use all of your senses of perception to experience whatever other information you can from the tree. Much can be observed just from noticing its shape, size, companions, foliage, trunk, roots. (Once a group of us walked around Greenlake carefully observing the qualities of each tree and commenting on which of our friends each tree resembled.) Now that you have connected with the tree, sit comfortably beneath it and rest your back against its trunk. This is one of the most wonderful meditation benches you'll ever find. As you meditate, allow yourself to be healed by the tree and by Nature and to be bathed in an overwhelming sense of peace and tranquility. It is difficult to remain angry or fearful if you really let yourself merge with Nature. 3) If you are lucky enough to find a hollowed-out tree, it is an ideal cave for meditation and contemplation. It is in such a tree, which we know and love, that we celebrated the Harmonic Convergence.