“Spirit and Nature dancing together,
Victory to Spirit and victory to Nature,
Radhe, Radhe, Radhe Govinda jai
Radhe, Radhe, Radhe Govinda jai”
I can think of no better place (outside the spine) to experience prana (life force) than in the spray of the ocean, nor a better place to hear the thunderous sound of aum than the waves ceaselessly crashing on the shore.
Last weekend, a small group of women gathered at the coast for two days to renew the Spirit and deepen friendships. We arrived with loose plans – meditate, practice yoga, eat, create, and let the ocean work its magic on our Souls. Between laughter and song, between meditations and art, we made time for the ocean. We walked up and down the shore. Sometimes together, often alone. We returned from each sojourn, renewed by the sea spray, sunshine, and wind, ready for whatever came next.
I grew up far from the ocean. But as a little girl, I used to visit Swami Kriyananda at his apartment below the Crystal Hermitage in Ananda Village with my mother. She was his publisher at the time, and I was her little shadow. She would meet with Swamiji most afternoons to review the recent chapter of one of his many books and, aside from his warm greeting, my favorite part of these visits was the walk to his apartment just beneath the Crystal Hermitage dome.
Wallpaper of a beach scene, pasted from floor to ceiling, transforms the stairwell that leads from the dome to his living quarters below. The sound of crashing waves is wired into the light switch so that turning on the lights means also turning on the ocean. A little box of sand and sea shells at the foot of the stairs adds whimsy to the journey. A few turns past the ocean stairs, you find yourself in a hallway decorated with another floor to ceiling wallpaper, this time of a majestic forest that guides you to the little door to his home. With each step, your energy shifts into that state of wonder found best in nature.
Yogananda wrote in Inner Culture magazine, “When we look at all the good things in nature and feel a tenderness rise within us, we are seeing and feeling God in nature.”
This retreat weekend was a reminder to take time in nature. It can be as simple as looking out the window or as ambitious as climbing a mountain peak. Nature is one of the most accessible points of entry into a higher state of consciousness for us. I could point to the mounting research suggesting that awe, a human emotion linked to myriad rejuvenating benefits and to a universal understanding of God, comes most often through experiences in nature. But it seems almost unnecessary to say so. It is simply true. All you need to do is look at the smiles on these faces after two days of beach walks and uplifting practices to know!
So let this be an invitation to you. Step, shuffle, or wheel outside and enjoy this glorious spring! And next year, join us! God is smiling through all of nature’s beauty – go meet that smile.
*Note: this weekend Gita and Badri will be leading a program at Heartsong Retreat with Ananda Washington, “Spirit & Nature: God’s Omnipresent Love“. Ananda Washington extend. Questions or registration please inquire.
