Living in nature most of the time has increased my spiritual connectivity to God and the Oneness of everything and everyone in the Universe. Mother Nature opened my heart up to even more expansion than I ever thought possible, allowing my senses and awareness to skyrocket! 🚀
Now, this did not come easy to me, especially at first. Let me explain.
Establishing a temporary home in nature, usually in very primitive camping areas, I quickly learned to become aware of EVERYTHING in my surroundings including road conditions, other campers, animals and insects that inhabit the area, trees, vegetation, and so on.
My biggest obstacle to overcome was learning to slow down and pay attention to the moment. To help with this in the beginning I used to state out loud everything I was doing to keep me focused. This helped, and my boyfriend and travel partner, Eben, supported my constant self-dialogue. Thankfully, I didn’t have to do this for too long!
Living out of a car and tent is a whole new learning curve in itself. I had to be super careful at our campsite not to trip over stuff nor set the tent (and forest!) on fire while using the propane burner. Of course, the hardest thing for me to learn, and still is a work in progress, is putting things back in their place!
Eben built out both of our SUVs with custom shelving and containers to hold all of our belongings. Let’s just say it was very unsettling when things were not put back properly. Living in such tight quarters, you quickly learn organization and efficiency are the keys to sanity and comfort in this environment.
My sense of awareness was vitally important on the hiking trails as well. Some of the trail conditions along The Appalachian Trail were very rugged and steep and I had to learn the hard way after falling a few times (thankfully no injuries) to be more conscious of my gait and surroundings at all times.
I learned that by reciting mantras, either out loud or silently, the repetitive words helped me to stay focused and positive the entire journey no matter how difficult the terrain got.
I also practiced conscious breathing and hiking in silence. It put me in a meditative state listening to the beautiful sounds and feeling grateful for all of the natural wonders around me. It was at this point that I started to relax into nature, feel more peaceful, and trust that all was working out for my highest good on and off the trails. A breakthrough for sure!!!
With a new keen sense of awareness, I was even able to spot a rattlesnake (that wasn’t rattling for some reason), in an obscured, grassy section just steps from our path. Eben couldn’t believe I saw it! Thankfully, we were safely able to scurry around it. My heart was opening up to greater insights and possibilities just from learning to be present in each moment.