In harvesting my first round of Lavandula grown in our garden, I remembered a connection to gardening that I wasn’t truly aware of. I have never grown or harvested something like this before, so how can I remember a connection to this? The question how can I know something that I haven’t practiced or done before is answerable through connection to community, ecosystem, habitat and so on. We all have the potential to connect to the innate power and knowledge of our community if we take intentional action to hear, listen, and feel. We all have our chief concerns or complaints that we would like to heal, how can we facilitate the natural healing that nature is able to provide and direct it towards our individual selves?
Intentional listening – My morning begins with a 10 minute silent meditation, a practice that I have had trouble with for a while now. Starting with the intention to listen to my natural environment allows me to hear the call that I am asking for. We are powerful beings that can effect change in our bodies as well as outside of ourselves and learning to listen to the resonance between our body and the natural environment bridges the healing processes.
Humble learning – I picked up a lovely book that I have used as a reference since beginning Naturopathic Medical School at Bastyr University. James Green’s The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook and read a few parts that, not only had I read before, but somehow had never been as helpful as they were today! When we are ready to learn from a point of beginner’s mind we are able to provide deeper knowledge of already understood or experienced concepts. Neurologically, when we can emotionalize a concept it permeates deep into our cerebral cortex into the Limbic system, attaches more meanings that can then be used to access information.
Connecting to nature – I walked barefoot into the garden where my intention was to harvest and dry some of the lavender flowers. I heard the bees, smelled the lavender and felt the sun and dirt on my skin. Not all of these sensations were realized, or even part of my conscious mind at the time, but the neurons were firing as I continued my process. I was attached to the present moment. Thoughts about how I will dry the herbs, what will I use them for, to whom will I give them, or did I harvest at the right time were circling through my mind. My goal was to stay present and experience NOW.
Giving up control – Allow nature to permeate your being; mind, senses, and emotions. Although in certain social, political and financial climates it seems things are chaotic, the natural environment has a unique ability to harness and normalize the many variables of life into something interdependent and beautiful. Trust that being present in this situation is what you need and that not only are you receiving things that you cannot control or direct, but that you are also giving and this is the Vis Medicatrix Naturae (healing power of nature).
We are all interconnected in this web of life, how we are able to contribute in balance with how we are withdrawing from it gives it strength. I think lavender’s unique ability to calm may have been an influence in promoting this healing process as well, happy harvesting this summer!