Co-Creative Mentoring LLC Sheryl Harrell, MAA.B.S., EFT Cert.
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Happy Earth Day! Rest Deeply in Earth's Intelligence

4/22/2022

 
If we surrendered to earth's intelligence, we could rise up rooted like trees.
              Rainer Maria Rilke, Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God
 For this Earth Day let’s take a moment to pause and

bring awareness to Earth and nature. Even though we have

different beliefs, cultures, and nationalities--we're all in this

together on Earth. It’s a perfect time to reflect on the

interdependent relationship between caring for the planet and

caring for ourselves. So let's pause and celebrate this beautiful,

blue marble!  Let's expand our love for each other and

ourselves, raise our vibration, increase our capacity to live in

balance and harmony.  This is our gift to Earth. Check out this

event sponsored by the Institute for HeartMath


Earth Day Special Focus: Celebrating Our Earth.


I've been thinking a lot lately about earth's intelligence and how

the relationship I have with my body is a reflection of my

relationship with  Earth.  One aspect that I've come to

appreciate is knowing that when I explore my inner landscape, I

also deepen my connection to Earth.


Having been on a journey of exploring my inner landscape for

decades, I often (these days, more often than not) come back to

the realization that each daily  practice, each conscious decision

to gently and lovingly regenerate my body by reconnecting with

its intuitive ways of being, I naturally experience the restorative

rhythms of nature. And, the energetic shifts I make extend

healing to Earth. This is a process that includes curiosity and

deep listening.



So, how are the body and Earth interconnected?


Like the human body, Earth has a natural intelligence. After an

injury, and given time, both heal themselves. It's no secret that

we co-create the natural and social web of life that supports and

sustains us and Earth.  We are connected to nature and

dependent on it for the things we need to keep us alive.  Just

like us, Earth needs balance. She needs consideration. She

needs kinder treatment. Earth's natural systems make life on

our planet possible. Our actions have an impact on the health

and well being of Earth.  We’re part of Earth. We’re not separate

from her. Since every decision affects our interconnected Earth,

our best option is a simple one — treat all elements of

existence, including ourselves,  with equal care and attention.


That's what I’m trying to do with Co-Creative Mandalas: Bring a

connection, a balance, a look outside, and inside our world and

ourselves. All in the hopes of appreciating ourselves, each

other,  the beauty our world has to offer, and the contribution we

make within the ebb and flow of nature itself. By respecting

Earth's transforming capabilities we can flow with an

appreciation of her beautiful, sustainable, nurturing cycle of life--

within and in the world around us. The serenity of nature is

outside us, and at the same, who we really are--whole and

complete.  I love discovering and experiencing the awe of

knowing that everything, somehow, fits together.

Even a stone, and more easily a flower or a bird, could show you the way back to God, to the Source, to yourself. When you look at it or hold it & let it be without imposing a word of mental label on it, a sense of awe, of wonder, arises within you. Its essence silently communicates itself to you and reflects your own essence back to you.
                 Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
Do you remember a time as a child when you were curious

about the world around you, playing in nature, touching it,

feeling it, smelling it? To feel connected, to be in touch with who

we are, we have to go back and connect with our childlike

respect for nature, and appreciate its serenity. When we

connect our body with Earth,  we build a sense of trust

within, so we can relax into openness and acceptance — and

sense what our body needs moment to moment. One of the

many ways of doing that is Earthing (also known as grounding),

a way to make contact with Earth's surface electrons by

walking barefoot outside. I love this time of year when the

weather warms up and I take my socks off! I like to do this first

thing in the morning when there's still dew on the grass. This

practice involves connecting your body, mind, and spirit to

Earth.


Studies also show that connecting your body with Earth's

electrons has many health benefits. According to the National

Institutes of Health
Earthing can improve sleep, decrease

stress, and improve well-being. Research supports Earthing as

an essential element for boosting your overall health and

wellness. Learning to ground your body with  Earth helps

regulate your emotions and nervous system, and gives you a

solid foundation to experience greater peace, stability, and

coherence.

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So, what is coherence?


From physics to metaphysics coherence has an impact on all

people and things. "The state of coherence is important to all of

us in helping to maintain our mental, emotional, physical and

spiritual well being. Coherence in relation to any system,

including the human body, refers to a logical orderly and

harmonious connectedness between parts, the  quality of Unity.

Among the many benefits of coherence are calmness, good

energy levels, and clear thinking". (Adapted from the Derbyshire

Community Health Services Bulletin, March 2012).


It's obvious to many of us that we've been at a critical junction in

human existence for quite some time.  We are at a choice point,

one that could be the most important ever faced. We are on the

threshold of a new stage of social, spiritual, and cultural

evolution.


On the one hand, we see evidence of social and political unrest

and financial instability, along with dramatic changes in the

environment. Very few people could have predicted the war in

Ukraine. These are real problems, even if we hold the belief that

we are on the verge of a new planetary order.

When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.
                                                John Muir, My First Summer in the Sierra
Many of us intuitively sense the interconnectedness to  Earth's

rhythms, the energy that is the life force within of all things.

Scientific hypotheses are pointing toward the possibility that

invisible magnetic influences emanating from the sun and earth

profoundly affect life on earth from birth to death.  Studies show

that solar and geo-magnetic cycles not only correlate with

human health indicators, but also with such major societal

conflicts as violence, crime, terrorism, and war. Our energy also

influences geo-magnetic cycles, and by extension Earth, in

life affirming and destructive ways. For an in-depth exploration

of numerous scientific studies about the interconnection

between our energy and planetary energy and how each

influences the other, check out The Global Coherence

Initiative: Creating a Coherent Planetary Standing Wave



So, how do we develop coherence?


To many of us (most of the time), it's clear that we're on the

verge of a shift in human consciousness, one in which we are

co-creators and more in control of our own evolution.  I'm

heartened by the increase in the number of individuals, groups,

and organizations around the world who are longing and

working for peace, environmental improvement, and social

change. Never before has there been global access to practices

that increase balance and peace through personal and

collective efforts, including prayer, meditation, affirmations,

mindfulness, and energy modalities. Even so, the individual and

collective stress of the current times sometimes makes it difficult

to calm down, focus, quiet the mind, and experience coherence.


Each of us is capable of achieving, maintaining and increasing

our coherence. One of the simplest and quickest paths to

enhance coherence is through intentional positive feelings.

These include compassion, caring, love and gratitude and other

states of appreciation. In contrast, we can quickly become

incoherent when we experience constricted attitudes and

emotions, i.e., emotions such as anger, fear and anxiety. Just a

note about constricted emotions: They aren't bad or negative.

They serve a purpose and it's important to recognize and honor

those emotions. When we accept ALL our emotions, we are

accepting ourselves. As Carl Rogers said: “The curious paradox

is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I change”. There

are many processes and techniques that support the exploration

of constricted emotions. My favorite is
Emotional Freedom

Techniques--EFT/Tapping



Every time we look to make a change, heal our past, or build a

new future, we must let go of something and integrate

something. It's like digestion. And, like every change on Earth,

something must release in order for a new intelligence to shine

through. This process depends upon our capacity to rest calmly,

discern what's good for us, and what isn't, and transform our

experience into action.



The Co-Creative Mandala below, "Coherence", from a

photograph of a single peony symbolizes healing.  This mandala

supports our search for unity and balance. For appreciating all

the interrelationships we have. For experiencing the feeling of

curiosity, awe,and wholeness. Thoreau describes this as "at

one-ness".  This mandala communicates a reverence for life--

the knowledge that we live and we want to keep on living. We

share this desire with all living beings--from bears to blossoms,

bees to whales--we are a family of living beings, experiencing

life on the living Earth.

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See the world around you, see Earth, with innocence, delight, and curiosity. Discover what nurtures and sustains you.

Coherence Sacred Practice:


Intention:


The real power of the practice is the intention you place behind

it. This is the time of coherence. Start your day by setting the

intention that you are dedicating this time to self-care, to

remembering Wholeness and awakening to Unity.  This practice

is a simple method of helping you to develop a state of greater

coherence at will. So with practice, it can be used to manage

stress, promote feelings of well-being and be present, without

conscious effort. With practice, you'll discover that this inner

resource is available to you  for increasing periods of time. 


Be gentle with yourself as you discover what nurtures and

sustains you.


Choose what you need to create sacred space: Flowers, leaves

represent spring, candles, incense, and music can help guide

your focus.


When you are ready, invite any subtle colleagues, allies, your

guides and helpers to join you in your sacred practice. Wait a

moment for that connection and alliance to form.


Before you begin the practice:


First, invest some time for reflecting on the Coherence mandala.

What message does it have for you? What expansive energy do

you want more of in your life?  You may choose to reflect on

your vision statement. How will bringing Coherence into your life

support manifesting your vision?  How will you nurture the

mandala of your life? How will you practice self-care and self-

compassion by bringing more Coherence to your life?



Now, the Coherence practice:*


Create a coherent state in about a minute with these simple but

powerful steps.


Step 1 Heart Focus – focus your attention on the area around

your heart, the area in the center  of your chest. If you like,

place your hand over the center of your chest to help to keep

your attention in the heart area.


Step 2 Heart Breathing – breathe deeply but normally and feel

as if your breath is coming in and going out through your heart

area. As you inhale, feel as if your breath is flowing in through

your heart, and as you exhale, feel it leaving through this area.

Breathe slowly and casually, a little deeper than normal.

Continue breathing with ease until you find a natural inner

rhythm that feels good to you.


Step 3 Heart Feeling – This is the most important step --

as you maintain your heart focus and heart breathing, activate

an expansive feeling. Recall a time when you felt a feeling of

love, compassion, or appreciation. One of the easiest

ways to generate an expansive heart-based feeling is to

remember a special place you’ve been to or the love you feel for

a close friend or family member or treasured pet.



When to use the Coherence Practice


This experience should ideally be done for periods of time each

day, as a way of promoting health and a sense of well being.

With practice, the state of coherence can become deeper and

more profound. However, this technique can be especially

useful when you start to feel a draining emotion such as

frustration, irritation or anxiety or stress. Using quick coherence

at the onset of less intense constricted emotions can prevent

them from escalating and bring you back into balance more

quickly.


You can use the quick coherence technique anytime, anywhere

and no one will know that you are doing it. In less than a minute,

it creates positive changes in your heart rhythms, sending

powerful signals to your brain that can improve how you are

feeling.


Peace and joy to your seeking heart,

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* (Adapted from HeartMath Institute, https://www.heartmath.org)
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    Author

    Sheryl Harrell, Gardener
    of the Soil and of the
    Soul & Co-Creator of
    Mandalas. Happy you
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