The Power of Connection, between Nature and Wisdom

Presentation at Ignite NM 7

Nature and wisdom, the power of connection!

By connecting with our environment we reconnect with our inner wisdom, with our true nature, we

can then… unleash our full potential to create the life we want! Do you want to know how?

Let me tell you a little bit about myself and how I became so passionate about helping others to get connected with nature, our environment and their inner wisdom.
After many years of working in the corporate world as a landscape designer, I realized I was doing more and more technical design and computer work, and being less often outside where I had a very special connection with nature. I began to feel miserable but most importantly, I knew that I was moving away from who I truly am, my purpose, and my passions.

A defining moment happened when… I had to get an emergency surgery, and some complication forced me to stay at the hospital (for the first time in my life) for a week. As soon as I came back to work, I knew I had to change my life. I had to take action and follow my heart.
I quit my job, sold my furniture, and hit the road towards the west…not knowing exactly what I was going to do, except reconnect with who I am.
This journey enabled me to meet experts in a variety of fields who taught me to trust my own instinct and live with passion.

The day I decided to apply the principles I learned, everything in my life unfolded. After few months of reconnecting with nature and my purpose, I created Travel Heart, which combines my passion for travel and being around stunning landscapes with my desire for continuous learning, personal growth, and deepening inner wisdom while sharing and helping others.

I have since made a commitment to dedicate the rest of my professional life to sharing with others the power of nature and the wisdom of experts, so that they too can live with joy and passion and to connect with their own wisdom.

Lets get connected!

Why? Because every action we do, has an impact on each other, on the earth, on our future and on the future of the earth.
Let’s reconnect with our environment, the nature but also anything that surrounds us. As the Lakota say: Mitakuye Oaysin; we are ALL related! We are all ONE! The plants, the Earth, the stones, the air,the animals and us humans.

Native Americans have based most of their values and philosophy on the lessons they learned from ‘Mother Earth’.
What better example than the philosophy of the Zia tribe, represented in our New Mexican flag, by the Zia sun?

A very simple symbol yet, meaningful and powerful.

The Zia sun reflects the wealth of spiritualism, teaching the basic harmony of all things in the universe.

Four is a sacred number for Indians and it embodies the Earth and its four main directions, the year with its four seasons, the day (Sunrise, noon, afternoon and sunset), life and its four division: childhood, youth, manhood and old age. The circle of life and love, which has no end and no beginning, binds all this.

The Zia believe, too, that in this great brotherhood of all things, man has four sacred obligations: he must develop a strong body, a clear mind, a pure spirit, and a devotion to the welfare of his people.

I believe these four obligations create harmony and balance in our life.

When we are balanced we can easily reach out and get connected with everything around us, remember how the animals we encounter teach us lessons or deliver us messages? (See my newsletter on the power of the animal totems)

No matter where you live, you are surrounded by nature. Yes even in New York City. As soon as warm days are here, many New Yorkers are rushing towards Central Park, and lay down on the grass. And Manhattan is an Island, surrounded by water! What a powerful element!

And nature, it’s the wind, the air, the rain, the snow, and the sun. I am sure that each of these elements brings a feeling within you. Do you feel sad when it’s pouring rain? Sometimes even angry because it ruined your hair, or you are soaked to your bones and cold? Don’t you love to feel a cool breeze on your face on a hot summer day?

Snow brings the cold, yet doesn’t it make you smile to watch the kids shouting their excitement and playing with this light white powder? And building snow men?

See how our feelings and mood can emerged from…’Mother Nature’

So it is not a matter of “I don’t have much nature around me”, yes you do. Now, what is the connection between Nature AND Wisdom?

Native Americans were wise enough to observe nature, to celebrate it, to honor it and respect it. Because they know that we can’t control nature (although we try hard!). They understand that nature needs the seasons to rejuvenate itself, and that we need the youth as much as we need the old age.

One definition of wisdom is a deep understanding of people, things, events or situations, empowering the ability to choose or act to consistently produce the optimum results with a minimum of time and energy,

By becoming aware of everything that surrounds us, and how it makes us feel, we are connecting to our environment, and when we know that everything is related, we chose our actions carefully. We become wise!

It is the same with our human environment; some of our relationships make us feel miserable, unworthy, disempowered, sad or angry.

Listen to your heart; you know who you are within yourself, as soon as you let go of a toxic relationship, beautiful ones will arrive in your life. Your life will unfold. Because you are reconnecting with who you are, because you are honoring yourself, because you are respecting yourself, and because you are now taking care of yourself.

Native Americans understood early, that we are ONE, we are deeply connected with everything around us, we are part of Nature.

By reconnecting with ‘Mother nature’ and our environment, we are retrieving our true nature, we are releasing an amazing energy, and so we attract the same. We are ready to create our life and to become all we can be.

How to use the power of the animal totems?

The animal totems are guides, teachers, they are signs or symbols in our life.

The Native Americans believe that we all have many animal totems walking through our life. Each animal has many lessons and teachings for us. For simplicity I highlight mostly one each time. But feel free to give more meaning or research on one specific animal that ‘speaks’ to you.

This is the way that I use the animal totems in my life; I become super vigilant about my surroundings and my environment, if I go on a hike and see an unusual bird, I would take the time to observe it. In Native American Culture, birds are often a symbol of freedom or a messenger. What’s going on in your life? Do you need to break free from an overwhelmed life?

From a toxic relationship? From a place you don’t like? Do you need to take some space, and have a more elevated and global vision? (contrary to the mouse, which is asking you to pay attention to details, or is warning you about paying too much attention to details...!)

The message might be that an opportunity is coming your way, so pay attention to the signs and to what is happening in your life and to what people are telling you.

Is a Butterfly flirting with you? Or asking for your attention? The butterfly is a symbol of transformation. Life is about cycles; cycles of the earth, with its seasons, days and nights, the cycle of life and its different ages; childhood, youth, manhood and old age. Maybe you need to take an important decision in your life, maybe you are inspired to write a new song or to write a book which will affect another person’s life…

The last time I was in Chaco Canyon, I had an extraordinary encounter with the most beautiful lizard. I was fascinated by it. It took me about fifteen minutes to finally leave it behind.

I realized that Lizard is the messenger of the dreams, so I paid special attention to my dreams for the few following nights. In general barely remember my dreams generally. Three nights after this encounter I had a really meaningful dream, I noted it, then many things begin to make sense and huge breakthrough happened!

Last year a very unusual spider kept coming into my life, by the kitchen window (hard not to see her!) Again although I am not a big lover of spiders… This one fascinated me. Spiders are weavers, and a symbol of creativity; they urge you to get creative and create your life just like they create their webs… Last year I was developing Travel Heart and needed to be extremely creative, I took the appearing of Miss Spider as a reminder and as an encouragement.

Discover the animal totems, discover the ones that “speak to you” and inspire you, they will support you in your struggle, they will help you to find answers to your questions, and they will help you to take a new approach or perspective to live your life at its best.

I would love to hear from you about your encounters and experiences…share them with us!