Animal wisdom: A return to balance

One of the things I love about summer is the emergence of the natural world. The migrating birds come back from their southern retreats, the flowers bloom and yes, even the bugs are out!

Sometimes it’s easy to forget we cohabitate the earth we so many creatures. With our world being increasingly centred online, the time we spend outside, close to nature is often less and less. 

We likely watch more videos of animals than interact with real animals out in the world!

I’ve found that the more spiritual I become, the more connected I feel to the animal kingdom. As I’ve developed my meditation practice, I’m less in my head and more in my body, when all goes well, I’d say I’m able to be in the moment.

That’s where I find a lot of solace in the animal kingdom, because where do they live? In the moment, of course! They aren’t making shopping lists in their heads or brooding over a conversation that ended badly, they are present and invite us into our presence. 

The crow who chatters to me from the telephone pole, or the bumblebee lazily harvesting pollen from a nearby flower are a call to simplicity. In the natural order, I am not outside their awareness, I am a part of it. 

It’s always good to remember: We humans are animals too!

I’m facinated by the early history of our species, homo sapiens, and love to imagine what most of our time on the planet has been like before agriculture or industrialization. For most of our evolution, we lived as a part of the natural world. Research even suggests that our brains were the biggest and most engaged when we lived and evolved as hunter gatherers.

As a spiritual person, I believe my soul is eternal, but I also know that my human form is my carrier for this very important journey. And this body evolved as a mammal in nature, in a network of creatures, not just with my human tribe, but the animal kingdom as a whole.

In our modern world, it’s easy to feel isolated. Remembering we are a part of the web of life can be another way to connect with the love of our spirit and the joy of being on the planet. 

In these summer months, I invite you to find your way outside. Try this connection meditation to resonate with your place in the web of life:

Listen to the chirps of the birds, the humming of the insects or even imagine all the creepy crawlers under your feet (yes, they are in the web too!). Take deep breaths and settle into the balance of this activity. This web is holy and you are a part of it. Feel the life force in your body. Then connect to the life force of the earth. There is a sacred bond here, it welcomes you. Breathe deeply, be present, know you are loved.