Many people talk about the feeling of awe, peace, or spiritual connection when they spend time in nature. China has an ancient practice of finding truth and knowledge by observing nature, attempting to capture the movement of wind through bamboo with nothing but ink and a brush; Siddhartha went to the wilds and attained enlightenment beneath the Banyan tree; on this continent (North America), we have Henry Thoreau and Annie Dillard, whose writings about nature and self read like meditations, or even prayers. And many many more, of course, writers and mystics and myths from every culture and place human beings have dwelled. Most of us can relate, whether it’s the sense of peace we feel as we watch the ocean waves roll in or our sense of awe when we gaze up at the vastness of the stars on a clear night.
But that’s not entirely animism, so what the heck am I talking about? Animism is the oldest belief system in the world and it is found in every culture. Animism is the belief that all of nature has a spirit, be it rock, tree, animal, or person. Some cultures believed in a shared spirit and some in a individual unique spirit in situ (Tree vs. “this tree”). I was drawn to this practice partly by instinct and partly by learning. I have always had a strong sense of the sacred that has never fit well within the Abrahamic religions of my Western cultural inheritance. I explored many paths and teachings for over 20 years, finding a thread, sometimes buried deep, of something from “before.” Before the Church, before patriarchy, before the practices of domination and conversion. In seeking for something that fit with my connection to the woods and wilds of my home (the Pacific Northwestern United States) and that was rooted in human experience, I encountered shamanism and animism. (Shamanism is a Mongolian term that refers to the person who can speak with the spirits of ancestors, animal guides, and other beings for the purposes of healing and helping the community.) Animism spoke directly to my goals: it bypassed structured religion, could be an individual practice, and involved a relationship with nature. Note: while there are many cultures still practicing shamanism or forms of animism, this blog is about a general spiritual and mindful practice and does not “poach” or repackage existing cultural practices of other groups or religions of which I am not a part.
So, got it, animism sounds great. What’s this about mindfulness? Mindfulness is the widely talked-about practice of grounding yourself in the present moment and observing your current state with an attitude of curiosity and compassion. This practice is promoted as being a helpful and effective way to address anxiety, anger, depression, and trauma (among other things). In my work with teenage girls as well as my own therapy and healing, I have found it to be a practical and useful tool. How you can come into a state of awareness of the present moment varies, there are many tools and approaches, but there are generally several consistent elements. These include:
–bringing awareness to your breath and either breathing in specific patterns or simply observing and staying present with your breathing.
–tuning in to your body, noticing without judgment how your body feels, what it may be communicating to you as needs or sensations.
–thinking or saying statements of compassion and affirmation to yourself, such as “may I be safe, may I be happy, may I be healthy, may I live with ease.”
Mindfulness is often associated with Buddhism and there are many Buddhist practices that encourage connecting with the present moment through breath, meditation, mantras, and so forth. However, mindfulness may be practiced by people of any faith or no religion at all. I have found a natural and helpful practice in connecting my animistic spirituality to mindful awareness. It turned out not to be such a great leap. To show respect and reverence for the spirits of the natural world as the teacher and guide for my human experience made a great deal of sense once I put it all together.
The purpose of this blog is to share my evolving practice with you, an offering of hope and healing to any who find their way here. I hope you will enjoy walking alongside me on this journey.
Tree and Stone, River and Bone 