The Benefits of Star Gazing - Reconnecting to the Earth
by Donna Thomson
This evening I came to realise just how disconnected we can be from the Earth and sky - our natural environment. Recently I've been taking the opportunity to go outside for about half an hour in the evening to stare at the night sky and my surroundings. I tuck the children into bed and instead of sitting in front of the television, I quietly slip outside and lie on the trampoline and take it all in...the trees, the moon, the stars...everything. I let the fresh evening breeze caress my skin in an invigorating and cleansing way. I witness shooting stars which I haven't seen since I was a child. Life gets busy you know. I watch the moon follow its path across the sky. I see planes fly overhead and wonder about the people inside, on their way to somewhere exciting or perhaps on their way home from a business trip. During this regular 'time-out', I have found that my connection to our natural environment has increased rapidly.
This evening as I looked at the large palm tree in our back yard, I could sense its energy much quicker than previous times. I felt it was almost reaching out, acknowledging my presence. Then, as I looked at the stars, I started noticing constellations that I hadn't been aware of before. Suddenly I could see how particular groups of stars resembled images, like a bow and arrow which I know is part of one of the famous constellations, but whether it's the actual group of stars I saw is irrelevant to me. It's like gazing at clouds. It's open to interpretation and it is the engaging of imagination that's important to me. What was of most significance on this evening was that my awareness of my surroundings - of nature - had increased. What is so special about that?
Well, this started me thinking how ancient people lived under the stars and had much more time to connect with the trees and animals all around them. In the evenings they would sit around a fire and they would use the sky to navigate when they went on journeys. They learned about the plants and trees, discovering which could provide them with sustenance, and which could cause pain or injury if they were not careful. I bet many people of ancient cultures were aware of auras or energy fields of living things way back when. If my own awareness has increased so much after just a few nights under the stars, imagine how connected we could be to our natural environment if we took regular time to be still with our surroundings! It doesn't have to be a long time, just regular time.
As I walked back inside this evening, I realised that people of this day and age live inside 'boxes' that may shelter us from the elements, but they also stop us connecting to the earth and stars. How many hours of the day do you spend walking on polished floors, carpet, or tiles? How many hours of the day do you spend walking on the grass, rocks, or sand? Even when we do walk on the grass, we would likely be wearing shoes. This evening's star gazing made me realise that we are so sheltered from the beauty and wonder that is our planet and our sky. I long for my next camping trip in the mountains, but until then, I will take any chance I can to live outside of the 'box'.
Have you connected with nature today?