Creativity: The Hope for Our Future
Human – Why are humans having so much difficulty living in harmony with each other and Nature?
Gaia – Although you are the youngest of My creations, you have become powerful. I am happy about this. I wasn’t certain how you would evolve, but My intention in creating you was to fashion a being with a strong capacity to feel and a mind that was self-reflexive.
Human – What do you mean self-reflexive?
Gaia – I gave you a body with all of its senses and a rich feeling realm so that you could experience life in the unique way that you do. What you experience, I experience, because you see, you and I one organism. Each action, thought, feeling, sensation you experience, I experience. Through your eyes, ears, nose, taste, touch, intuitions, etc. I come to know a part of Myself that I can only know through you. This is true for every part of My creation.
Human – But it seems that our minds and feelings keep getting us into trouble. Why didn’t you make us like the rest of the animals where we would instinctually follow the laws of Nature?
Gaia – Because I’ve done that. I wanted something different. A being through which I could feel my creation, that allowed me to contemplate and ponder the order of the Universe. I can marvel at the diversity I’ve created and come to know Myself in different ways through the self-reflexive mind I gave you.
Human – But this is my mind? Isn’t it?
Gaia – Yes, of course. But, don’t you see your mind IS my mind. When you experience something, I experience it also. The problem is, you have forgotten that we are one. What you do to My body, you do to your body. This is just the way it is. So much of what you humans long for is the communion that we once knew. You once walked on Me with honour and respect. You experienced great joy, understanding and peace because of this. Now you turn to materialism, addictions and fear to try to fill in the void that only the love affair that we share can fill.
You have also forgotten your lineage. You do not honour in your prayers and rituals all those that played a part in creating you. The worm, for instance, contributed to the development of your spinal chord. Surprised! Yet you treat this ancestor of yours with repulsion often. Even the wisest of your ancestors, Air, Fire & Water, you treat as if they belong to you. You, therefore, do not see their Beingness and learn of who you are through an understanding and honouring of them.
Your organism is a blend of many organisms. You didn’t just fall down from the sky. But even if that were true, you eat My plants, fruits and animals, and they, like you, are a blend of all that went before them. So you take this into your body and it becomes part of who you experience yourself to be. Living means experiencing everything that was a part of bringing you to this point in your evolution.
Human – You mean there are other things living inside of me?
Gaia – Well, so to speak. Their wisdom still lives in your DNA, from the initial starburst to the creature that slithered out of the ocean, to the monkeys of the jungles and the countless other events that you cannot remember. This ancient wisdom of your ancestors lives in you, waiting to be remembered.
You truly are magnificent and I am proud of you. You have become a powerful force on Me, equal, almost to the Five Elements. First, though, you must learn how to use this power so your presence enhances all life. Now, I’m not saying that you are the finest of My creations. Tree is hard to beat. However, you do have the potential to be as grand a Being as Tree. It will take some work though.
Human – So what do I have to do? How do I remember?
Gaia – Study and learn from the great Masters of Creation: Air, Fire, Water and Earth. They have been around since the beginning of Me. They know how to handle power, how to flow in harmony, how to balance and enhance the ongoing processes of life. They do not struggle, or fret, or worry. Their existence is a celebration of trust and love. They are the great architects, the great artists and healers.
Human – How do I study them?
Gaia – That is very simple. Spend time in Nature. Contemplate their ways, watch how they move. Be still and listen to them from your heart. See their beauty, marvel at their wonders, be curious, discover the beingness of all thing. Use all of your senses to experience their teachings. They are your friends and guides. Just ask! As long as you think they are just lifeless Elements without spirit, something you can use as you please, you will never know the secrets of creation. Forgetting who they are, you have forgotten who you are. You are these powers of creation, bundled together in human form, ignited by the spirit-that-lives-in-all-things. Remember, the study of Nature is the study of Self.
Human – This sounds exciting! What do I do first?
Gaia – Let’s start with a very simple exercise that will awaken the Elements in you.
Sit comfortably, preferably outdoors, but indoors is fine also.
You are going to do a breath for each of the four elements. By doing these you are calling forth the unique activity and wisdom of each one. They are very simple. Do each breath for 3 to 5 minutes.
Think about the qualities of Air. Invisible, yet you feel it on your skin. The movement of leaves, plants, scents etc. reveals its presence; it can be soft and caressing; dynamic, transforming a whole landscape in minutes. You can’t hold it or stop it. It is expansive, generous. Air gives us life, through breath.
Begin by breathing slowly and softly in and out through your mouth.
Slowly increase the strength of your breath, sucking Air in, letting it swish around in your mouth, feeling how it travels into the different parts of your body.
Let the breath come to rest and sit with your eyes closed feeling the sensations of your body.
Now, bring your attention to the qualities of Fire. Remember your personal experiences with fire. How fire can both comfort and destroy. How the fire of the Sun lives in your metabolism igniting your digestive fires and the passions of our heart. Think of the essence of fire.
Breath in through your mouth, out through your nose. Start slowly, letting the breath increase in strength as you go along. Include fire sounds, whatever feels right.
Let the breath come to rest and sit with your eyes closed feeling the sensations of your body.
Bring into awareness the qualities of Water. It is liquid love. Water transports all nutrients in our bodies, cleansing and purifying. Think of a river. Water teaches us how to ‘go with the flow’, it has no agenda, yet always returns to its source. It’s playful, wild and gentle. Water has the great qualities of absorption and sensitivity.
Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Again, starting slowly, letting the breath build, slowing down and being aware of the sensations of your body when still.
Earth – how different the qualities of Earth are from the other more active Elements. It’s slow and steady, ever-giving and abundant. Earth holds memory. It is diverse and creative, always evolving. It gives us a home, our bones, tissues and the foods and medicines to care for ourselves. Breath in and out through your nose. Starting slow, letting it build. Imagining you are breathing in and awakening all of these qualities in yourself.
Slow the breath down. In stillness become aware of the sensations of your organism.
Give thanks to each Element. Ask them to teach and guide you on this earth walk.
Enjoy the rest of your day with your old friends!
Lorenna Bousquet-Kacera, founder of Shamanu: Earth Wisdom Teachings