Nature's Healing Art
by Robert Meagher on 05/20/14
“Peace is all around us—in the world and in nature—and within us—in our bodies,
and our spirits. Once we learn to touch this peace, we will be healed and transformed.
It is not a matter of faith; it is a matter of practice”
Thich Nhat Hahn
On Saturday, May 17, I had the joy and honor of leading a spiritual fieldtrip to the beautiful Creative Wheel Centre in Val-des-Monts, Quebec. The day was a majestic reminder of nature’s healing qualities and the artistic perfection inherent in mother earth.
The day began with a spirit-filled guided tour of the one-of-a-kind Merkabah Land Art Trail. This unique hiking trail meandered its way up the mountain and showcased nature-based art installations made from local, raw materials that blended into the habitat in a seamless, complementary and meditative repose. Caressing and blessing this trail was a beautiful and tranquil stream that greeted hikers numerous times as they made their way up the mountain.
Native, seasonal flowers were in bloom, most notably Trilliums. Their pure white petals were a welcomed calling to return to the divine source that resides in each of us. Rare colors of Trilliums, red and golden/yellow, also welcomed us, much to the delight of the naturalists among the group. This visual masterpiece facilitated the exuberant feeling of witnessing the rebirthing of mother earth at this springtime of the year. Birds and other wildlife graced us with their presence and all seemed to be saying to us …”Hello! Welcome to our masterpiece!”
One of these wildlife marvels was a red-crested woodpecker. He greeted us at the very start of the Markabah Land Art Trail and, almost as if domesticated, allowed us to get remarkably close to take pictures and watch his culinary craftsmanship at work on a tree that this heavenly creature clearly had a fondness for.
Following the hike, many gathered at home base to build and tend a community campfire, under the hypnotic shell of a teepee. We communed with nature and each other, many recounting how the day had brought back wonderful childhood memories of camping and spending time in nature. Without exception, all the stories were fond memories. Memories of how free we feel when we are in nature. Memories of just how good we feel when we are in nature; memories of the magnificence of nature’s beautiful balance and exquisite relationship with all of life; memories of the healing nature of mother earth.
It had been a while since I had gifted myself with such a day—a day to get away from urban concrete and touch, smell, see, and ‘feel’ nature in its rawest form. It had been too long! But in those precious hours spent at the Creative Wheel Centre, I recaptured the knowing that we are all nature’s work of art. And the reason we feel so rejuvenated and revitalized after spending time in nature is because we have, if only momentarily, returned home—home to the heart of God.
Shanti, Namaste, Agapé,
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