Outdoor Mystic - A few words about the name
A mystic is a person who aspires to experience God(*), who is longing to feel unity with God and to be one with all.
To me, the best place to experience God is outdoors, surrounded by nature, by plants and trees, which authentically express who they are, taking in the sun and shining with the power of their authenticity, being what they were meant to be from the moment their seed came into contact with the earth.
In my eyes, we are closest to God when we express ourselves as authentically as nature does; when we awaken to our true inner nature; when body, mind and soul are in alignment in and with us.
I can’t claim to have experienced God yet or maybe only for very short moments. Once, when intently taking in a moment at a creek of flowing water, with insects humming and little fish making their way through the stream, I knew suddenly that I was part of it all. Or, when I sang with the wind and felt one with it for a split second before I stumbled and nearly fell into a water hole.
Why outdoors?
While walking in a forest, climbing a mountain or spending time near the sea, our five senses that connect us with the outer manifest world are sharpened and refined. I call these our outer senses. We naturally bring more awareness and curiosity to what we see. Nature can awaken our sense of seeing through the extraordinary beauty of a flower that blossoms by the side of our path, or through a breathtaking view from a mountain we have climbed.
Likewise, our sense of hearing is affected by spending time in nature. We learn to differentiate the various sounds of the night when camping, or we gradually come to know which bird is singing. The smells and scents of different flowers or of fresh cut grass tickle our noses, activating our sense of smelling. When we spend time outside we are also much more likely to pick a fresh berry from a bush at the side of our path which then activates our taste buds in a new and sometimes surprisingly intense way.. Or imagine the touch of your bare feet on warm summer sand or how enjoyable it can be to immerse your whole body in the sea.
Inner and Outer Senses
Once our five outer senses are activated and fulfilled to a certain point, we can begin to go inward and engage with what I describe as our inner senses. In my experience, these are available in more subtle realms inside of us. Although we may not always be aware of these inner senses, we can learn to access and trust them. Often one aspect of these inner senses is called intuition. Our intuition is switched on when we ‘decide’ (without checking in with our mind) not to go down a certain dark alley or when we stop and talk to somebody without any logical reason, just because our ‘body’ told us to.
This inner subtle realm is, to me, the place where we experience God.
In my experience, God lives in and connects to the subtle realms of our being: through that tug at our heart when we are in the presence of a newborn baby; through that feeling of awe when a majestic view opens in front of our eyes; or that idea or vision dropping into our awareness and taking us by surprise. Having experiences like this are all steps on the way to experiencing God.
Being an Outdoor Mystic
I love to inspire people to come outdoors where I create group experiences which open us to these inner senses. Spaces which bring subtle realms into reality, where we learn to follow our inner sensations and visions and with open minds allow them to lead us on our path through life. Engaging into inner sensations is much more powerful as a group. For some of us this is the only way to connect with our inner world as most of us, who have grown up in the Western world, have been conditioned (through what we learnt at school or in church) to close ourselves to these inner realms. Listening to others share their inner experiences can open us to becoming curious again. Sometimes through listening, memories of something are triggered that we have always known, without perhaps being able to convey it in words. In a group our experiences are woven into something that becomes ever more real and alive, something that we cannot describe yet, something mystical.
*I allow myself to describe God in this text as I understand this higher power. I like to use the name God. Please substitute with supreme being, higher power, divinity, creator or any name you prefer to use. My understanding of God has gradually developed since I was a child and how I understand it might change again. It is part of my work to liberate us from having to follow a given understanding of what this higher power might be. God is to be experienced and this experience will be very unique to each of us. To me it is helpful to speak about the experiences we have. With each of us sharing what we feel, the realms where God lives will become more tangible and real.
Photo by Karsten Würth on Unsplash
