Welcome to Naturally Aware

A Course in Creative Eco-Mindfulness

Lesson One:  Here Comes the Sun

Okay, first things first:  BOOKMARK this page!

You will come back to it again and again as the entire course is included here.

NOTE:  This is the longest lesson by far. 

Estimated time to read: 15 minutes. 

You can access each lesson in the series by simply clicking on the links below, but please read the introduction on this page before starting your course.

Lesson One: Here Comes the Sun

Lesson Two:  Water, Water Everywhere

Lesson Three:  Back to the Stone Age

Lesson Four:  Get Your Hands Dirty

Lesson Five:  Smell the Flowers, Hug the Trees

Lesson Six:  Take A Deep Breath

Each lesson requires several days in order for you to have plenty of opportunities to practice that specific exercise.  Don't be tempted to skip ahead--there are no bonus points for finishing early!  Take your time.

I am delighted that you have chosen to explore and develop your naturalistic intelligence.  You will be amazed by how small natural details will seem to “come alive” during the next few weeks.  If you start feeling like a kid again, you’re on the right track! 

You see, as children, we were very mindful.  We were not consumed by worries about tomorrow or regrets about the past.  We were right there, in the moment.  The world was full of wondrous things, and everywhere we turned we found plenty to hold our attention and capture our imagination. 

There are plenty of wondrous things in this world.  In this course, you are going to learn how to apply that same childlike sense of wonder to elements of Nature.

Now, maybe you think this wonder business isn’t important.    

Heck, you’re busy. You’re a grown-up. You have responsibilities. You don’t take the time to study the cloud formations or delight in the texture of a pussy willow like you once did.  After all, you’ve got more important things to do, right? 

Well, it’s true that you have things to do, and they are important in terms of living your life, paying the bills, and getting things accomplished. 

But here’s the key concept in this course: 

Paying attention is the single most important skill you will ever develop as a human being.  It is the most essential ingredient in your quality of life.

Hands down.  No contest.  Nothing else comes close. 

Why?  Because if you’re not paying attention, you have no quality of life!

Oh sure, you might be physically present.  You might go through the motions.  You get things done.  You have plenty of relationships.

But living your life on auto-pilot virtually guarantees that you will feel frustrated, exhausted and disconnected. 

In this course, you are going to take a very close look at how Nature can help you:

● experience the natural world as a source of healing and inspiration rather than simply the setting for your busy life

● notice your physical state and make choices that result in greater calm and awareness

● recognize the power of Nature to provide you with greater energy

● discover which elements of Nature have the most profound effect on you

● understand your emotional responses to the degradation of Nature

● leverage those emotions in order to alter your habits so that they feel more in alignment with your values and beliefs

You’ll learn about what you like and how it fits into the activities you enjoy so you can tap into mindfulness using Nature as a cue throughout the day. 

You’ve heard about mindfulness.  Maybe you believe it’s something that develops through years of meditation, and that people who are “good” at it practice it every day.  If you don’t see yourself as someone who is making meditation a daily part of your life, you might have given up on the idea that you are likely to develop mindfulness in any sort of intentional way.

Who has the time for mindfulness, anyway? 

Well, that would be YOU, my friend.  You see, mindfulness doesn’t need to be another item on your long to-do list.  Instead, you are about to see mindfulness as a fully-integrated part of your daily life.  It will become a seamless part of your world as you learn how to pop into mindfulness mode many times throughout the day.

The trick is to make it an easy, enjoyable practice that feels more like a game than anything else you do. Better yet, it’s like a SECRET game, because you are going to catch yourself in the act of paying attention during even the most mundane activities. 

There’s power in play.  That’s how we learned as kids—and remember, that’s when we were naturally mindful and most in tune with Nature!  So, if you think this is going to be hard, you can relax. 

It’s remarkably easy.  You’ll be creating a new idea of yourself in a very specific way.  You don’t need to think of yourself as a stressed person or a distracted person or an exhausted person—nor do you have to think of yourself as a calm person or a spiritual person or an enlightened person.

Instead, you are going to think of yourself as a person who PAYS ATTENTION.  It’s that simple, and that profound.

This is absolutely essential, because mindfulness is all, well, in your mind.  You must operate under the belief that mindfulness is a quality you already have--you simply need to strengthen it, just as if you were strengthening your biceps, your voice or your ability to hold your breath.

The basic formula for this course is:

1) Notice your specific trigger.

2) Notice that you noticed.

3) Watch your reaction to the trigger.

4) Move on.

This creates an enormously important shift in your brain. You see, if you notice something, and then you notice yourself noticing it, you really ARE paying attention! Reinforcing this “noticing noticing” is a critical element in learning anything new, and in this course, we are going to really strengthen this ability by focusing on specific triggers.

You’ll notice.  You’ll notice yourself noticing.  You’ll watch your reaction.  And instead of spinning your stories or sinking into that comfy lounge chair of characteristic responses, you’re going to step back enough to really WATCH.

Now, I must warn you about something.  You see, the biggest obstacle you will face in this course is the feeling that this is so easy that it probably isn’t working. 

Isn’t that funny?  We have this idea that doing anything worthwhile takes a whole lot of work. 

We need to challenge ourselves to truly difficult tasks in order to improve, right?  Shouldn’t this be really, really hard?  And shouldn’t we be spending at least an hour a day on it?

No, no, and no.

Learning can be extremely enjoyable, and the more we like it, the more likely we are to want to continue to explore and discover new ways to incorporate what we learn.

You’re intelligent.  But did you know that you are intelligent in at least eight different ways?  Yep, it’s true.  And even though we are focusing on developing your naturalistic intelligence (the ways in which you are “nature smart”), you will be combining your intelligences in creative ways.   You’ll be playing with your naturalistic intelligence while also building your:

**Linguistic intelligence

**Spatial intelligence

**Auditory intelligence

**Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence

**Interpersonal intelligence

**Intrapersonal intelligence

You have skills in every single area.  Yes, even the ones that make you shake your head.  And, interestingly enough, some of your most emotional and consistent responses are likely to be tied to triggers in one or two particular areas.  Which ones?  Well, that’s what you’re about to find out.

Because, you see, the way to develop a deeper connection to Nature is to make sure you are using the triggers that are most attractive and meaningful to you.

There are a number of areas we can develop under the umbrella of naturalistic intelligence. Some people love flowers.  Others love spending time in the woods.  Maybe you love planting vegetables, or climbing rocks, or caring for pets— animals are part of Nature, too!  So, in this course, you’ll get a chance to figure out which of Nature’s gifts really resonate with you, how they affect you emotionally and physically, and what you can do to ensure that you pay attention more closely to the triggers you choose as your cues for daily mindfulness. 

From the first lesson, you will begin to recognize selected triggers in order to use them. In the beginning, it’s not so much the trigger that matters—it’s improving your ability to notice it.

Gradually and very systematically, you will be given opportunities to watch your response to a variety of specific triggers and eventually, you will be choosing your own cues to notice and observe.  This is a critical step because once you learn how to recognize your soft spots—the things that truly move and inspire you—you will see how you can use them to transform your reactions to the world. 

Finding your soft spots is like discovering a set of magic keys—once you’re found them, you’ll know the simple triggers that can make an enormous difference in how you feel each day.

There’s nothing passive about this approach to mindfulness.  You will be actively engaged in the process of paying attention, but rather than simply sitting back and noticing whatever comes your way, you will be actively attuned to specific cues.  Listening for a sound requires a different level of attention than simply listening to a sound.  Watching for a cue requires a different level of attention than simply seeing a cue.  We're going to practice that.

So, for the next few days, here’s what you will be paying attention to:

The sun.

Sounds simple, right?  I mean, it’s right there, up in the sky, all day long. 

But just because the sun is overhead doesn’t mean we notice it.  And that’s why it’s such a good place to start. 

Notice the sun.  I mean, actually look up into the sky and notice when you see if for the first time each day.  Maybe it’s at sunrise.  Maybe it’s noon before you notice it.  Maybe it’s too cloudy to see it all day long.  Well, notice that.

It’s amazing what we take for granted, and by spending this first week simply noticing the sun—where it is in the sky, if it’s visible or covered by clouds, if you can feel its heat or see its rays or shadows shifting—you are reconnecting to one of man’s most glorious and primal experiences.

Notice the sun. 

Of course, there are other things that come into play, because when it comes to Nature, we spend a lot of time judging it.  We complain about the weather, hoping for the sun to come out or cursing its heat!   So, part of your lesson is to not simply notice the sun but notice your reaction to it.

Are you irritated?  Pleased?  Worried it will be too hot or not warm enough? Concerned about getting burned? 

It’s difficult to think about the sun alone without also thinking about aspects of the weather, such as temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind and brightness.   In addition, we tend to react to it depending on how it affects our plans.  If the sun isn’t shining on your picnic or baseball game or garden party, that’s likely to trigger a response that probably wouldn't be triggered if you'd planned to spend the day curled up with a good book anyway.

Pay attention to what the sun triggers in you this week. How does the sun affect your emotions?  How does it affect your plans for your day?  And when you take the time to notice—and feel grateful for—the sun and all it provides, how do you feel as a human? 

Notice the sun.

Notice that you noticed it. 

Watch your reaction. 

Then move on.

It really is that simple.

Want to up the ante?  Use the sun as an audio/linguistic trigger as well!  Pay attention to the word “sun” in written or spoken form.  Hear it in song lyrics.  Listen to the way people talk about the sun.  You can also buff up your spatial intelligence by looking for artistic renderings and interpretations of the sun—on logos, labels, signs, book covers, paintings, wall art, graffiti, etc.

Doing this course with a buddy?  Great!  You have even more room to play. 

Here are some discussion questions to consider (or use them for contemplation on your own):

• What was your earliest memory of the sun? 
• How did you get your worst sunburn?  Where were you? What were you doing?
• What’s your favorite song that includes the word “sun”?
• In what ways can you imagine paying more attention to the sun visually? Linguistically? 
• What’s the longest period you’ve gone without a sunny day?  How did you feel?   What was it like for you when the sun finally appeared? 
• Do you ever consider moving to another place in order to have more days of sun?  Where would you go?  How do you think you would feel there?   How would it change your everyday routine?
• If you are wake up to a beautiful sunny day with nothing scheduled, what’s your favorite way to spend it? 

At the end of this lesson, you’ll see a combination of quotes that include the word “sun”—read through each one, pause and notice how it makes you feel.  Do you smile?  Frown?  Nod?  Watch yourself.  This is good practice for your sun-listening/watching this week!

Feel free to get creative about the way you use your awareness of the sun during the next few days. You can write down your thoughts or share them with a friend or family member.  Maybe you want to paint a picture of the sun or write a poem.  You have an opportunity in this course to see which activities are most likely to help you connect with Nature, so explore some options and see which ones you enjoy most.

Remember to come back to this page to access all of your lessons—because you bookmarked it, right?   ;-)

Here comes the sun!

Warmly,

Maya Frost
Real-World Mindfulness Training™

Quotes:  Read each one and then watch your reaction to it.

“Even after all this time,

the Sun never says to the Earth:

'You owe me.'

Look what happens with a love like that:

It lights up the whole Sky.”

From The Gift of Hafiz

“A leaf fluttered in through the window this morning, as if supported by the rays of the sun, a bird settled on the fire escape, joy in the task of coffee, joy accompanied me as I walked.”

Anais Nin

“I can find in my undergraduate classes bright students who do not know that the stars rise and set at night, or even that the Sun is a star.”

Carl Sagan

“How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!”

John Muir

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold:  when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.”

Charles Dickens

“The day, water, sun, moon, night—I do not have to purchase these things with money.”

Plautus

“Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!”

Sitting Bull

“The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world’s joy.”

Henry Ward Beecher

“You’ve got the sun, you’ve got the moon, and you’ve got the Rolling Stones.”

Keith Richards

“Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to ‘jump at the sun.’ We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground.”

Zora Neale Hurston

“The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.”

Galileo Galilei 

“The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun.”

Ralph Nader

“You’ve got to get out and pray to the sky to appreciate the sunshine; otherwise you’re just a lizard standing there with the sun shining on you.”

Ken Kesey

“To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.”

David Viscott

“Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.”

Samuel Smiles

“Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives, everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of my passion, everything invites me to cherish it.”

Ninon de L’Enclos

“It is so small a thing to have enjoyed the sun, to have lived light in the spring, to have loved, to have thought, to have done.”

Matthew Arnold

“Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World.”

Christopher Columbus

“The sun, the moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago…had they happened to be within the reach of predatory human hands.”

Henry Ellis

“When the sun is shining, I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.”

Wilma Rudolph

“The sun was like a great visiting presence that stimulated and took its due from all animal energy.  When it flung wide its cloak and stepped down over the edge of the fields at evening, it left behind it a spent and exhausted world.”

Willa Cather

“The insufferable arrogance of human beings to think that Nature was made solely for their benefit, as if it was conceivable that the sun had been set afire merely to ripen men’s apples and head their cabbages.”

Cyrano de Bergerac

“I’m not the type to cut back on hot showers, but there’s no harm in hot water when it’s warmed by the sun.”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

“My eyes went blank, and I stared off, and the music started.  It was raining, and the sun was shining at the same time, and there were these big bay windows, and there was the blue in the sky, and the sun on the trees, and it was drizzling.”

Al Jarreau

“Of all creatures in this visible world, light is the most glorious; of all light, the light of the sun without compare excels the rest.”

William Gurnall

“What, I sometimes wonder, would it be like if I lived in a country where winter is a matter of a few chilly days and a few weeks’ rain; where the sun is never far away, and the flower bloom all year long?”

Anna Neagle

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature.”

Alfred Austin

“Every day you must arise and say to your heart, I have suffered enough and now I must live because the light of the sun must not be wasted, it must not be lost without an eye to appreciate it.”

Simone Schwarz-Bart

“The flower has opened, has been in the sun and is unafraid. I’m taking more chances; I’m bold and proud.”

Paula Cole

Maya here--Which quote will you remember when the sun rises tomorrow?