In the modern world, we have lost our sense of the sacred.
Under the prevailing dominator culture of secular materialism, we are taught to see and consume a world of things.
This has made us materially rich but spiritually poor.
The problem with this way of life is it has no future. Without a sense of the sacred, it will all collapse and disappear.
So, restoring a sense of the sacred is crucial for the survival of humanity, otherwise, the logical conclusion of the materialist worldview is a dead world without meaning or purpose.
Mindfully spending time outdoors is the easiest way to restore your sense of the sacred.
While art, music and architecture can help to create a sacred space, the most powerful and transformative way is found in the direct path of tuning into wild beauty. The greatest works of art only mimic the sacred geometry of nature.
To do this, you need to dedicate at least a day to completely unplug and mindfully hike somewhere far away from the linear roads and technologies of human civilization. Usually, 3 days unplugged is the rite of passage that can start to restore a sense of the sacred.
While in nature, just relax your analytical mind and practice mindfully observing everything without judgement, labeling or comparison.
This will open you up to our most powerful spiritual emotion, the feeling of awe. Tapping into awe is the gateway into the sacred as it expands our awareness beyond our usual ecocentric focus toward an ecocentric sense of vastness and connection with something greater than ourselves.
Awe is not only our most powerful spiritual emotion, it offers a transcendent path beyond egocentric overthinking to ecocentric kinship with all beings.
Tune into natural beauty, open yourself to awe and embrace the magical feeling of being connected to something much greater than yourself that can’t ever be properly put into words.
Tune your senses into the beauty of trees, plants and flowers. Enjoy their stillness, they can be much better meditation teachers than books or videos.
It’s the quality of attention that makes something sacred. A few days mindfully unplugged can restore the magic of living in awe and wonder you experienced naturally as a child. It’s just a matter of reconnecting with that childlike wonder and seeing the world with new eyes.
He started Mindful Ecotourism in 2016 and he has spent the last decade leading workshops, retreats and hiking adventures around the world teaching ecological mindfulness and experiential learning practices for learning about flora, fauna and fungi.
He offers online courses, mindful hiking adventures and educational field guides.
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