Emotional and physical exhaustion is one of the scourges of the modern era. Depression is reaching almost epidemic proportions. You could very well say that the Western mind has lost its soul that has been entrapped by the temptations of immediate gratification.
We are bombarded constantly with subliminal messages that tell you: Buy this and you will be happy. Do this and you will get rich. Do this to live like a super star. Dress like this and act like that to be loved and validated by the crowd.
Along the way one of our most valuable assets – the time to be fully aware of the moment – is getting lost. The mind is constantly occupied with either the past or the fears of the future. In the process you forget soul purpose and who you are!
I have found that walking alone in nature is a magnificent way of detoxing and training the mind by re-calibrating the senses to the world around us. I truly believe that nature is a manifestation of God. The whisper of creation can be sensed by a bird song, the rustling of leaves in an ancient tree, or the clouds enveloping a mountain top.
Most people in today’s world however are forced to live in crowded cities that are dehumanizing in their detachment from nature. They cloud the senses with a high level of noise, pollution and bombardment of the senses. The modern human being has become so detached from his natural environment, that its causing havoc to emotional stability.
I think this is one of the reasons for the great attraction of the ancient pilgrimage route in Spain. More and more people are becoming spiritually conscious and seeking answers. Spending weeks alone by simply walking in nature without distraction is like a detox in peeling away the layers to the heart of the true self. But it doesn’t only have to be walking. New retreats and centers of meditation are opening everywhere as human consciousness is rising to a new level.
Old school religion has taught us to believe and to follow a certain doctrine and behavior. The new consciousness is very much an experiental spirituality in a “becoming” of the real self.
Reino Gevers – Author, Mentor and Consultant
