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The Sensuous Kinship of Body and Earth

 

In this article which appeared in the March 2017 issue of the Ecopsychology Journal, Sophia Reinders asks us a compelling question:

“How can we bring into being in ourselves and in our communities a consciousness that is earth-cherishing and aware of the planet as the living matrix in which all earth communities, including the human, are embedded and have their ground?”

The manner in which the author suggests that we go forward is poetically derived from her own experiences of oneness with nature as she beautifully recounts her embodiment of a coyote’s song and melding with the fragrance of the morning.  Using these examples, the author asks us to go beyond contemplation and gently invites us to act by “sensory reception” and “intuitive perception”.  She suggests that, as we re-awaken “our ancient capacity to be enchanted with the mystery that has given birth to us and surrounds us… we may begin to listen to the ancient dialogue of body and earth”.

Sophia’s full article may be found at http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/eco.2016.0035

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This article first appeared in the March 2017 issue of the Ecopsychology Journal, which regularly features articles free of charge to the public for a limited period of time.

Acknowledgement for featured image: “Coyote Leaping” by John Nieto, 24″ x 30″ acrylic.  Available at Ventana Fine Art, 400 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501

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Support Orion!

Orion is one of my favorite magazines. It’s an extraordinarily beautiful and well-put-together quarterly publication celebrating Nature and Culture, featuring stunning photography and articles about subjects I want to know more about by authors I am stimulated & inspired by.

They carry absolutely no advertising; their income is entirely subscription-based, which is an incredibly challenging economic model to sustain. So when they ran a Kickstarter campaign last month asking for help producing a special 35th Anniversary issue, I was more than happy to support them.

To give you as taste, here’s a little excerpt from from the current issue – Stellar, about Stellar Jays, by Peter Friederici.

Their Kickstarter campaign is still going, although they have reached their immediate goal. Given that a magazine of this caliber & integrity will need our ongoing support if it is to survive and thrive, I urge you too to contribute generously.

 

 

Reviews Shortlink

Interview with Mary Jayne Rust

This fabulous interview of UK ecopsychologist Mary Jayne Rust by ecotherapist Linda Buzzell aired on the Ecopsychology Voices series produced by Carol Koziol, founder of the Canadian Ecopsychology Network.

Media Shortlink

Seven Days of Beauty

Regular contributor Jamie McHugh created Seven Days of Beauty, a series of seven short videos originally dedicated to the healing of post-election trauma and distress but just as relevant today. Thank you, Jamie, for sharing it with us here on Gatherings.

Ecotherapy, Media Shortlink

Waterfall Teachings

John Scull, one of the key co-founders of this Journal and ICE (the International Community for Ecopsychology), posted an ode to waterfalls – “the immensely powerful and beautiful shape water takes for a moment in its journey downstream” – on the ICE blog.

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