The previous steps dealt with social and conceptual building blocks for connection. Now, the path pivots to a personal and physical level. The skills developed in this step aren’t the traditional nature skills of naturalists nor outdoorsmen, which are science or survival oriented. Instead, they target connection with Earth through Nature, and are meant to resonate with us at a deep, ancestral level. As such, they’re radically different from what’s taught through other Nature-related programs.
Despite our rational and civilized existence, instinctual urges, emotions, and physicality still play big roles in our lives. The four skills— senses, curiosity, imagination, and reverence— were selected to mesh with these impactful parts of our psyche. While using our senses and curiosity in Nature seems obvious, using our imagination and reverence is less intuitive. But they are essential for meaning-making, empathy, and understanding where and how we fit in.
The strategy here is to engage both the body and mind at its different levels in the natural world, shooting for immersion, flow, captivation, and sensation. And to do it in terms of the work that’s already been done: the realms, tales, and awareness of our cultural programming.
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