Participating in the perception of place

Viewing nature interactively on October 29,2015

I reflect now on the owl-necking, teetering inability to take it all in; all the trees, their twigs, branches, vines, berries, flowers, blades of grass, sounds of buzzing, chirping of birds and crickets, the crunch of leaves under foot step and the gentle crash of the newly fallen, the paddle of the water flowing into itself, the warm, sticky air, smooth scents and the biting ones too.

Did the trail and all its components laugh at my bewilderment and ignorance or was it looking at me the same way, like a virginal experience each time we entered one another? Did we know each other so well that the comfort became uncomfortable and we needed to open our awareness to one another again?

Lane writes, “places themselves participate in the perception that is made of them”(44), which leads me to understand my own experience with the natural world as one purely conceptualized by my awareness of such experience. As I listen, observe, and allow myself to marvel at the wonderful brutality of nature, I reflect on the relentless desire for equilibrium in my own life. I begin to understand the balance nature plays within its own existence through survival of the fittest, forest fires, floods, and other “natural” disasters, which claim “disaster” only by human’s perception.

Because place participates in perception, I provide a vehicle through which a place may have a voice. One may never know what place sounds like or looks like or feels like without my accounts or their own experience with place. 

As our brains attempt to comprehend and categorize the world around us, we can observe how even this observation is an illusion of how we want to believe something to be. 

Sutherlan Spruck

Topic of choosing

November 2, 2015
I think that being involved in sports for a long period of time can count as a sacred journey because sports and being a part of a team build your character and help you in the future. Playing on a team teaches you teamwork and how to handle pressure situations. Coaches help you understand the fundamentals of learning. Also, sports help with discipline and trust. You learn to listen to your coaches and practice what they teach you so you can become better. All of these things help build and direct you for your future. When you grow up and get a job, you have to learn the way your company works and learn to work with your coworkers. You have to practice your skills in order to be promoted. The things you learn in life are altogether what make you you and life is just one big sacred journey filled with other smaller ones. I wouldn't be who I am today without sports. This wouldn't be my sacred journey without sports.

Nature 2: Benefits of walking in nature

November 2, 2015

"Green therapy," also known as ecotherapy, is gaining the attention of researchers, nature enthusiasts, and people in search of alleviating symptoms of depression. Being in nature has long been associated with being mindful and meditative, but only recently has the scientific community researched the mental health benefits of being in nature. A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Essex and published by the mental health organization Mind found that taking a walk in nature reduced depression scores in 71 percent of participants. Researchers compared the effect with a control group who also took a walk, but in a shopping centre. Only 45 percent of the shopping center walkers had reduced depression scores, while 22 percent of them actually felt more depressed. This just goes to show that nature is beneficial in many more ways than a break from reality. 

Nature 1: Thoughts from the walk on the trail

November 2, 2015

Everyone relates to nature differently and individually. I relate to nature in the fact that it calms me down and provides stress relief. Others have more of a spiritual connection. Henry David Thoreau stated in The Atlantic in 1862 that “When we walk, we naturally go to the fields and woods: What would become of us, if we walked only in a garden or a mall?". During my walk on the trail, I automatically take a deep breath and enjoy the literal "breath of fresh air". I love looking at nature especially in the fall because you can't help but admire the beauty of your surroundings. Immediately my problems cease and I enjoy the pause from reality. It's nice because sometimes you become so overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle of your everyday life that you forget that nature stands still and is a constant. It's very gratifying and peaceful. These were my thoughts on the Noland Trail experience. 

Introspection on the Noland Trail

As we embarked on our mini journey through the Noland Trail during class, I found myself in a state of complete peace and tranquility as we treaded further and further along the path. At a glance, one can perceive the surroundings of this area as simply a wooded trail beside a river that frequent runners resort to when heading out for an afternoon jog. But if one were to enter into the trail and center their focus entirely on the environment around them, they would be able to connect with the atmosphere in a much more personal way. Wandering along this trail enabled me to have a one-on-one experience with the nature and allowed me to see this natural environment through a new perspective.

As it has been stated in class, there are ways to communicate with the different constituents of one’s surroundings, although it is in a different way than what we are normally used to. Engaging in this walk on the Noland trail inspired me to open my mind to the possible ways these living things could communicate with me specifically. Having this mindset is a relatively new way of thinking for me, so it took some getting used to. But, overall, I could feel all of the various constituents of this environment existing harmoniously with one another, including myself. There seemed to be a set place for each living being among this ecosystem. For the most part, it even seemed as if each being maintained a mutual respect for one another, allowing one to exist in their own way as the other did the same. These constituents communicated with me in the most unique way, informing me of this ideal way of living. My walk on the Noland trail provided me with a renewed appreciation for such natural environments and their ability to exist in the way that they do.

Kasey Frazier Outside Reading: The Alchemist (Communicating with Nature)

The Alchemist is a novel about a young man named Santiago who goes on a adventure and in the mist of it becomes rich and wise. There is a section in the story where a greater figure tells Santiago he will turn into wind in three days. This is merely impossible to anyone and sounds absolutely ridiculous. In order to fulfill this destiny Santiago has to communicate with the natural forces and close with nature. At this point in the story the setting is in the Sahara Desert, therefore, Santiago has the wind and the sun to work with. A few days pass (three days) and Santiago communicates with the sun and wind to create a giant sandstorm. When the storm was at its peak Santiago disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the desert. Santiago did the unimaginable and accomplished something no one else will ever do just by communicating with nature.

 

This shows how strong the powers of communication with a setting will show. Although this novel is very symbolic I interpret that section of the book as communication is the focus point. In order to get in touch with yourself or others the source is nature and one has to be willing to be vulnerable to the Earth to receive what it wants.

Kathleen Horning- Viewing Nature Interactively

Kathleen Horning- Viewing Nature Interactively
Topic: Experience of a natural setting
November 1, 2015

            On October 29, 2015 our class walked along part of the Noland Trail in order to interact with nature. The purpose was to experience the connection between spirituality and the natural world, and to increase understanding place as chora and time as kairos. For part of class, Dr. Redick showed us some different types of plants and their purpose. For the other part, the students were instructed to explore on their own, to take their time, and to interact with the terrain.

            Lane writes that the embodied experience of place is “to be fully present to any locale… involved in touching and being touched by its particular array of rocks, trees, animals, and geographical features” (p. 44). When I first arrived on the trail, I picked some rosemary. I felt the smooth herb between my fingers and smelled its freshness up close and from affair. Before, I had never realized that there was rosemary on the Noland Trail. Perhaps this was surprising to me because I did not think of something so edible growing out there.

            Patience is a virtue I sometimes lack, so it was a little difficult for me to take my time interacting with the terrain. However, it was a nice feeling to put my phone away for an hour and experience nature. I breathed in the fresh air, listened to the animals along the trail, and touched (non-poisonous) plants. It felt like an escape from reality.