5 Ways to Connect with Nature That Aren't Boring

Let's face it - usually when nature is mentioned, it sounds positively boring. 'Go for a peaceful walk outside for 20 minutes!' or 'Sit in nature, and just reflect'. 

And I've gotta tell you, I'm a wee bit over nature being mentioned in passing, like it's simply an addition to an already full repertoire of self-help activities. As if a 20 minute stroll on pavement as you walk by a few trees in a park is all you need in order to connect deeply to the earth. 

Contrary to society's messaging - Nature is not boring. Nature is not just 'going outside for a few minutes'. And nature cannot be treated as an afterthought if it is to provide epic transformation in your life.

Captured by Marnie Recker

Nature is where we start and where we end. Nature is everything! Our bodies are made from the food we eat, and the food we eat is nourished by the soil, the minerals, the atmosphere, and the water of the earth. The air we breathe comes from the leaves of plants. When we die, our bodies decompose, and we return in full to the continuous cycle of Gaia. 

It is a part of my mission to open the dialogue surrounding nature. It is my sincere wish that every single being experiences, at least once in their lives, the incredible wisdom + love that is accessible through connecting to the earth.

That won't happen, however, if we keep treating her like an afterthought. But I must say, I do understand where this comes from:

It is because, for the most part, we no longer have meaningful interaction with the earth.

• Rather than walking outside and planting our bare feet on the earth, we put on shoes, and step onto pavement.
• Rather than tending the soil with our bare hands, and growing our own food, from the seeds we've saved - we head to the grocery store and walk down fluorescent lit aisles for processed food in plastic packaging. 
• Rather than chopping wood for fires to warm our homes, we simply turn up the thermostat. 
• And rather than burying our loved ones in the rich warmth of the earth's embrace, we purchase expensive boxes so that their flesh is kept away from the soil.

We have come a long way from the ways of our ancestors, and granted, most of us won't fully recapture the daily closeness we knew hundreds of years ago. However, that doesn't mean that our connection is no longer, or that it is hopeless to try to connect with nature. 

We simply need to find ways to interact meaningfully with the earth again.

Captured by Marnie Recker

What do I mean by interact? I mean a true exchange. Rather than simply gaze upon nature, like a foreign visitor, we need to develop a dialogue with the earth.

We give it energy. It gives us energy.

It is in this way that relationships are formed. For example, if you're trying to develop a friendship, you need to have conversation, right? Same for the earth. You can't just look at her. You need to talk to her. And she will talk right back to you. In fact, she's been calling you this whole time - can you hear?

And so - I would like to offer you a few ways to meaningfully interact with nature, that will bring you back to a place of true connection.

I promise this connection with grow everyday that you nourish it, and in time, you'll be able to have conversations with trees, feel butterflies when you feel a breeze, and generally feel a much more profound connection than you ever thought possible! Yay for that!

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1. Create a Ritual

Ritual is a way that we can see and feel a physical exchange with the earth, without having to chop wood or carry water. 

A ritual is when intention meets action - so it can literally be anything.

Here are examples of rituals I've recently created:

• I carried 3 rose petals into the forest. For each one, I had a different prayer. For the first, I prayed over a specific relationship, and placed it at the base of a cedar tree. For the second, I prayed for a home built with wood or cob, and threw it into the ocean. For the third, I prayed for a sacred partnership to enter my life, and again, let it go into the sea.
• I've asked the cedar tree if I could snip some of it's branches. After I felt that is was OK, I broke some off, and carried them home to create beautiful green arrangements for around my house.
• I've gathered bits of driftwood, shells, and seaweed to create a mandala on the beach, and left it as a gift for the spirits of the earth.
• I've returned my menstrual blood to the earth, and watered my garden with it. (Granted, this might me a stretch for those of you new to earth connection, but blood from our moon times is one of the best fertilizers on the planet!)
• I've left a lock of my hair on a bush as a thank you for providing such a place for me to relax.

You'll notice in most of these rituals, I actually leave something physical with the earth, and let her have it. I find this to be an important part of creating that exchange I was talking about earlier. Feel free to create a ritual of your own, or model one after one I've listed above!

2. Get your Bare Feet on the Earth for at least 10 minutes

This is also known as 'earthing', and is growing an ever increasing body of scientific research for it's benefits. Getting your bare feet on the bare earth offers you that skin-to-skin effect with a loved one - but with the earth! Honestly, you just have to try it to see what I mean. Spend at least 10 minutes, if not 30, with your bare feet on soil, a log, a rock, or sand, and you'll notice a markable difference in your energy. My feet actually feel like they just had a massage when I do this. In most of my Moon Day Oracle videos, my feet are actually bare and resting on the earth.

 

3. Thank your food before you eat it

This is something you can do every day, no matter where you are! To thank our food, and thank Mother Earth for growing it, before we eat it, simply reminds us where it came from. It brings us back to the cycles of the earth, while also infusing it with extra love and the energy of gratitude. Yum!

4. Send love to a tree

This tip is the best ever, if I do say so myself. Many people think you can't talk to trees. In fact, a (former, god bless her) friend of mine, said it was the "f*cking stupidest thing she's ever heard".

Captured by Marnie Recker

Well, she's missing out, let me tell you! :D I've literally received the best advice from trees. But I've found that a key piece in communicating with them, is what I call - 'the bridge'. The bridge is love. You've got your human consciousness, doing it's thang. The tree's got it's tree consciousness, being all zen + powerful. In order to connect these 2 consciousnesses, I use the bridge of love. I simply place my hand on the tree, and send it love, usually in the form of green light. I talk to it, and say 'Hey, I love you! You're awesome.' Sometimes I get not much of anything, but other times, a whole rush of energy comes back to me, and I feel tingles all over.

From there, you can say 'what up!' to the tree and tell it all of your problems and joys and hopes and dreams and fears. Notice what thoughts and feelings come to you after you do this. The ones that feel amazing are likely coming from the tree.   

5. Ask your Spirit Animals to come visit you in the dreamtime

This tip is also the best ever, if I do say so myself. Spirit animals, are like the spirit guides of the earth world. They are the essence of a race of animals that come to you when you need help, guidance, and assistance. 

Most of us work with quite a few different spirit animals, whether we know it or not, though their assistance is powerfully increased when you ask them for help.

Tonight, before you go to bed, simply say 'Spirit Animals, I invoke your presence now. Please come to visit me in the dreamtime tonight, in a way I can truly cherish and remember.'

If you don't get anything right away, keep asking. They'll always come, but not always how you expect it. 

Since practising this request regularly, while sleeping I've been swimming with humpbacks, talked to rabbits, admired butterflies, been surrounded by orcas + rainbows, visited by horses, and much more. 

I love this practice! It's one of the easiest and most rewarding on this list!

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So loved ones - have fun with it - and rekindle your connection to the Sacred Earth Mother. It is the best thing since sliced bread. Actually it is way better.

You're awesome. Now get out there and send love to the first tree you see!

xo Beth

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My First Party! // A Women for Whales Fundraiser

As part of my work as an ambassador for Women for Whales, I get the honour of throwing events, fundraising, and extending education and inspiration out into whatever community I find myself in. 

My first Women for Whales event was held on January 21st, and it was so incredible to witness what can happen when an idea gets to come to life.

I don't measure success by the amount of money that was raised, or even by the amount of people that showed up (although those things are nice! ). Success was measured simply by the quality of energy exchanged between those who came out - great conversations, open hearted vibrations, and lots of new ideas were sparked. 

The flow of the evening started as attendees arrived; as they trickled in, they could check out raffle prizes from local companies, chat to non-profits in the area about ways to get more involved in the community, or grab a drink and mingle while waiting for the speakers to come on stage.

Catherine + I on stage

Once the event got under way, I hopped on stage and introduced our speakers for the evening - Catherine Bruhwiler, entrepreneur + Roxy sponsored surfer, and Morgan Callison, owner of the only health food store in Tofino, Green Soul Organics. Both sisters rocked it out, and really sparked a lot of meaningful conversation. After that - we simply drank, danced, raffled off prizes, and jammed out to my friend DJ Swagger Swell's music. 

Soooo much fun!

I can't wait to keep throwing more parties. (The next one should be in April, for anyone based on Vancouver Island!)

Lots of love!

xo Beth

A big thanks to my sister Christiane Watson of Dreamscapes Photography for capturing the event! All of these photos were taken and edited by her.

The Top 4 Ways to Help the Ocean

Mermaids Unite!

As most of us merfolk know, the sea isn't doing so hot right now. And this makes me very very sad, but such is life at this time on Planet Earth right now, and at least situations like this remind us why we're here - TO HELP!

Though a lot of people tend to take the stance of 'Someone should really do something about that!' - and look to the Japanese government, corporations, or those with a lot of money to do something - it's important to realize that WE are those somebodies. 

When we alter our daily habits to reflect our care + concern for the whale being (haha - get it?) of the Great Mama, we reach a new level of empowerment. It also puts us in alignment with our core values, and that holds a lot of sway energetically. Those who walk their talk emit a certain vibration, that others who aren't following through just don't. We have more respect for ourselves, because we're living in alignment - and living in alignment serves as a great launching pad for our other endeavours. 

Here's to the mermaids! Let's do everything we can to take care of the great being known as The Ocean. She needs us now more than ever - and though that sounds a little cheesetastic... IT'S THE TRUTH! 

So here are the top ways we can help:

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1. Buy Organic or Grow a Garden

I don't care how expensive mainstream society thinks organic is, what's really expensive is being on your deathbed, looking back on your life, and realizing you made irresponsible decisions that have put the earth even further in peril, just so you could temporarily have more money in your bank account. (Fun light hearted topics with Beth, episode 1) The thing is - eating organic from the grocery store, yes, can be more expensive, but when you regularly visit local farmer's markets + grow some food in your own garden, it can actually be really affordable.

Buying food that's non-organic (ie. Pesticide sprayed) is one of the worst things you can do for the ocean. All that toxic runoff, combined with unnatural manure from factory farming operations, is making it's way into our seas, and causing massive dead zones, where virtually nothing lives. You can read more about dead zones in an article I wrote in 2011 here.

One cool fact is, between 1991 and 2001, when pesticides became too expensive for farmers to use, the Dead Zone in the Black Sea virtually disappeared,  after previously being the largest in the world. Proving that, yes, absolutely, when our actions change, the effects follow suit! Hurray! :D

3 major dead zones via satelite 

2. Use Natural Shampoos, Soaps, and Cleaning Supplies

Most, if not all brand name shampoos + cleaning supplies contain chemicals that are just plain toxic for our oceans. (ie. Softsoap, Herbal Essences, Colgate, Windex, etc) Even products that say 'All Natural' and 'Eco Friendly!' tend to be bullshiz marketing schemes. Not only are alot of these additives toxic for the oceans, they are also toxic for our bodies + our babies! So we definitely gotta switch over. 

For this one - there can be a lot of research involved, OR, in my experience you are playing it pretty safe if you only buy your hygeine + cleaning products at health food stores. Again, there are definitely a few products in those aisles that are still questionable, so how far into this you want to go is up to you, but for the most part, they are pretty safe. 

Also, it feels way more luxurious and in line with self care to use high quality ingredients on your body and in your home. 

I am a big fan of Sea Wench Naturals in my hair, I make my own face + body lotions, and I make my own cleaning supplies with vinegar and essential oils. 

3. Steer Clear of Most Seafood, especially Shrimp + Farmed Fish

I'm sorry if this list seems big and scary, but it's so important to just face the facts.

Commercial fishing has gone so far out of control, that almost every old fisherman can recount stories of how abundant the seas were, to how minimal their catches are these days. 

At the top of the things to watch out for in terms of seafood though, are shrimp and farmed fish.

Shrimp is 'caught' using a method called bottom trawling. The process involves a machine literally scraping the ocean floor until it's bare, bringing up the catch, only taking the shrimp, and throwing everything else back into the ocean, dead. The ocean floor is a complex and beautiful ecosystem, much like our forests. The act of bottom trawling, is therefore, much like clear cutting. It's a really sad thing. So... that's where the shrimp of the world comes from chicas.  

These days, most salmon tends to be factory farmed (yet is often labelled wild for marketing purposes). There are also a host of other species that are now being farmed. 

Some farms are completely enclosed in concrete vats, which is probably the best for the ocean, though still seriously impacts human health, as these fish are filled with antibiotics and even colour enhancing chemicals to make their unhealthy flesh look pinker.

However, many fish farms are still out in the ocean, enclosed in with nets. Diseased fish infect the wild populations, while nasty antibiotics and chemicals drip openly in the sea. (Wild salmon stocks are currently in peril because of this, learn more here.)

I've also read about accounts of whale + seal deafening. Since farmed fish set their operations up in what was traditional feeding grounds for whales, seals, and the like, these animals obviously come hunting. They have broken through nets, and 'stolen' fish from the farmers, so it became a practice to put noise 'fences' up. These systems blast a very harmful sound pitch out into the ocean, so if a whale or dolphin comes near, their eardrums get blasted, disorienting them, and sometimes killing them. (Whales + dolphins use echolocation to swim + hunt.) 

If you eat seafood, make sure to check out your options for sustainable seafood here. 

4. Say No to Plastic as Often As You Can

Most people have head about the Gyres, the massive swirling plastic parties in the ocean. If you haven't, you can read up about the largest gyre, nicknamed the Great Pacific Garbage patch, here. 

Plastic is everywhere these days, that's just how it is. But as consumers, we do have a choice in how much we use. From bringing our own bags to bulk bins (so we forego the plastic bag options) to saying no to plastic at the till, there are little things we can do everywhere. 

Buy the spinach in a bundle, not in a plastic container. Bring your own water everywhere with you so you never have to buy plastic water bottles. The more conscious we can be about this, the better!

Oooh. Wow. So much is going on. There's so much we can do, but it requires us to be open eyed and willing to face our demons, for the earth is our home, humanity is our family, and if one of us is in trouble, we all are. 

Remember, we're here to help!

I love you mermaids, let's lead by example.

xo Beth