Solitude in Nature is the Path to Self Discovery

In the words of Wayne:

I have read thousands of contributions from great thinkers and poets, from the present to thousands of years before Christ. One theme that persists, particularly in the poetry of the ages, is a fascination with nature. These soulful writers seem to immerse themselves in nature and create poems that stem from their state of bewilderment and ecstasy. Of the thousands of these poems I have studied, I have selected this one to represent the topic of nature. It is from one of the most gifted and prolific poets, William Wordsworth, who wrote while Europe was exploding in revolution in the late century. I heard a Stock-dove sing or say His homely tale, this very day; His voice was buried among trees, Yet to be come-at by the breeze: He did not cease; but cooed – and cooed; And somewhat pensively he wooed; He sang of love, with quiet blending, Slow to begin, and never ending; Of serious faith, and inward glee; That was the song, -- the song for me! “Nightingale! Thou Surely Art” exemplifies Wordworth’s ability to dramatize how imagination creates spiritual values out of the memory of sights and sounds in nature. His lesson to all of us is that the wilderness is therapy. Imagine the poet simply listening to the sounds of a bird, and listening with such intensity that he could write down words of this very basic yet universal human experience (who has failed to hear a bird singing?) and convey, “He sang of love, with quiet blending, slow to begin, and never ending of serious faith and inward glee; that was the song, -- the song for me!” Allow Wordworth’s poetic observation to inspire you to go out into the wilderness, even if only your own backyard or a public park if that is all you can manage, and listen, pretending to be one of the many poets who preceded you here. Memorize the sounds and sights of nature. By immersing yourself in the present moment, and shutting out all distractions that fill you busy mind, you can allow one “Stock-dove [to] sing or say his homely tale, this very day,” and it will be just for you. Indeed, the wilderness and all its natural sights and sounds is more than therapy; it is a connection, a link to your soul and the eternal creative energy of God. This energy that nature uses each spring to write a new chapter in the Book of Genesis. Emerson observed on the western side of the Atlantic what Wordsworth noted on the eastern side, at essentially the same time: “Everything in nature contains all the powers of nature – everything is made of one hidden stuff.” This includes all that is natural, including you. Yes, you too are a part of this world of nature. Your desire to be in solitude, to be free, to be your natural self, to follow your own intuition, to sing without being criticized, to flow as the rivers do, are natural instincts that are often ignored. Ask yourself what are the most pleasant memories of your lifetime. They very likely are your personal ecstatic encounters with nature. The sound of the water or the wind, lapping or roaring against the shoreline. The feel of bitter cold on your face, or the sun penetrating your body at a beach. The sights and sounds of autumn leaves as you walk in the woods. A camping trip when you slept outside and listened to the mysterious sounds of the darkness. How did you lose your eyes and ears? How did you forget the ecstasy of nature? Go back to the place that Wordsworth describes: trees and breeze, cooed and wooed. These are more than a poet’s rhyming schemes. These are tickets to a lost beatitude. To explore what Williams Wordsworth offers you, try the following: Give yourself a designated time each week, or each day if you can, to walk barefoot on the grass, or immerse yourself in nature and just listen. No assignments, no duties, just listen and observe the perfection of the natural world. Remember, the wilderness is therapy. Write your reactions to nature in the form of your own poetry or essay. Forget about rhyming schemes and rules of grammar. A friend of mine describes his experience as going from “pissed to blissed” by giving himself some times in a natural setting. Allow yourself to be a poet and record your divine intuition as you commune with nature, just as Wordsworth did a few centuries back. Sleep outdoors one night, even if it is only in a tent in your backyard. Do it with your family, particularly your children, and notice the excitement they feel by being in nature. This feeling of excitement is precisely what you can recapture in all areas of your life when you allow your own nature to play a more dominant and enthusiastic role in your life. – Dr. Wayne W. Dyer