Partnering with Nature: The Wild Path to Reconnecting with the Earth - Softcover

MacGregor, Catriona

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1582702195 ISBN 13: 9781582702193

Publisher: Beyond Words, 2010

Synopsis

In today’s world, it’s often too easy to forget about the world outside the window. People struggle daily with stressful jobs, trapped under fluorescent lighting, staring at glowing screens, or surrounded by concrete when they could be outdoors, acknowledging the gifts of natural world. In the face of its absence, we are finally beginning to understand that our connection with nature—plants, trees, animals, and the energy of the earth itself—is more than a luxury; it is a necessary and vital part of our existence. In Partnering with Nature, Catriona MacGregor weaves together historical, spiritual, and scientific examples to emphasize the importance of creating a vital relationship with our natural surroundings. Our separation from nature leads to several devastating effects, whether through stress, feeling a lack of purpose, or the heedless destruction of our environment. Through her exploration of the energies that link humans, animals, and the natural world, she shows how we can learn from nature as we develop our spirituality and ourselves. Through diverse approaches, Catriona offers the reader a solid understanding of why a connection with the Earth is vital to our existence, and how a revival of that connection opens doors to a myriad of benefits in our environment and in our health, our daily lives, and our happiness.

About this title

About the Author

Catriona MacGregor is an attorney, environmental activist, corporate consultant, and spiritual life coach. A contributor (along with Thich Nhat Hanh, Fritjof Capra, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, and Prince Charles) to Healing the Heart of the World: Harnessing the Power of Intention to Change Your Life and the Planet, she is also the founder of Awen Grove, an international non-profit dedicated to bringing the inspiration and wisdom of nature into people’s lives. She lives in Fairfax, California.

Reviews

With each successive generation, those born in industrialized nations grow further removed from the natural world of their ancestors. Technology increasingly captures our time and commands our attention, until most personal interaction with the living world is reduced to a minimal level. The result, MacGregor posits, is a planet under siege with its human inhabitants spiritually, if not substantively, stretched to the breaking point. From the physical to the metaphysical, emotional to environmental, MacGregor chronicles the countless ways contemporary society has disconnected from nature and the resultant adverse effects on humankind and the biosphere. Displaying the insights of an anthropologist, MacGregor cites both ancient cultures and existent indigenous societies in demonstrating the historical foundations for and modern implications of nature-based spiritual practices as well as scientific investigations. In this contemplative yet vibrant treatise, she not only analyzes the myriad ways humanity can benefit from a greater awareness of the natural world, but also recommends specific exercises to increase such interaction. A leading proponent for global environmental protection and conservation, MacGregor offers powerful incentives for reestablishing natural connections. --Carol Haggas

Edition details

• Publisher: Beyond Words
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1582702195
• ISBN 13: 9781582702193
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304