Nature Of My Spirit
We Are Not In Nature. We Are Nature.
Dear Ones,
Hello, wondrous multicellular organisms! Trillion cell cacophonies. Human scaffoldings. Your support is a profound act of love. If you need a friend, I’ll be here.
Nature is my writing partner so it seems. Come to my vicinity for down-to-earth stories. Stay for uplifting mindful tips. Join me in the unbecoming. It takes so much practice and courage to un-be this way.
We are not in nature. We are nature. Not knowing that is the worst kind of human deprivation.
Did you triple down on your positive habits this week? Did you tap your beloved mirror neurons? Did you draw your safe circle a bit bigger this time? Healing looks good on us.
“Nothing and nobody is obliged to save you but you.” -Toni Morrison
LANGUAGE OF LIVING
I love the language of words. They pulse through my veins lately. Human-constructed words are guides to our subconscious worlds. They are little boats that sail towards isles of our truth. I hope these words find ways to revive you.
I felt alien around Japanese humans. Partially due to spoken language barriers. Partially due to novel ways of living. Partially due to my reverence for the land. The land we failed to speak to one another on.
Have you seen heartwarming videos of a deaf child’s first moments of hearing their mother’s voice? It felt like that in Japan’s most sacred, remote, and enriched parts. I was wonder smitten. I heard the language of raw nature interpreted by my body and spirit. Senses are the best interpreters. Only with portals of empty minds can we hear this much I think. To listen takes time. Clear minds flow with nature. Lessons from remote Japan securely help align my creative energy with rhythms of nature.
NATURE IS MY PARTNER
My jade river-soaked body felt alive despite stifling heat. Maybe it was the Ganges-like healing of the Yoshino river. Where dragonflies are town majority. Where ebony butterflies the size of my hands chased after me. Where I nimbly balanced myself on counseling Samurai Vine Bridges. Where million-year-old sea rocks looked like my grandmother’s hands. Perhaps this is the late Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh’s concept of interbeing manifest.
A wild theory developed in my mind: The language of Mother Earth, if mastered, is a gateway for the language of our human bodies.
What a brave new unprecedented world. The state of the earth is indescribable. It is okay that we cannot describe it, explain it, or find sense in it. It is okay to enter territories of the unknown. Curious things lie there.
Like how we humans are soft as a rose but we cut like one too.
Like how there can exist a world without human ricochets. A world where trees have rights and where my work chair grows over in moss.
I dream of a distraction-free life in an era of empty schedules. A quiet life amid menacing hustle culture. I dream of a world of bucket lists, not to-do lists. Sigh. I offer you procrastination tips below.
BIOHACKS
SLEEP: Are you snoozing your inner alarms? If so, don’t shame yourself. I get it. Trust me. I snoozed nearly my entire life. I was an above-the-neck human and just took my body from point A to B. Only when focused on the quality of sleep did I awaken my inflamed yet paralyzed body. Sleep is a prerequisite for maintenance of connections between body and mind.
*Nessa Tip: Create brain restoration sleep rituals. Use sunlight not screenlight! My ritual consists of being outside in nature daily/when possible, some form of body work, hot shower —>cold bedroom, anti-inflammatory tea, breathing, and relaxation music. If bold enough to travel for holidays, make a quick go bag with important relaxation items such as eye mask, ear plugs, chamomile or valerian root tea, magnesium, and only if jetlagged melatonin etc. Refer to my biohacks post for more tips.
PROCRASTINATION: Are you flirting with aliveness or are you comfortably numb and so prone to procrastination? Pecky-to-do items are the bane of my existence. When I shifted my attention, focus, and priority to living a more purposeful life, procrastination rates went down.
*Nessa Tip: This is mostly a Huberman tip from this episode here so I won’t take credit. When I procrastinate, I aim to take a cold shower to raise baseline dopamine levels. Sometimes I jog on my walking pad because I am not keen on that activity. If you do something even less desirable than the original task, it will get your neurotransmitters prepped for the original task. Sounds wildly counterintuitive but it oddly works! Ahhh, neuroscience.
For pomegranate recipes check this out.
VACCINES SAVE HUMAN LIVES
Vaccines protect us against cholera, diphtheria, hepatitis, Japanese encephalitis, measles, meningitis, mumps, pertussis, pneumonia, polio, rabies, rotavirus, rubella, tetanus, tuberculosis, typhoid, varicella, yellow fever, ano-genital cancer, warts, RSV, and COVID 19!
Don’t forget to get your FLU vaccine and COVID booster now especially if you are elderly/high risk. I received both of them this season. The COVID vaccine booster I received yesterday is kicking my A$$ right now. Phew! It set me back but I am adjusting via self-care techniques. I waited 24 hours before using Ibuprofen because I wanted my body to do its thing. It is time for cheerleading my immune-boosting body with rest and hydration. Hooray modern science!
DECEMBER TIPS: Hand hygiene is critical as there are many viruses are circulating. Stay home and rest when sick even if mild- this may be hard to implement. I challenge you to listen to your body- not your to do list. Don’t overdue alcohol or other substances. Wash your hands, get fresh air, move your body, avoid sick contacts, rest, winter in/den, hydrate, and eat wholesome healthy food.
May all beings have peace,
Nessa
Please say hi to Dr. Stellar for me. She was one of my favorites. I always walk away with a new word. I can only imagine what rural Japan does for the soul. The photos were great. I am lacking in an infusion of nature. I need sunlight. Sounds dumb but I need a deliberate dosing daily. I love the encouraging tone of your post. Good idea’s for a better quality of life. Thank you.
Nessa, you are such an inspiration. When I read your posts, I am both excited and calmed by your photos, beautiful words, and tips for staying healthy. I have taken many of your suggestions and have been trying to follow a healthy lifestyle and it makes all the difference in the world, both physically and emotionally. Thank you for being such a beautiful woman, inside and out, and sharing your life's journey with us. It gives me hope every day and I am honored to be your friend. Love and peace to you!