Three tiers or spirals to ecotherapy and interbeing wellness

There are three tiers or spirals in ecotherapy and earth connection. Here I outline them briefly and comment on how important it is to spiral back through them for resilience and sense making, for grounding and ensuring we are fully embodying our connection. No one is more important than the other in some ways. I expand upon this in the text.

Level one; ‘nature’ or a ‘heritage site’ and in animated locations where the human is the most important person in the space. They are here to get something out of this place. A healing of the Self by ‘nature’ from the outside is expected. Dualist thinking.

Level two; ‘nature’ and ‘site’ begin to have presence. A relationship is building a partial healing of the human/nature rupture, stepping beyond dichotomy and dualistic thinking into realising on an embodied level that what happens to the Other happens to the Self. The human is still, however, the most important person in the relationship. Self-centred wish to be of service.

Level three; Dissolving of self into the whole, cosmic awareness. Sensory concepts of time and space shift. There is a stepping into enmeshed awareness all, human and non-human communities equally, where the soul’s call is one with the wisdom of the Earth and all earthlings; clearly asking for us to step into Service for the Earth, on the Earth’s terms, for the cosmos and Their inhabitants. Embodying the lessons from the spirals of initiation we have been through.

On reflection I realise (and experience) that these are not tiered but spiralling. One can and does move between these on a personal level, perhaps embodying more than one at a time. I can be of service while still needing to do soul work on a personal level. Sometimes after a tough day I just need to stand on the grass in the garden, barefoot. Or I am needing to realise the truth of my embodiment within the Oneness of it all, for perhaps this is not my lived experience all the time; sometimes I feel very detached from the world, other than knowing I am connected on a rational knowing. Sometimes I truly dissolve into the forest. But these moments are fleeting.

Do we have a robust enough structure in place for this movement between these stages, as practitioners? Where do we turn for this? Traditionally, the third tier is usually where religious institutions and esoteric practices may help. Perhaps there is an invitation to integrate the mystical into eco- and archaeo-psychology.

There is a clear need for secular, professional as well as spiritual understanding for land-based healing practices. .

Standing fully in Service to the Earth in this world, made up as it is of fractured, late stage capitalism, broken communities and isolation, can be truly difficult. I honour those whose connection to the Earth rings like the sounding bell of integrity. Those who have spiralled from levels one through to three, over and over, alone, together as best they can, and always with Earth Herself listening, guiding, loving, challenging: you are honoured and cherished.

In sum: these are not tiers in a cake, floating disconnected, but part of a great spiral dance, or a turning of a wheel that is both infinite and eternal.