To my way of thinking, one of the greatest gifts of recovery lies in the invitation to form a deep and abiding relationship with a higher power of our own choosing.

As I have shared in previous columns, my own spiritual quest has entailed a blended path to spirituality, drawing upon teachings from various traditions. These include the teachings of Jesus and the Buddha, the Judaic traditions and the rich spiritual traditions of the original residents of this continent. In this column I would like to expound on what I have learned, and continue to learn, from the traditional Native American concept of a higher power in the form of the Great Spirit, also known as Wakan Tanka in the Sioux tradition (Wikipedia, 2008).

As distinct from the descriptions ascribed to God by major monotheistic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the traditional belief structures of Native American cultures perceive the Great Spirit as an all-embracing divine essence embodied in everything — an essence that permeates every living creature, cell and atom throughout the entire universe. In traditional Native American cultures, reverence for the Great Spirit has translated into a profound reverence for nature in its manifold manifestations — including the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms — which in turn, embodies a profound sense of kinship with and stewardship for every living creature and the entire planet.

One of my favorite readings, that captures the essence of the Great Spirit, is the following quotation from Chief Seattle, in a speech he gave in 1854 in presenting treaty proposals on behalf of his people to representatives of the United States government:

“Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every tender shore, every vapor in the dark woods, every clearing, and every humming insect are holy in the memory and experience of my people … All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”  (Douglas-Smith, 2008)

Healing from our alienation from nature

In his best seller, Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv observes that as a society, we have reached a point where incredibly large numbers of people have become enmeshed with technology and material acquisition, to the point where they have lost touch with the natural world. He coins the term “Nature Deficit Disorder” to describe our growing sense of alienation from nature. Indeed, as we have moved away from a sense of connection with our natural roots, a profound sense of spiritual isolation has set in (Louv, 2005). I personally believe that millions of young people, as well as adults, continue to turn to artificial means of sensory stimulation, including addictive use of alcohol and drugs, in a misguided effort to fill this void. 

If we desire to heal ourselves from this profound and painful sense of alienation, it behooves us to embrace the essence of the Great Spirit and consciously bring ourselves closer to nature. Indeed, we must wholeheartedly seek to restore our vital connection with the source through appreciating and honoring the divine nature of our Mother Earth and Father Sky. We must pursue this connection at both a personal and familial level, as well as through our relationships with our communities. 

We can begin to reconnect with nature by taking “mini-nature breaks” — walking in a nearby park, or savoring the wonders of the trees, birds and flowers, as we stroll through our neighborhood. It is especially important that we instill in our children and grandchildren a reverence for the Great Spirit in the form of nature. In reality, we only borrow the land we walk on from the Earth, as well as from our children, who will inherit whatever of our planet is left to leave behind.

During the 35 years I lived in Southern California I spent countless hours communing with the Great Spirit during my weekend hikes through Joshua Tree National Park, as well as in hiking through breath-taking hills and valleys in the Indian Canyons just south of Palm Springs. Here in the Northwest, I take frequent breaks from my writing by looking out my window at the birds, deer and raccoons by the beautiful lagoon in front of our home.

How does this relate to our recovery? I believe that if we choose to pursue a truly holistic pathway to recovery, we must embrace the Great Spirit through reestablishing both our connection with and reverence for nature. I believe that our growing sense of alienation from nature lies at the root of much of the unrest that permeates our society today. Indeed, I fear that as a culture we’ve become caught up in an addictive pattern of over-consumption and exploitation of precious natural resources that threatens the very livability of our planet. I firmly believe it behooves each and every one of us to wholeheartedly embrace the essence of the Great Spirit, and to honor and hold sacred our Earth Mother and every living plant and creature. We are called to walk this path if we truly desire to pass on to our children and grandchildren a beautiful planet, filled with abundant natural resources.

Until next time — to your health!

References

Douglas-Smith, Pam (Rev.) Sermon: Spiritual Empowerment — Judgment, Chief Seattle and Rhythm, Unity Church of Port Townsend, WA, April 13, 2008.
Great Spirit. Wikepedia, the free encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., March 29, 2008 (latest updating).
Louv, Richard. Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2005.
Nerburn, Kent (Ed.) The Wisdom of the Native Americans. Novato, CA: New World Library, 1999.
The Red Road to Wellbriety: In the Native American Way. Colorado Springs: White Bison, Inc., 2002.

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