Andrew Peterson

There is no good and bad except for the way that I perceive it. Yin and yang circulate through all things as Nature works to express itself in all possible ways by manifesting through the ten thousand things, of which we are a part. All we will ever have control over is how we perceive the aspects of the world around us. I am constantly trying to cultivate awareness, so that I can identify the aspects of my life that I perceive as "bad" or difficult, so that I can either re-frame them in a new context in my own mind, or rearrange my reactions to them in a way the mitigates the impact on my life. Having children is a wonderful daily challenge to my own perceptions and preconceptions. On a difficult day, when I am feeling as if my control over the situation has slipped away form me, I might feel as if I am in a terrible place, "trapped" and suffering. If I am able to rely on my practices, breathing, qigong, simple stretching or sitting and forgetting, I can often circle myself back around to a position where I am grateful to have the experiences that I am having. The way in which each aspect of nature follows its own path is a wonderful and beautiful thing to behold if we can allow ourselves to appreciate it for what it is, and to get out of our own way.

I very much appreciate the existence of this thread. My own experiences in nature have been a principle guide towards learning more about Taoism and other spiritual and philosophical traditions. The most profound experiences I can recall do not have any of the esoteric nature of the ones described above, but resonate powerfully for me. I find that if I am able to be in nature, preferrably surrounded, for any length of time, I can feel clarity bubbling up within my mind. One the rare occasions when I am able to go backpacking I try to spend at least 2 nights away from civilization. On the afternoon of the second day a weight is lifted from my perceptions and I feel calm, at ease and am able to see clearly without judgement. More recently I have been pushing my free time as much as possible to take place outside, either running or hiking, or simply wandering with the family. I have begun spending time learning photography, and an interesting side effect is that I have begun to interact much differently with nature. When I am outside with a camera I look differently, consciously opening myself up to see things differently, whether they be details in plants or rocks, juxtapositions of trees, light changing the way common objects looks, or other factors I can't describe. While in nature with this sort of open mind, nature talks to me, guides me. I have had many experiences recently where something catches my eye and pulls me to it with strong energy. I find myself leaving the normal path much more often, and exploring in ways that I normally would have been nervous to do (you know, because people "aren't supposed" to do that sort of thing even in parks). I have even had a few times where I catch myself talking to, well, whatever is talking to me. Like, "you want me to climb down there to see this? That looks complicated...but I guess I don't have the choice!" It is strange, but very energizing, to feel like I am being shown things. While I still don't feel like I have the ability to capture them they way they are meant, I do feel like I am interacting on another level. I believe spiritual and philosophical practices are conjoined in what they are trying to point to. For me, it is clear that Taoism with its strong connection to nature, and the lessons of nature itself, resonate with me in a special way. They are certainly my entry point, and for that reason I very much appreciate that there is a thread for this!

Hello and thank you for the opportunity to join a community of wayfinders! I have recently found myself a taoist and feel as if I am just beginning a journey while also realizing that I have been on it without understanding what it was. I am an artist and father, world traveler and amateur cook, marathon runner and husband who also happens to work for a large food retail company in order to pay the bills. After rediscovering myself on the path I have been gently working to deepen and broaden my understanding. I have been reading from the ZhuangZhi and diving deep into the I Ching. I have begun exploring Tai Chi exercises along with my usual activities. I have also been channeling my creative drives into a method of meditation, while also beginning to explore the first steps in what I hope will help me sit-in-forgetfulness. At this point in my journey I am eager to hear the stories of other people who are asking the same questions and exploring the same territory.