Connection

We can make a start by connecting to ourselves. If we are always in our head we can make an effort to become body conscious, aware of our body and how it feels. This helps us to be present, and not disassociated from our feelings. These manifest in the way our body feels. If we are in our body we can feel when we are not comfortable in a certain place, or with a certain person. We have a gut reaction, which is our body’s way of telling us the truth. We can also connect to our emotions. If we are unhappy about something or someone, we can admit it. Often we lie to ourselves because it makes life easier, and means we can avoid having difficult conversations. But in the end this deceit means we feel disconnected from our own truth, we are not integrated and what we think, say and do are at odds. This is a disconnected way to live.

If we are disconnected to ourselves, we cannot connect with others. True connection is a fulfilling experience for both people, because they feel heard and understood. You do not have to talk about deep or painful issues to connect with another person. You can just take a genuine interest in their life. Too often we are only interested in talking about ourselves, and have forgotten the art of listening. Really listening to another person means you connect to their experience. Understanding another person and taking time to receive what they communicate, feeling empathy, helps you to connect to their heart. Heart connection means that you do not feel alone. You have touched the heart of another person, and they have touched you. It’s an experience of connection that everyone can have, if they learn how to listen, and how to care.

How do you connect with nature?

Many of us like walking or cycling in nature, and this is somewhere to start. But do you really appreciate the natural world when you are in it? Do you live in the present moment as you walk, or are you thinking about what happened yesterday or who you need to call tomorrow?

We may think we are separate from nature, but if you really feel a connection to nature you no longer feel that you exist separately from it. Human beings are not apart from the natural world looking in. We are one with it. This has been experienced by a few as a mystical experience, but in some other cultures it is taken for granted. You and nature are not separate. You are just another tiny piece in the mosaic of Universal Being. You can focus on the tiny piece that you are, or you can allow yourself to feel the totality of the Whole.

This kind of connection is foreign to us because there is no place in it for our small ego. But we can experience deep joy of spirit through feeling part of something bigger than our small self. This sense of connection with everything brings a deep sense of wonder, and helps us to feel both humble and grateful. Humble because the Whole is so great, and our small self is so small. And grateful because we are an integral part of the Whole which would be incomplete without us! It’s a very different perspective to our usual disconnected way of thinking about our environment.

If the above sounds beyond your reach, start by slowing down and taking more time to feel what you really feel in your body. Then start to examine your feelings, and become more honest with yourself about what you really feel. When walking in nature try to stay in the present moment. And then one day, you may find without trying that you experience your unity with the Whole. Being connected in your daily life will take you in the direction of connecting with everything.

Welcome to a new way of living that does not cost you anything, and that will help you feel more connected to yourself, others and the world around you. Welcome to a more spiritual life.

Caroline McCutcheon is a writer, healer and medium who lives in the Alto Alentejo. Her new book ‘Evolving with Spirit’ is available from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and from her website: www.carolinemcc.com

Caroline McCutcheon is a writer, healer and medium who lived for fifteen years in a small village in the Algarve.  Four years ago she moved with her husband to the Alto-Alentejo. To read more about her, and her work go to: www.carolinemcc.com

Caroline McCutcheon