The body of the Earth is trillions upon trillions of times larger than our body. It’s also been here millions of times longer than our body has. The Earth literally constructed our bodies from her body, just like our mothers did. It must have also tuned our nervous systems not dissimilar to how our mothers did in our early years. The vibrational resonances of the planet (i.e., the Schumann resonances, Alvin waves, magnetic fields, etc.) are measurable with scientific instruments, and these forces have been shown to affect and be affected by human activity – including our thoughts and emotions.
It’s not much of a stretch to consider that we once intuitively co-regulated with the Earth, balancing our internal state through its vast and ancient presence. Through various wounds of separation, however, many of us may have broken this nurturing bond. Perhaps if we can re-tune to the Earth’s nervous system – the humming and pulsing energy of our planet – we can reassure our tiny systems of their vast parentage.
Doing so, however, can be like a fish trying to feel the support of the water it’s swimming in. It is more of a remembering than a learning, but one that can be activated by returning to nature. We might simply go out into our yard or a park and, with bare feet, imagine breathing in and out through our soles. Through something so simple as this, we can realign our minds with the scientific reality of interconnection and the support of the Earth. This is the essential skill of the spiritual path generally: recognizing what’s always already been here but has been hidden from our view.
Co-regulating with the Earth may sound like a strange concept, but it can have profound practical implications. If we do it, we can theoretically face even the most cataclysmic events without losing connection to our hearts. For example, we are in the middle of what scientists call the “Sixth Great Extinction.” Even though it’s horrific from a human perspective, it’s likely not so stressful for the Earth. She’s been through it at least five times before.
By plugging our heart-minds back into the Earth’s nervous system, we can share in the fruits of this view. Indeed, even though the future threatens everything we’ve known as humans, we can’t kill the Earth. We can’t kill this larger intelligent dimension of ourselves. Even moon-sized asteroids, volcanic disasters, and great floods haven’t. Contemplating this view can provide a vast protection for our hearts in this age and, as such, can be a profound act of self-care.
Of course, this is hard to do when the alarm bells are going off in our systems. We hear the voices, “No, we must use any tool we have to do something now!” Remembering the story of the Buddha, however, this passionate demand could just be the final persuasion of Mara. It could be one more voice in a long line that has convinced us to stay anxious and separate. If we follow the parable above, our response would not be to obey or resist. It would be to touch the Earth, remember our connection, and let a larger wisdom move through us. This doesn’t mean we don’t act. It just means we act from a different place.
This is the great spiritual challenge of our time. As the dust of panic blows through the world, it’s easy to get lost in the sandstorm. The voice of Mara is at its most convincing right now. But if we act from it, we just create more of Mara’s anxious and angry world. We oppress ourselves with the very longing that we hope will liberate us. To experience a peaceful world, we can’t justify peace only when things go how we want or when what we care about isn’t threatened. We must justify peace amidst unimaginable loss, even as everything is falling apart.