DIG IN THE DIRT
"Every living creature owes its very existence to the planet we inhabit. Humans, however, are the only species that has learned to survive without a direct connection with the earth. We accomplished this by creating a system in which a small sector of the population provides our food and other earthly resources. While there's great efficiency in this system, it often disconnects us from our primal, animal nature. On the other hand, all it takes is a little mud under the fingernails to restore that missing link."
The Practice:
"On a warm, sunny day, find a patch of dirt that's soft and moist. Bring along a shovel, rake or hoe to get things started. Loosen the dirt with your tool and then set the tool aside. Sit or lie down right on the ground so you can feel the earth against your body. Then start digging with ungloved hands. Let there be no purpose to this digging except exploration. Explore what the soil smells like and how it crumbles on your fingers. Be as gentle and undisruptive as possible to any fellow creatures, such as worms or beetles you encounter. Don't stop you dig until you feel like the animal that you truly are."
EYE CONTACT
"Although the spoken word is our most common way of connecting, it's also possible to get lost in words or to hide behind them. Eye contact, by contrast, is immediate. It can cut through all our defenses and bring us heart to heart. And it can quickly reveal any personal or interpersonal issues that might be in the way.
The Practice
"For one whole day, make direct eye contact with every individual who crosses your path. Allow the gaze to last at least a full second. Include people you know as well as those you don't. If someone won't meet your gaze, just smile and move on. With each gaze, simply acknowledge and appreciate the humanity shared by you and the other person. Notice what happens in each encounter. How does it make you feel? How does it change what transpires?"
