I sense a deep connection to everything around me but have yet to access the messages that I perceive are held within.

The water that makes up the majority of my body has been in existence since before the dinosaurs; that knowledge alone is enough to blow your mind when you really think about it. Water holds memories, that has been proven multiple times, so how do we connect into those deep, old, wise memories so that we can do something useful with what we find? If the same water molecules have also passed through and made up the rivers, springs, oceans and passed through all animals and insects since the beginning of time, the inherent interconnectedness is inexplicably amazing, yet we no longer honour the water or consider her sacred in western culture, but do we need to start our reconnection journey by doing so? Connecting to the water within ourselves, the water that we drink and the cleansing power of the water in which we shower. Connect to how powerful that water is and how without it, nothing on this planet could survive. It has been difficult of late with all the continuous rain that we have had, to feel this way, but I recognise that I should. Perhaps I should have seen it as a constant reminder that it is there to be honoured and given gratitude for all the life she generously provides, rather than rolling my eyes at yet another grey, dreary day.

We are all made of the earth, bound by invisible energy that links us all with threads of connection; philosophers have spoken of this all over the world for centuries. How do we listen to the ancient collective knowledge passed down through the energy that passes through and brings our bodies alive? We are all able to perceive that some people and animals change the feeling of a space as they enter it or when we spend time with them. We are able to perceive a difference in the energy of different woodlands, parks or gardens and also how that changes at different times of the year. Like many other people, I know this to be true, but how do I actually use that knowledge to make a difference to myself, my community, my country and the world? How do we relearn to live completely in harmony with the energy of the whole? I am not even sure I know how to start, despite the fact that I work with this energy everyday as a cranial osteopath.

The air that we breathe is too shared by all; air that is produced by the plants around us and inhaled and exhaled by all other beings that share this planet with us. Recycled in reciprocal relationships with all other beings and blown around the globe by currents that we cannot see but are deftly ridden by our feathered friends, sometimes for months at a time. We know that using breath work techniques to really breathe deeply helps us to connect to the profound wisdom and health that is within the air and available to us all the time, but how do we utilise that for the greater good? How do we learn how to honour the air, give gratitude for its life sustaining properties and do something useful with that?

Fire too, often seen as destructive but in fact gives rise to new life, when it is that which is required, by clearing out the old and providing nourishment for new life which is to come. Often used in ritual for this symbolism, how do we reconnect to the power and positivity that comes from fire? To reignite the flame that burns within our soul for eternity and reconnect, rather than on its destruction, to its potential for new growth: a phoenix as it rises from the ashes.

Perhaps it begins with an alter which honours each element, as I believe the shamans have always done. If we stand any chance of rediscovering the sacred within ourselves and our world, we need to start small and with ourselves. Remember this as often as possible and start simply: collect a stone, a vase of water, a candle and a small plant then look at them daily and give thanks. Or just mindfully drink the next cup of tea and wonder where that water has been before. Perhaps then we can remember our connection to the whole and live with more meaning and gratitude to how phenomenal our world is and we can remember how to live in harmony with her once again.