1/05/2011

Katrina Dreamer Interviews Cynthia Sue Larson


Welcome to the inaugural Katrina Dreamer interview! My first guest is the radiant Cynthia Sue Larson, whose favorite thing to ask is, "How good can it get?" As a spiritual life coach and author, she encourages us to gently shift our thinking. Here she speaks about her connection with nature and how she integrates it into her work. 



1. What is the importance of nature?
Nature is essential for our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. We tend to take it for granted, assuming it's always there, because all life arose from it. Nature transcends all of our attempts to categorize and compartmentalize it, and through our experience with nature, we transcend our categories and compartments. 
2. How do you connect with nature?
I take walks on trails in wild areas, spend time in my garden, and gaze up at the stars in the night sky... taking time at every opportunity to savor and enjoy time with trees, flowers, shrubs and grasses. I love to sit or lie down on the ground on sunny days to read books... it's my favorite way to read a book. I love to look out the windows and watch birds hunting for insects, and the wind encouraging leaves and branches to dance and sway. 
3. How does your work invite others to reconnect with or interact with nature?
In sessions with my spiritual life coaching clients, I encourage people to take time to be in nature as often as possible. There is a special kind of positive energy available through direct contact with the Earth that I can feel when I lie down on a sandy beach by the Pacific ocean...or near a tree in a park...or on my lawn. I invite people to discover for themselves how much better they feel after spending time outdoors, and I love hearing what a huge, positive difference such a simple thing so consistently makes!  

4. What wisdom can you share that can help people establish a relationship with nature?
You are a natural being who thrives from breathing fresh air, drinking fresh water, and eating fresh food. One of the greatest epiphanies we humans can have is to fully savor and explore the experience of eating a piece of fresh fruit with all our senses...starting with its visual appearance, and really taking some time to attend to every detail. Sniff the fruit before biting into it to see what, if anything, you can smell. Touch the fruit, and feel how rough or smooth its surface is.  Bite into the fruit, and take several moments to see how the appearance, taste, smell and feel of the fruit now change. This piece of fruit originated from nature, and now becomes part of the natural you...connecting you with the circle of life.

5. Anything else you'd like to add?
I am so happy to see that people are rediscovering the joy of having plants inside, since the joy of being close to a tree or flower every day can really boost a person's spirits, and it's such a great friend to see and enjoy every day.

Cynthia Sue Larson, MBA, author, and spiritual life coach has a passion for asking, "How good can it get?" Larson's RealityShifters monthly ezine reaches 6,400 subscribers, and her books are praised by authors Fred Alan Wolf, Stanley Krippner, Larry Dossey, Edgar Mitchell and Lynn Robinson.  www.realityshifters.com

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Do you know someone who would make a great Katrina Dreamer interviewee? Or do you do work in the world that you'd like to share with us? Contact me at katrina at katrinadreamer dot com! 

2 comments:

Stephanie Ryan said...

Great interview! I recently had a reading and was guided to get outside more. I tend to stay inside in front of my computer way too much. I am not grounded and I think that contributes to my fatigue and autoimmune issues. Oh, and my low vitamin D. It's funny that I don't go out more because when I am out in nature, I feel such a deep connection with it.

Katrina said...

Glad you liked it, Stephanie! You know about the TerraPlaces project I'm running right? It's all about getting out into nature more. You might like to check it out: http://powersofplace-workspace.ning.com/group/winterterraplacesproject

And I'll just say again how I love your new site and being able to see all your lovely work. So beautiful!