When was the last time you danced in the rain?
Most of us have a tumultuous relationship with the rain. Too much and it gets dreary and dangerous. Too little and worries of drought appear and we long for it to return.
Living surrounded by rainforest, we are used to a lot of rain. And even though it is officially the dry season we’ve had an unusually dry, dry, dry month. It’s been good for me to feel that longing for rain and enter into a more appreciative relationship with it.
I was sitting in a small clearing in my backyard jungle, relaxing into raptured observation during a nature meditation moment, when the rain started approaching.
I looked up and saw the clouds getting darker and thicker.
I see rain approaching!
I heard the slowly moving shower approaching from the mountains.
I felt the first delicate drops on my arms and I wanted to feel the fullness of that rain all over me!
So instead of running inside, as I might usually do, I embraced the rain and allowed it to wash over and embrace me. The cold droplets on my skin awakened my sensory awareness. The more I relaxed, the more delicious it became. I was being cleansed and renewed in spirit as well as in my body.
I moved like a tree, stood like a mountain and felt like a plant – loving the weather unconditionally. The rain transformed me from a tame creature running away to shelter into a wild being willing to take my place in the natural world and by doing so, grow more into my true nature.
This is what nature connection does.
Totally revived by the rain!
Participating in nature stimulates our brain function, decreases stress levels and pushes the happiness-o-meter to a much fuller level.
Being in the rain or having any enjoyable moment with a body of water, we realize that whilst the element of water is so essential to our physical body, we also need it for our emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
To be in tune with water is to flow, to participate in a grand cycle of life, to be holistically replenished.
Water has cycled through our planet for billions of years and as it passes through our body we share in a resource that has been all over the world, in all cultures, in all species, throughout all of history. Water is utterly amazing and we need to hold it sacred.
On a practical note I was reminded to set up my water barrel again to start collecting the small amount of rainfall we are currently receiving. My 5 year old son was quick to point out that we also need a cloth cover to stop mosquitoes breeding in it. It’s all about being nature smart – and living in right relationship with our resources!
I’ve learned that a dance in the rain is a gift from nature that holds more within than expected. It’s just one of many ways to connect with the natural world whilst simultaneously developing and discovering your true inner nature.
I’m not saying that I’ll gratuitously stand outside every time it rains or submit myself to extreme weather just for the thrill of it. But I do always want to respectfully remember my place in the scheme of life, be awakened to my senses and be an active and ever evolving participant in the bigger picture. Dancing around occasionally in a rain shower is a simple way to attain those experiences.
So tell me, when was the last time you danced in the rain? Please share your enjoyment of it in the comments below… C’mon I don’t want to feel like I’m the only one who does this!