COAL: Nature Mindfulness & Becoming the New Human

"Humanity is not the last rung in terrestrial evolution.
Evolution continues, and man will be surpassed.
It is for each person to know whether he wants to
 participate in the advent of this new species.”
 ~Mirra Alfassa, "The Mother"
(Sri Aurobindo’s partner)

UCLA Neuropsychologist Daniel Siegel’s research blending Mindfulness Studies, Attachment Theory and Brain Imaging indicates that when we maintain a mindset of being Curious, Open, Accepting & Loving*, what he calls COAL, the brain structure begins to change. Showing a thickening in an area of the prefrontal cortex, giving us greater mastery of our thoughts and emotions while increasing our capacity for compassion, insight, intuition, and intimate relationships. To this amazing insight I have added the transformative benefits of nature time in the Nature Activity below.

The Diamond Heart Mind
“In the oldest religion, everything was alive, not supernaturally but naturally alive. There were only deeper and deeper streams of life, vibrations of life more and more vast.”
~D. H. Lawrence

For this Nature Activity
Go out into nature and wander for at least 15 minutes. Look closely at the things of nature; a leaf, a tree, a bird, a stream, the landscape, the night sky, what have you, while maintaining an attitude of COAL. Look affectionately, with curiosity, openness, acceptance, and love, at the things of nature as if they were beautiful family members, because in truth, as evolutionary theory tells us, all things in nature are, in fact, our Family of All Things. Practicing this in nature will strengthen your capacity to practice COAL in the world. Bring this attitude of COAL and the awareness of the Family of All Things into your everyday life.** You may want to journal about your experiences.

Many have reported that practicing COAL with everyone you meet in your daily life has changed their life and can change those around you.

*These COAL characteristics have been identified as elements of Buddha Mind

**Remember your nervous system is constantly reconfiguring itself through neural networking to strengthen old habit patterns or create new habit patterns. The choice is yours to become part of the "advent of this new species."