Over the last couple of years, I have found myself becoming increasingly detached from the world outside of my own. Waking up to a list of to-dos, fueled by caffeine and surrounded by an endless stream of chatter spewing from every media outlet, I have found it increasingly difficult to find the time to think, let alone find time to be compassionate for those in need outside of my own day to day existence.
There are so many events occurring every day, both good and bad. It’s understandable why many of us are slowly becoming numb to it all and detaching slightly in order to stay sane in our already overwhelming and demanding lives. That said, there's clearly a fine line where detaching can foster a lack of compassion for anything outside of ourselves. Sadly this is becoming more and more common today.
A few months ago I began to feel more aware of my detachment and decided to face it by helping a cause of some sort - anything that would reconnect me with something going on in the world outside of my own. After some online research I decided I would volunteer at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I've always loved animals and have been particularly fascinated by elephants. Thailand has also always been on my list of places I’d like to explore!
So I wrote to the sanctuary, reserved a place with their volunteer program and a few months later left my urban jungle to venture into the real jungle!
Unlike many of the elephant sanctuaries set up to attract tourists, this one doesn't force the elephants to do tricks or tasks for our entertainment, but rather just allows them to be themselves, while we help to feed and bath them in their wonderful foster home. It's heartbreaking to hear about the elephants' individual back stories - how they where rescued and why they were taken into the center - this place really helps to make a difference.
The experience could not have been more rewarding, inspiring and insightful in so many ways. It really was an honor to spend time in the presence of thirty or so elephants. Surrounded by the lush green jungle, I stood hearing the sounds of exotic birds in the canopies over head while watching the elephants soak in the river which calmly flowed through the sanctuary on its way downstream. These immense, beautiful animals move with such grace and possess such remarkable intelligence. Hearing the deep breaths, distant calls and almost prehistoric rumbles of these wonderful giants towering above, I found myself completely in the moment and far away from the world I had created back home.
I realized, looking into their expressive eyes, that all of us really need to remain connected, and (without sounding too new age!) I began to remember that we really are all one, sharing this planet together, breathing the same air and ultimately living this experience called life.
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Its easy to feel separated from different cultures by masses of water and land, and that the plight of others don't matter, especially if they are of a different species many miles away...but in truth though we're all affected whether we choose to ignore it or not. Spending time here really opened my eyes to this, and brought me from feeling numb into feeling happily connected with life again. This was a wonderful lesson for me.
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| Me and Medow the Elephant (I'm on the right) |
Of course we don’t need to travel thousands of miles to find compassion or to take us out of the craziness, I feel we just need to acknowledge the presence of others outside of our own immediate lives and have gratitude for this life we all share together.
For those who might like to visit an elephant sanctuary, I would highly recommend the one I visited. Here's the link - http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/
Love & Light.x
Love & Light.x
