How to Learn From Nature on Yahoo! Health

“Genius learns from nature.” -Oscar Wilde

We search far and wide for the resources to maintain technological and scientific advancement. But there is something more powerful than the best scientists, the most brilliant researchers, and all the money in the world. It’s called NATURE. Biomimicry is the up-and-coming discipline that encompasses imitating nature’s best and brightest achievements to solve human problems.

A leader in the movement, Janine Benyus, has written a book - Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. In it she discusses how:

Our most clever architectural struts and beams are already featured in lily pads and bamboo stems
Our central heating and air conditioning are bested by the termite tower's steady 86 degrees
Our most stealthy radar is hard of hearing compared to a bat’s mulitfrequency transmission
Our smartest materials can’t hold a candle to the dolphin’s skin
Even the wheel, which we always took to be our creation, has been found in the tiny rotary motor that propels the flagellum of the world’s most ancient bacteria

On an individual basis, there is so much to learn from the world around us. How can you apply the principles of biomimicry to enhance your quality of life? Here’s a 4 step plan:

1. Quiet Human Cleverness
“Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment.” -Rumi

Create a time and place to shut down the thought process. This ain’t easy. I, for one, could think myself into a frenzy from the moment I wake to the moment I fall asleep. Quieting the mind might be as simple as listening to Mozart, whose musical works are noted to have tremendous healing power. Try Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G Minor when you need a break from thinking.

2. Listen to Life’s Genius
“To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug.” -Helen Keller

Spend time in a natural environment and give yourself a chance to enjoy something that’s not manmade. Be aware of a bee's ability to make intelligent decisions; take note of an octopus's skills in navigating a complex maze; and most interestingly, enjoy the fact that a butterfly's visual system is far more complex than a human being’s.*

3. Echo What We Learn
“Have you ever seen an unhappy flower or a stressed oak tree? Have you come across a depressed dolphin, a frog that has a problem with self-esteem, a cat that cannot relax, or a bird that carries hatred and resentment?” -Echkart Tolle

Maybe you acquire from nature a specific lesson such as how Benyus describes “running a business like a hickory forest.” Or maybe you assimilate more emotional insight, like noticing the spacious grasp of the ocean’s horizon or the harmonious quality of a full moon. Either way, there’s so much to learn when you get out of your head, leave your agenda behind, and venture into the open spaces.

4. Give Thanks
“Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: It must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.” -William Faulkner

An attitude of gratitude and quiet humility are important tools to take into nature’s classroom. If we go into nature in a hurry or with a buzzing cell phone, chances are we’ll pass right by the wonderment.