Transformations in Nature with Bob Hemenger Part 1 (of 2)
“It’s all nature. Everything is from the Earth. ”
YOUR KEY INSIGHTS FROM Bob Hemenger
Bob Hemenger is a Colorado based Musician, Educator and Naturalist. His soulful approach to the saxophone and years of teaching how indigenous people lived with the land have led him down many interesting roads. He grew up in Michigan and has spent the last twenty five years in Pagosa Springs, CO (where he continues to grow up). Bob has performed and recorded with a long list of musicians including 5 time Grammy Award winner Victor Wooten; Darrell Scott, Zac Brown Band, The Motet, Band of Heathens, Elephant Revival, Railroad Earth and more. He is known for his ability to step onto the stage and let the music guide him. For the last 13 years he has been an instructor at Victor Wooten’s Center for Music and Nature where he helps people deepen the connection between music, nature and themselves.
Laying Down Tracks
“There’s also connection through music because we track, and we lay down tracks. The tracking school that Tom Brown ran was all about learning primitive skills, and learning how to track animals. And then there were some deeper philosophical things that went on as well. And that's where I really dove in and got serious into these skills, and teaching. People experience a deeper connection with the earth through these skills. I met Victor Wooten there. He asked, Can you help me set up my tent? I've never put a tent up before. And so that's how we connected, I ended up helping him get his fire by rubbing sticks together.
All of these things prompt, how did our ancestors live with the land? What were the skills that kept them alive? And if we can get back to some of those skills, how will that help us deepen our connection with nature and understanding? There becomes a real confidence and knowing, when when you kind of realize that this is all on me. All you need comes down to, the edible medicinal plants, how to find safe water, how to build shelters, how to rub sticks together, make fire, and it really opens up a deeper connection. I've gotten to see that now for a lot of years, helping people learn through those skills.”
Reconnection to Nature is Critical
“We are always a part of nature, and we are nature ourselves. That disconnect that you mentioned, some of it is through technology. Some of it through just not understanding and knowing that we are all connected. That's the bottom line. We are as connected to this planet as anything. And we also, in my opinion, have a role as caretakers. And when we don't understand something, when we pull back so far that we really don't get the ecology, and how everything works together, suddenly, we're not as concerned about pollution. We're not as concerned about deforestation, we're not concerned. Because it's really not as connected, even though everything still comes. Even this computer and the metal that went into it, and everything, the plastic that's old, recycled dinosaur bones, I mean, it's all nature. Everything is from the earth.
Over the years, I've gotten to witness this over and over and over and watch people reconnect. I had a business for a long time, teaching primitive skills and taking people out groups, and it was called Touch The Earth and it was really all about you know, let's touch this place. I know, at one point, we were talking about grounding. And you got very excited about this, because you're already doing it. But the power of even just taking our shoes off, being barefoot, and feeling the ground and literally grounding electrons and everything else and connecting. We don't even hardly do that. You know, that's an easy fix right there to just start to connect and get rid of some of the negativity that just clings to us as we walk around in our daily life.”
Getting to the Earth Pace
“Probably one of the biggest things that nature gives us is slowing down and getting back to the earth pace, which is very different than us humans and our pace. Our world is such an increasing crazy, fast, beta brainwaves, all these things are happening, and they're not conducive to health. They're not conducive to all the beautiful things that life has to offer. And so when you find ways to slow down, lay down on the earth, take your shoes off… So when you're barefoot, you got a direct connection. Even we go to the beach, we're running around in the sand, we lay in the sand. We all know how good that feels. Let’s do that more often.”
going back to the deeper connections
I think we're taught to fear nature, or that it's man versus nature. Somehow we were fighting against this thing called nature. Indigenous people didn't approach it that way. We live with the earth. We're connected. We are a part of it. We come from it, we go back to all of those deeper connections. So when people can get through the fear, and fear is oftentimes something you just don't know. All of a sudden, you can take all of that in and, and make that deeper connection and feel more at home and at peace, and erase some of the fear that nature is a bad thing. I'll tell you right now, I would much rather I had mountain lions and bears hanging out here. I would much rather hang out with them than in a big city with a bunch of people. And to me, that big city is the scary place. That's the jungle. Oh, my gosh, that's dangerous at night.”
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