An Apache tradition that I was taught, (this is excercising my doubt) was that your brain reaches levels deeper and deeper into a kind of walking meditation, until your one with nature. Animals come up to you not seeing you as a threat, and you feel completely relaxed and free. Has anybody heard of something similar being used?
Anything similar to what, the meditation method? I'm not sure of anything specific, but it does remind me of individualized meditation practices. The goal of your meditation practice can lead you to this state, especially if you're meditating in, with, or for nature specifically. Additionally, I know a handful of people who are just naturally at ease with wildlife and nature. More details might help us form a specific connection to something else, but this seems to me like something you have to develop as a form of your individual path unless you're part of a specific tradition like yours that teaches it.
As someone that goes along well with the animal kingdom I didn't even know about this mediation. While it does sound lovely animals also don't normally attack people unless A you look like food, B you poked it with a stick or C you dealt with a brown snake. Brown snakes normally attack first don't ask questions and animals either attack because they don't know better or a human step on their foot.
I've found what it comes down to is respect. If you stand still long enough and you have no intention in harming them and your not wanting to touch them most wild animals will just gather around you. Off course though it is knowing about their body language and understanding what is a warning to leave and what isn't. Standing still and giving that animal the distance and respect is really the only thing I can think of that is similar.
For example, I get sparrows and garden lizards walking on my shoes because I'm sitting still. Am I in mediation? No, my hands are normally typing away on my laptop working on project, but my body is still. The animals know I'm there they know I'm human, they can see me move, but I also don't go out and grab them or try and pat them. This allows the animals to pretty much use me as a jungle gym.
Bees buzz around me. They don't sting because I'm not moving and they know I'm not a flower. They don't fly away because I'm not running at the sight of them. I'm standing still. I'm giving them that respect of letting them do there work as I sit near a garden of flowers. Even dragon flies buzz around me.
It's all about not making a loud noise that could possible cause them to run. It's about respecting their space and they will respect you. Again the only times animal attack is either you look like food flapping about in the water. You poked them, messed with their babies, or messed with them during spring time or you messed with a brown snake that ain't asking questions.
Trying to be one with nature sounds like a nice idea, but in reality we already are. Most just don't have the time to sit still to get the animals around you to know you. Standing still, knowing their body language and giving them space is really the only thing I can think of. Which may be similar to the mediation. As this comes from my own experience.
In at least one culture, there is such a method called fox walking and (I forget the exact name, but maybe it's ...) owl eyes. It is a technique to walk very slowly and extremely quietly. I see it as a form of mindfulness, as it requires extreme awareness of one's immediate and extended surroundings. It's a way of training the mind to pay attention to what is around, and notice what people rarely would in today' busy society.
