Rewild yourself
Bringing your inner and outer worlds together
Exploring our outer world, a journey of nature and our surroundings, is also a journey of our inner world. When we explore our natural surroundings, we come home to ourselves and remember what we are here to do and who we are at our at our core. Two ways of exploring our inner and outer worlds is to practice rewilding and mindfulness. They both encourage us to be present in the moment. According to Micah Mortali, who wrote Rewilding, says that “rewilding is an endeavor to be awake, alive, and aware on a planet that is crying out for us to listen and respond with skill and wisdom.” Mindfulness helps to acknowledge our inner and outer perception of reality.
To paraphrase Mortali, our senses developed in nature, and tuning into the Earth through our senses helps to get us out of our heads and into our bodies where we can feel a connection with the Earth and all that exists on our planet. We can come home to our bodies, our roots. We can come back to our breath which helps ground us into the present moment. When our senses are awaken, we see our connections with everything on the planet as kindred. We see it as an extension of our own Self, which allows us to feel unity with everything and everyone on our planet.
Practicing mindfulness and breath awareness has been shown to change the brain. The amygdala, your “fight our flight” center, seems to decrease in size. The pre-frontal cortex, associated with awareness, becomes thicker according to BK Hözel.1
To get started practicing mindfulness and rewilding, take some time and get outside. Find a comfortable spot and sit, recline or lie down. Focus on your breath and notice your connection to the Earth. Be with this for the time you have have whether it is for 5 breaths or 100. Notice your thoughts but let them come and go without judgement. There is no right or wrong way to do this. If you notice your mind wandering, come back to your breath. Feel the connection to the Earth and imagine roots extending from your body into the Earth. Feel the energy of the Earth coming back to you through these roots. Continue to breathe. Practice this often.
If sitting or being still is not comfortable for you, then here’s an alternative. Try walking barefoot outside if that is accessible. Notice your connection to the Earth through your feet. Reach out and touch a tree. Notice birdsong. Breathe slow and steady as this is not a walk for covering miles. Instead, it is a way of connecting to the Earth as well as to ourselves.
I’d love to hear what you notice if you give it a try!
Take good care,
Sharon
Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, Congleton C, Yerramsetti SM, Gard T, Lazar SW. Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Res. 2011 Jan 30;191(1):36-43. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006. Epub 2010 Nov 10. PMID: 21071182; PMCID: PMC3004979.