Why is nature connection important?
Earth is our home and our shared mother. But when we are continuously exposed to anything, it fades from our perception. And so the Earth and nature, being an unvarying experience, are easily lost sight of. In our modern, industrialized, capitalistic society, we are made to believe that the Earth is a commodity that belongs to us, when really we belong to the Earth.
We don’t just live on the Earth; we live with the Earth.
When we learn to recognize ourselves as a part of the Earth, we start to see all things in nature as gifts from her. The gift of shade from the trees on a hot summer day. The gift of rain to water the plants that give us food, to fill our rivers and lakes that give us water to drink, clean, bathe, swim.
But we don’t need to be outside to recognize nature’s gifts! We choose an apple from the barrel at the grocery store: “thank you.” We turn the shower on to wash off the stress of a long day: “thank you.” When we are given a gift, our innate emotional response is gratitude. And gratitude inspires reciprocity, to give in return.
An exercise to help shift our mindset and the way we look at the Earth is to start to notice the small things in nature that often go overlooked: the glimmer of dew in the grass, the movement of a breeze, the patterns of light on the ground as the sun shines through the trees.
Research shows that this type of mindful engagement with nature ignites the senses without overworking them. Brain scans show that when connecting with nature, alpha wave activity increases, correlated with relaxation, meditation, and creative thinking.
An invitation: pause right now, and notice one small detail in nature. Even if you’re indoors, or on a busy city street, nature is all around us. I promise if you look, you’ll find something. Give it a try!
So, to summarize: why is nature connection important?
Simply put: it’s a win-win for both the Earth and ourselves!
Connecting with nature benefits our own mental health and overall well-being, and it also helps us develop gratitude for the Earth. This gratitude inspires us to care for her, and because we’ve come to see that we are a part of the Earth, caring for her means we’re caring for ourselves.
Connecting with nature is an act of self-love! ♥