How to Build Resilience by Connecting with Plants
With the recent 1 year anniversary of the pandemic, I’ve been reflecting on how things have changed and within the grief, frustration and confusion, it occurred to me that I actually see some positives. Of course, there’s lots to celebrate around the return of Nature to urban centres, but I’m talking about the flip side of that relationship.
Specifically, I’m celebrating how many people are returning to Nature!
And I know that part of it is having more time and that outdoor gatherings are advised, but that, by itself, doesn’t cover it. People are responding to an instinctive draw to the living world.
You’ve heard this quote from Brene Brown, yes?
Well, we’re hardwired for nature connection as much as we are for human connection.
The fact is that humans do better, feel better and heal better in the green world! And that’s not just related to the physical body, you feel more stable and resilient emotionally too when you take the time to slow down in Nature.
A study in Vermont reported that 60% of folks “experienced improved mental health and well-being from being outdoors.
The thing that surprised me the most from that same study, was how many more people are relaxing outside alone. It may sound sad at first, but when you consider the non-human world, you see something different.
Being alone in Nature is actually the key ingredient that facilitates people developing more personal connections with Nature.
I’d argue, in fact, that however you might define “deep nature connection”, it’s going to include lots of “solo” time in Nature.
Of course, we’re all drawn to the wilds for different reasons and for different activities. And while it can be nourishing to throw on some headphones and go for a run or a bike, it can also be important to go slowly. You see more details.
I encourage you to go both solo and slowly in Nature. Spend some time really looking at a leaf or memorizing the scent of a flower.
You’re trying to get a sense of the character of the plant. It’s like making a new friend, the stories they tell are far more descriptive of who they are and what they’re about, then simply learning their name.
There’s a timeless quality to the feeling of wonder.
Part of the healing of this type of Nature connection is actually found when you follow your own curiosity with authenticity. There’s a timeless quality to the feeling of wonder.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. When you spend time developing a relationship with a specific plant, when you allow that wonder to open you, you begin to attune to it. You start noticing it everywhere.
AVOID LOOKING IT UP IN BOOKS! I beg you.
Two Reasons:
We tend to start thinking rather than feeling as a way of learning.
Books usually take people out of their body AND out of their own experience. Meaning that we begin to differ to the “experts” at the expense of our own relationship with the plant.Naming things can kill curiosity.
Allow instead the plant to name itself. Or give it a nickname. For example, I use the name Grandmother Needles instead of Devil’s Club. Much better!
Almost 200 years ago, the german poet, Goethe said it this way...
"A far more difficult task arises when a person's thirst for knowledge kindles in them a desire to view Nature's objects in their own right and in relation to one another...she loses the yardstick which came to her aid when she looked at things from the human stand point"
Here are two resources to help…
Resource #1 - a video I made a couple of weeks ago, “Plant Identification can actually block your learning, try this instead” …
Resource #2 - a 6 month mentorship program for Spiritual Herbalists, Permaculturists, & Nature-Based Artists called…
Learning the Lost Language of Plants:
Cultivate Clarity & Confidence in Communicating with Herbs
Running from May - October 2021 - and limited to only 20 people - this group will help you develop profound and insightful relationships with the plants that will bring you strength and wisdom.
You can read more about this offering → here