Cultivating a Relationship With Nature

I visited the forest this morning. We are in that season in Georgia when a thick, humid dew coats the air. After days of rain, the forest is illuminated in vibrant hues of green. Among the brush are mothers and fawns, mushrooms budding from the crest of the earth, and the occasional mysterious encounter with an owl waiting in the most subtle of moments.

This is the place I come to contemplate, listen, and connect. On this humid and sticky morning, I found myself reflecting on the healing qualities of cultivating a relationship withnature.

Modern therapy often takes place within the privacy of a room, accompanied by the hum of a sound machine and the comfort of air conditioning and furniture. These spaces are a gift and a refuge amidst the unpredictability and trauma of modern life.

More recently, therapy has also expanded onto screens. While this shift can sometimes lessen aspects of our relational connection, it has also created new opportunities for comfort and healing. Whether it is joining a session from the familiarity of home with animals curled nearby, or taking a phone call while walking beneath the trees, healing can emerge in many forms.

We heal in relationship, yes. But relationships extend beyond our connections with other people. They include our relationships with our homes, our bodies, and the living world around us. Each of these relationships influences the others.

Long before modern technology, connection with nature was woven into the fabric of our vitality. It is a place where intuition, instinct, and felt sense can thrive. A place where grief is held by the elements, where wonder is awakened, and where the presence of animals can feel both grounding, mysteriously meaningful, and at times a potent reminder of the importance of boundaries/protection.

Cultivating this relationship is part of the work I care deeply about. Nature offers a space to integrate, to listen, and to rest into the parts of ourselves that are asking for healing. I share this in the hope it lands with those who are curious. May the heaviness of our lives find moments of solace in the knowing that we belong to something larger than ourselves, and that the natural world is always waiting to welcome us back.