My mind used to be typical - cluttered, overactive, and maybe a wee bit neurotic. :)

In my 30’s my life fell apart and, in an effort to find some inner peace, I took up meditation. I started by attending an intensive retreat and then I meditated an hour every morning for years. I liked the ritual of it, and how it slowed me down and taught me about myself.

But my mind was still busy, noisy, and not so peaceful. I kept meditating, but I gave up the idea that my mind could be any different.

Five years into meditating, I got into deep nature connection. After trying out a couple of the foundational practices for a couple of weeks - essentially sitting outside, paying attention to nature through my senses (what I now call the most ancient form of meditation) - something radical happened. My mind went completely silent. I didn’t even know this was a thing!

It was a long, delicious moment during which my thinking stopped. There was no reviewing the past, no planning the future. There was no judgment, criticism, shame, doubt, anxiety. No thoughts. Just silence and space. In the silence and space, I experienced radiant sparkly peace.

It was the most spectacular moment of my life up to that point. I thought it was a one-off thing. But those moments came with increased frequency over the weeks and months. Over time, I noticed that my mind was becoming more relaxed and peaceful all the time; its baseline setting was changing.

It turns out that this is just what happens (and I thought I was special!). Nature connection re-wires our brains, waking up neural pathways that have gone dormant living as busy, stressed out, tech-addicted, domesticated humans.

Let that sink in…Simply being outside for short periods of time on a consistent basis paying attention to the wonders of nature (which is very fun and delightful in its own right) effortlessly brings peace and quiet to the human mind!

In my experience, there is nothing that affects the quality of my life more than the quality of what’s happening inside my own head. Happy, relaxed, peaceful head = happy, relaxed, peaceful life (even in the midst of a crazy world).

What a crazy and scary time we are living in. The tidal wave of horror coming from the White House is A LOT to handle. I want to offer you a deliciously subversive way to respond to the madness...

Go outside and intentionally connect with Mama Earth. Even a few minutes makes a difference!

When you live in deep relationship with nature, you experience a sense of belonging that makes you stronger. Your beauty and wholeness are reflected back to you. You know, in your bones, that you are inseparable from nature, that you ARE nature.

This communion enables you to reclaim the power and pleasure of your femininity, which sends a potent message: Dear patriarchy, I’ve had enough. Go f*ck yourself.

We have been systematically cut off from nature as a way to keep us small, tame, and full of self doubt while vested economic interests destroy our beloved lands, waters, and more-than-human family for money.

I am So Over It. Are you with me?

I was first introduced to deep nature connection during a Permaculture course. The course leader had two guest teachers talk about it and then lead us through a few experiential exercises. The first exercise was to sit outside and pay attention to what was happening around me for 20 minutes. Simple, right?

Yes, and... those 20 minutes changed my life! I felt a wise, ancient, untamed part of me stir ever so slightly from her slumber.

I had known for a long time that the way we live as modern-day humans doesn’t make any sense and that we are supposed to be in close relationship with our human and our more-than-human relations. I also knew, conceptually, that I was nature, that I was another animal living among trillions of others on Mama Earth.

Yet, I felt separate, like I was an outsider looking in. The buildings, screens, and hectic pace of life made a real relationship with nature seem impossible. On top of that, I was often stressed out, overwhelmed, and depleted. Weeks would fly by during which I felt like I was nothing more than a disembodied head doing, doing, doing all day long. I felt like was missing out on the juice and joy of life.

I longed to slow down, get out of my head, be present for my life, experience my kinship with nature, and feel alive and happy. I wanted this everyday, but had no idea how to get it.

Then I sat outside for 20 minutes and the wise, ancient, untamed one in me recognized that deep nature connection would give me all of that and more. It would give me what I most wanted – a life of genuine fulfillment.