A professor once brought to my attention that as a society we strive to “connect with nature” through hikes and recreational activities while simultaneously pushing to further ourselves from it through pampered living in the form of perfectly temperature regulated houses, paved paradises, and automated everything. It’s as if nature is our mother and we are young adults leaving home for the first time. Despite how much we strive for independence, we always seem to want to come back every so often. I thought of this message while taking a silent walking through the Linnaea Farm property. Looking at a tree growing from a rock, we were invited to think of the land as a great absorber. Much as the tree engulfed the rocks, nature can absorb the troubles in our lives and minds. How healthy could our bodies minds be if we prioritized, I mean really prioritized, our time spent in harmony and conjunction with nature instead of furthering ourselves from it? Many of us, consciously or not, seem to use nature as a retroactive solution to heal our mental health. Instead of striving to live continuously with nature, we find ourselves living our stress-filled, capitalist-driven lives, using our interactions with nature as a brief “retreat” only to revert back to our toxic lifestyles. Perhaps, as I learned through this mindful walk through the forest, we can use nature as our ally and our support system for more than just nutritional use. If nature can absorb our worries, and engulf our self-doubts, then why not let it? Why do we continuously try to distance ourselves from such a caring companion? Is it not working backwards from what we should be doing to take care of both our body and our mind? I sincerely hope that more and more people find value in the solace that nature can bring to their heart and mind. Stop trying to remove yourself from mother nature. Acknowledge that we are reliant, and come home.
Allison Smith
UVic Permaculture 