Connecting with Nature for Wholistic Wellbeing

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.

- Khalil Gibran

When I am involved with the day-to-day running of my business, it's easy to forget that I emerged from nature. So much of what we do in business and take for granted cannot happen without technology – from talking on the phone, to joining Zoom meetings, to making decisions based on the analysis of big data, to working with business systems, to managing others’ livelihoods.

When I return home to a place where technology makes life easier there is still something missing… I feel a sense of loss of connection to our very source; to nature. From the moment of our conception, to our nine months’ gestation, to learning how to speak, when our first inarticulate sounds blossom into language, to falling in love, to our final breath: we are part of nature.

Like all living things, we slowly grow from seeds. Unfortunately, we sometimes grow so detached from nature that we forget that we are fundamentally rooted within it. We act as though we are the only sentient beings on the planet, the only species that functions within a social structure. Except when we look more closely, we realize that social structures exist across species: lions live in prides; impalas in harems; elephants are led by a matriarch; albatrosses mate for life. So although we are led to believe in our supremacy, we are not, in fact, above nature, or even separate from it.

Wholistic Wellbeing involves tapping into the different energies that nature runs on and finding a more organic way to exist. Remembering how we grow, not so differently from the trees, from seed to sapling to young tree to mature woodland. Everywhere we look, this process of unfolding growth is seen, with human processes following the same pattern; whether it’s our own growth, that of our nearest and dearest, or the maturation of cities, with dendritic life creeping into roadways. Buildings, streets, and businesses evolve in similar patterns.

How can we reconnect, then, with that lost link to our natural source of vitality?

Whether we meditate or practice yoga or pursue another strengthening activity, Wholistic Wellbeing guides us toward stillness, silence, and an acceptance of vital organic processes. From this harmony, we focus on the next step, the next action to take us toward growth and an expanded consciousness. While focusing on action and developing our bodies and consciousness, we develop a sense of knowing.

As we become more aware of our bodies and rhythms, nature shows us life force and strength. Just as green shoots can appear within days of an ecological catastrophe, we human beings can survive difficult situations with a smile on our face and a true sense of Wholistic Wellbeing. This is precisely the message we are promoting at Roundglass Sustain: that nature and humankind are intertwined, mutually beneficial, and resilient together. Let’s renew our connection to nature whenever possible and enjoy our unique place within the planetary balance.