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Finding the Wonder, Nurturing the Love

February 03, 2025 11:48 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

Finding the Wonder, Nurturing the Love

By: Elizabeth Mills

Forest Therapy Guide, One With Nature Forest Therapy

Relational Nature and Forest Therapy (similar to Japanese “forest bathing”) is all about nurturing and facilitating relationships between all species on planet Earth. Water, soil, fire, air, light, creatures—we need each other and were made to thrive and survive as interconnected beings.

Many elements of our world and many of our species are often overlooked or taken for granted these days. So to re-establish authentic relationships with these species again, we need to turn off our devices, go outside and slow down. A Nature Therapy Guide can facilitate this, but understanding some basic principles can help as well. We can start with rediscovering our wonder.

For example, a star shines down on us everyday. Beings on earth take that light and make food for everyone! The plants don’t do it alone—no, they are part of a huge team consisting of birds, soil organisms, minerals, mammals and insects that facilitate thriving for everyone. As I tell my grandchildren at lunchtime, “we are eating sunshine!” 

To slow down and RE-recognize the wonder of it all with love and respect—this is the best place to start restoring interconnection. The Japanese have a word, “komorebi.”  It cannot be directly translated, but I can try to explain its meaning. You know when you are walking through the woods and the sunlight streams through the trees’ leaves and casts washes of light on the forest floor? Maybe there’s a slight breeze that makes the light dance in varying colors of green shimmering in the light...a deep feeling of passionately cherishing nature arises, a wow-factor, wonder and love. This is komorebi.

Another great example of finding wonder again is through our perception of water: rain, rivers, lakes, snow. Whether we are aware or not: we are nature—and we, too, are full of water and part of the never-ending water cycle. Think about it. A 75-pound child is made up of about 5 GALLONS of water. Nature isn’t out there somewhere, it's right here within us. I told a group I was guiding at Longwood Gardens recently, “C’mon, you bodies of water, this way!” We are nature and were designed to live in mutual respect with every being that shares this world.

Therefore, determine to get outside much more. Breathe, sit or walk very slowly outside. Look, listen, touch gently and encourage curiosity in yourself and others (which comes more naturally to us as children but can be developed again!). In the quieting of our human selves, we will begin again to truly see and hear the symphony of all the other more-than-human beings doing their things! We are part of something very wonderful called planet Earth and try as they might, all the information-gathering space probes have yet to find a world so astoundingly full of life or as lavish as ours.

As Jacques Cousteau (the world renowned underwater explorer) told us, “People protect what they love.” That is the ultimate goal of Relational Nature Therapy. As we truly look deep into the eyes of our fellow beings, not only will we fall in love again with our original natural habitat, but also reap amazing benefits (body, mind and spirit) and hopefully redouble our action to care for this blue/green planet we all call home.


FUN FACTS:

—A 150-pound adult contains 10 gallons of water! Stay hydrated :-)

—The location on earth that produces the most oxygen is...drum roll please...the ocean! All those photosynthetic organisms waving and bobbing in the seas produce over 50% of earth’s oxygen.

Inter-Being Love Notes:

Consider inter-being love notes to strengthen the bonds of your connection with other species. Who is in your circle of life? A pet, a favorite wild creature you see every week or just one you admired once? Consider sitting with a journal inside or out and ponder your connections. What follows below was penned about a favorite wild bird at my house, a Carolina wren.

From my heart:

When you have friends it doesn’t matter if they are far...you remember them and hold them sweetly to your heart...


Seated in the middle

On a plane at 35,000 feet

Between two no-nonsense business men,

I pulled out my phone

Carefully keeping my elbows tucked inside the armrests lest I disturb “them.”

Quietly, nay, SILENTLY, I look up “Carolina wren” friend on my phone browser.


Saw a sketch and read one line—

That’s all it took to feel sublime.

“0.7 ounces” (One’s weight)

“That’s light!” I said to myself and then I pondered...

In the wintertime at home I must bundle up with gloves, scarf, coveralls, long johns, boots and STILL be a shivering specimen...


I pondered on and was slayed.

Tears trickling down my face

In a plane, So High in the sky

Wedged elbows, between two guys…


“How on earth??

How on earth does my slight friend—weighing in at .7 EVER stay warm?”

I questioned heaven.


The tears kept coming

I will not lie

I did not care if men saw me cry...

I have a dear friend—I love her

And even when we are far apart,

I carry her, marvel at her, and cherish her in my heart.


The imagined Response from “Carol”:

You ask “How on earth?”

And I will tell you how:

You care for the earth and supply me with seeds.

You left me undisturbed nesting in odd places (like under the grill)

And when you weren’t looking...

I slept in your coveralls on the back porch.

Ask your husband Darrel: he saw me!



Want to learn more?  Contact Elizabeth at:

(717) 330-7836

gotnature@icloud.com

© Association of Professional Humane Educators