You’re Not Looking at Nature. You Are Nature.

We are not in nature; we are nature. – Eckhart Tolle

The Truth About Your Connection

Not long ago, during a quiet morning hike, I paused to admire a patch of moss on a fallen log. I was inspired to observe this by Peter Wohlleben’s book, Forest Walking: Discovering the Trees and Woodlands of North America (Wohlleben & Billinghurst, 2022). The dew-covered moss glowed a bright green in the early sunlight. In that moment, I realized something important:

That moss wasn’t something I was just observing.

It was something I’m made of.

We forget this truth. We talk about needing to “get out in nature” like it’s a destination and something separate from us. But here’s the thing: Our heartbeat is nature. Our breath is the wind. Our blood flows with the same elements that make up the earth. Our bones came from the dust of stars, just like the cliffs we climb.

We are not visitors in nature. We are part of it. We are woven from the same materials.  We are caught in the same rhythms. We are trying to adapt, survive, and bloom.

Reclaiming Your Wildness

In our modern world, it’s easy to feel disconnected. We’re surrounded by sidewalks, screens, schedules, and structures. We are always observers, always consumers. We’ve been taught to dominate nature, not to recognize ourselves in it.

It makes sense if you feel the pull to be outside but don’t know how to feel at home. But here’s the thing: this disconnection is not your fault. What matters is what you choose to do about it. It’s time to return.

Practical Ways to Reawaken Yourself

This isn’t a checklist, it’s a practice. A remembering. A quieting. But here are some simple steps I take when I want to stop looking at nature and start being part of it:

1. Touch more things
   Run your hand across tree bark. Pick up a smooth stone. Dip your fingers in the stream. The more you physically engage, the more your body remembers that this is home.

2. Walk barefoot when you can
   Even for just a few steps on grass, dirt, or pine needles. Your skin knows how to read the earth’s language. Take your shoes off and listen.

3. Sit still, longer than is comfortable
   We rush from one view to the next, summit to selfie. But sit. Be still. Let the forest forget you’re there and start speaking again. That’s when you realize you belong here.

4. Say “thank you” to something
   Out loud or in your heart. Gratitude checks the ego. A tree. A gust of wind. A flower. Thank them for being there with you. This isn’t just poetic; it’s physiological. Gratitude lowers stress, opens your awareness, and roots you deeper in the moment.

5. Breathe like the trees do
   Inhale as the leaves do, slow, full, and open. Exhale like the wind does, steady, soft, empty. Your breath isn’t yours alone. It’s shared, just like the trees’ breath.

You’re a Colony of Wild Things

You are not just a human being. You are a walking, talking ecosystem. You’re made up of 37 trillion cells, sure. But you’re also home to 39 trillion bacterial cells, fungi, mitochondria, and gut flora. You are not a single entity. You are a community. Just like the forest.
Let that sink in.

You are not separate from the earth. You are not an outsider. You are an extension of every leaf, every drop of water, every flower, and every root.

When you understand this, when you truly feel it, you stop trying to fix yourself. Instead, you learn to listen. Because your inner voice isn’t broken. It’s just been speaking a different language.

Final Thought

Next time you hit the trail, don’t ask:
What will I see today?

Instead, ask:
What part of myself will I remember today?

Because healing isn’t always about self-improvement.
Sometimes, it’s about reawakening. Returning. Letting yourself belong once again.

Reference:

Wohlleben, P., & Billinghurst, J. (2022). Forest walking: Discovering the trees and woodlands of North America. Greystone Books.