You Are The Wilderness

A Spring Message

The basis for our survival — water, sun, air — is shared by all life and our biology can be compared to that of all animals and plants. Even the very fibres that build us are the same elements which are fused within the heat of a star. And the electricity in our brains is nothing less than the lightening bolts of summer storms. Genetically, we individually carry information which has been shaped by the experiences of our entire lineage. It’s said that campfires are mesmerizing, sunsets are awe-inspiring and glimpses of animals in the wild are exhilarating because our ancestors were immersed in these events and their reactions are encoded in the most primal parts of our makeup. 

Modern convenience and pursuits of the mind (while extraordinary in their own right) may have us believe that we are observers of nature when in fact, we ARE nature. As such, the properties that govern the natural world also embrace us. Of course, our natural rhythm does not always match the mechanics of our constructed society. Culturally, we’re expected to keep the same pace month after month, but our nature knows better and can call us to change direction. Apathy and discomfort have been themes this year as the solitude of winter was compounded by the restrictive state of the world. The imposed quiet has been a likely entry point into our own innate nature, which may not have looked as we expected. When we think of nature, we often choose to see it as beautiful as the oceans, as profound as the canyons and as pristine as the filtered landscapes which make the cut for social media. But truth includes that it’s also as uncertain as mossy hollows, as messy as decaying trees and as fearful as a hunted prey. We accept these aspects as a cycle in a forest but not always within ourselves. Why is that? 

When we’re able to connect with our natural state, celebrate our flaws as growth and live in union within our bodies, we might also live in fullness and trust and safety to explore and receive all life has to offer. As Spring approaches, I invite you to arrive with it. Awaken as the earth also stirs and see if you can sense a rhythm of this remembrance. 

You are the wilderness. Happy Vernal equinox.

Onward,
Alicia