Rewilding - Why getting back to Nature IS the new Normal
REWILDING is a word used in the field of nature conservation - to describe the process of allowing land to return to its natural state to restore and rebalance ecosystems.
Rewilding humans means restoring to a more natural wild state allows us to rebalance and repair, used with reference to the Undoing of domestication and conditioning. Human Rewilding is a Holistic intentional way of living.
The art of returning to our natures which are inherently wild, organic and can be trusted is something I've been practising for a long time. Learning to unravel from what society considers “Normal” back into what’s “Natural” was a huge pivot point for me, when I left the 9-5 world 8 years ago now. Rewilding isn’t as scary (or feral) as it sounds, it’s simply a re-turn to our inherent natures through Mother Nature herself to help in the process.
My journey began with simple things -Allowing my hair to be wild and curly more often, I then reduced and fully stopped wearing makeup (except for my beloved eyeliner and lipbalm) and eventually started wearing flats instead of high heels all day every day which damaged my back in huge ways.
Then internally on my hormones, stopped eating any processed foods, cooked more. I then started to track my heavy and very painful period and within a couple of months I started to have pain-free periods then I actually began to look forward to and love my bleed.The more I accepted and embraced the natural feminine way the more I also found I was more in tune with nature as my instincts and intuition became stronger and more heightened.
Eventually I started to look outside myself for ways to get back to a more natural and organic way of living - to REWILD myself.
After I left the 9 to 5, I connected with many other free range organic human beings who viewed life in a similar way. On the the London arts and crafts market scene, all the traders were makers, artists and craftsmen who had learned to use their hands to create -the ones who worked for themselves and weren’t slaves to clock-time- subsequently were more wild and free.
Now BE-ing in nature is my Daily Bread - from England to Egypt - the woods and the desert have become my playground as I’m more comfortable with trees, plants wild animals and the seasons and cycles of nature. Highly Recommended!
5 Simple ways to start to Rewild yourself:
Earthing Or Barefoot living
The earth beneath your feet provides you with food and water. It gives you a surface to sit, stand, walk, run, climb, play, and build on. It also provides you with something many don’t think about - electrons. When you touch the ground with your bare feet or body, the electrons flow into you. This is called being “grounded” and put simply charges up your whole body. Also clears negative energy from around the body accumulated from technology and EMF’S (Electro Magnetic Fields)
Foraging for plants and herbs
Foraging is the act of searching, identifying and collecting food resources in the wild. Those include a wide range of plants, mushrooms, herbs and fruits growing around us uncultivated.
Nearly everyone has picked a blackberry from the bush or an apple from the tree to eat it. In fact, until recently, foraging was a normal part of life. Every household would use the ingredients growing locally, which were often growing wild
Forest bathing
My saving grace in London, not sure I could have survived 15 years in the big smoke without the woods and forests.
The term comes from Japan, the practice of Shinrin-yoku. Shinrin in Japanese means “forest,” and yoku means “bath. The simple method of being calm and quiet amongst the trees, observing nature around you whilst breathing deeply can help all humans de-stress and boost health and wellbeing in a natural way. Also a bit of colour therapy being surrounded by all those vibrant shades of green! Combine with Barefoot walking/ Earthing and you'll be back to your Natural self in no time!
Resting
Last but not least is REST. In a world where your worth is measured by how much we produce, to Rest is truly an act of Resistance! Rest restores our energy levels, helps us process and integrate, boosts creativity and problem-solving, and helps us create sustainability in a world that never slows down. It returns our bodies to a state of homeostasis.
Relearning how to Rest is deeply important and necessary in these times of ongoing uncertainty, anxiety and busy-ness. Also allows us to Rewild by listening to our ‘Natural’ inner rhythms, needs and desires rather than the relentless voice of what’s ‘Normal’..
Let me know how you REWILD and connect to Nature..xx
Subscribe to my new Substack account here; https://substack.com/@liminallands