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In his book Lost Connections, Johan Hari lists our disconnect from nature as the key broken link causing depression and anxiety. Reclaiming connection with nature makes us feel supported and in awe of the miracle of life.
Hari writes:
“Faced with a natural landscape, you have a sense that you and your concerns are very small, and the world is very big- and that sensation can shrink the ego down to a manageable size. “It's something larger than yourself,” Isabel [Behncke] said looking around her. “There is something deeply, animally healthy in that sensation….” And this helps you see the deeper and wider ways in which you are connected to everything around you. “It’s almost like a metaphor for belonging in a grander system,” she says. “You’re always embedded in a network,” even when you don’t realize it; you’re just one more node in this enormous tapestry.”
Nature is not only a stunning background for our IG selfies. It is the source, the place where we learn who we truly are and get back to ourselves, away from the everyday noise. The more we understand nature and connect with nature, the kinder and better (and happier) we will be.
