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This illustration idea came to me a few weeks ago when the sun didn’t shine, the sky was red, and ash was raining down on us from the forest fires here in California.
I grew up in a semi-rural New England town and, as a kid, my favorite place to hang out was the woodlands surrounding our house. I’d find a place to sit and let my mind drift away.
With my eyes closed, my senses seemed to heighten. I could feel the subtle fluctuations of air temperature coming from the warm sunlight on my face, sprinkling through the shade of the trees. I could hear the sound of hawks flying high above, the rustling of leaves by my feet, the insects, the chipmunks, even the quiet hum of traffic coming from the highway a mile away.
In this state, I existed not as an external observer of nature but rather as a synesthetic part, a oneness with the symphony of the life surrounding me.
This ritual was my go-to in order to relax and clear my head. But I now realize that what I was doing was meditating. If I was having a bad day or going through a rough time, it was this brief change in mindset that was key to help me focus on re-centering myself.
Nature is our North Star.
If we stop and listen, nature speaks to us. It calms us. It makes us feel alive, makes us feel human.
We need that ecotherapy now more than ever, and to do what we can to protect our planet and ourselves from climate change.