Where To Start Reclaiming The Wild In Your Soul

1. Remember to Be Fully Present

Too many of us spend too much time rooted in a forest of memories, trying desperately to relive past moments and grasping desperately at lost experiences. Others are ever reaching into the future, constantly worried about what might be. It’s time to bring ourselves fully present. Time to explore the sensations of being alive. I am sure you are familiar with the old saying “stop and smell the roses”. Well, it’s time to do just that.

2. Be Willing to Accept Nature’s Gifts

This begins with communication with the natural world and the spirits who dwell within the landscape. Remember that by working with nature’s energies, we are opening up to the wisdom of the spirits of the land. We must be willing to accept their knowledge of unseen realities and unheard concepts and their acknowledgment of our own inner truths. If you are ready and willing, nature will open up deep-seated memories of bonds once held between humans and the natural world.

3. Change Your Perspective

Being willing to explore the world through nature’s eyes can help us understand and support creation as a whole. What does the world look like through the eyes of the coyote who stands at the edge of the wilderness, one foot between the wild and the tame? Or what about the oak tree in your backyard, reaching endlessly for the sky? Encouraging our children to put themselves in the place of the swallow searching for a suitable place to build their nest or the earthworm who needs the soil to survive is a great way to teach them about symbiosis and practicing empathy for all of nature’s creations.

Another great way to change your perspective is by reaching back to your inner child. Do you remember that curious individual, hungry to explore and thirsty for information? Now go into a natural setting and take a walk from a child’s viewpoint. Take off your shoes and put your feet in the mud. Follow a butterfly as it flits through the park. Discover what’s on the other side of the hill. As you do this, pay attention to how you feel, the connections made, and the lessons learned.

4. Spend Time Outdoors

Go outdoors often and spend time in quiet contemplation. Listen to what the universe has to say to you. Spending time outdoors can also improve mental health. According to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a study was conducted that shows people who have access to activity in nonurban settings are found to ruminate over problems less and have a better sense of well-being, less anxiety, and increased memory.

When at all possible, practice ritual and spellwork outdoors too. If you can get into the wilderness, great, but the backyard, park, or patio will work just as well. For me, there is something very intimate about outdoor ritual—the feeling of contentment from earth under my feet, the breath of inspiration as air moves around me, the strength garnered by the heat of fire, and the healing rhythm of water as it splashes gently against the soil.