“Cure yourself, with the light of the sun and the rays of the moon. With the sound of the river and the waterfall. With the swaying of the sea and the fluttering of birds.
Heal yourself, with the mint and mint leaves, with neem and eucalyptus.
Sweeten yourself with lavender, rosemary, and chamomile.
Hug yourself with the cocoa bean and a touch of cinnamon. Put love in tea instead of sugar and take it looking at the stars.
Heal yourself, with the kisses that the wind gives you and the hugs of the rain.
Get strong with bare feet on the ground and with everything that is born from it.
Get smarter every day by listening to your intuition, looking at the world with the eye of your forehead.
Jump, dance, sing, so that you live happier.
Heal yourself, with beautiful love, and always remember… you are the medicine. “
~Maria Sabina Mexican healer and poet
I strongly believe that at the root of some of our emotional and physical "dis-ease" is disconnection from ourselves, other people and from the rest of the natural world. Our built environment (the spaces we work and live in) and priorities keep us disconnected, as does the prevailing western worldview. To me this worldview could be described as a delusion of separation, a kind of collective mental illness.
Author Richard Louv first coined the term "nature deficit disorder" to describe the many maladies scientists are beginning to understand are related to our lack of time in the sensory-rich natural environment in which humans evolved. We are like fish out of water.
In Losing Eden, British journalist Lucy Jones weaves her personal story of being healed by nature from mental illness and substance abuse, with scientific research into how exactly nature heals. There are too many incredible discoveries to mention here. But it’s worth noting that what modern western science is just now beginning to acknowledge and study in this realm, many traditional healers and cultures have known for thousands of years.
I was recently introduced to the poetry of traditional healer Maria Sabina Magdalena Garcia, who lived from 1894-1985 in Oaxaca, Mexico. She speaks beautifully about our ability to heal ourselves, when in intimate relationship with the rest of the natural world, in her poem, “You Are the Medicine.”
I wish for you a reconnection to yourself and to those around you-- human and more-than-human! You deserve rest, to move at a human pace, to experience awe and wonder, balance, vitality and to feel connected and held within the community of creatures we call nature. Instead of feeling alone and lonely, you can choose a new story. Choose to believe you are part of an extended family in which you have a place. Choose to cultivate a culture of connection.
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