Nature: Our Kin, Our Mirror
I have been contemplating this article for a while. I raised my hand during our “Pillar Talk” team meeting to be the speaker for our Nature Pillar—a role I take seriously, as my connection, reverence, and love for nature are deeply meaningful to me.
Nature is not here on this page or in these words. It’s out there, to be experienced. To be smelt, touched, seen, heard—and yes, tasted—for all the wonderful abundance we can grow and forage. Your relationship to nature is not something I can describe, for it is just that: a relationship. One that only you can cultivate through your senses. We can read about ecosystems and marvel at their ability to sustain multitudes of life forms—how beautifully intertwined species are, each offering home or nourishment to another. But it is your direct, lived relationship with nature that truly matters.
So I offer this reflection:
What is your relationship to nature?
Who are they to you?
A beautiful backdrop, or an inviting friend who cradles you in times of rest and restoration?
Nature surrounds me—and it also lives within me. As humans, we are not just made of our own cells but are home to entire ecosystems of microorganisms. These tiny beings help regulate our digestion and shape how we interact with the world around us. In this way, we are ecosystems too—mirroring the balance of a forest. From micro to macro, life reflects itself in repeating patterns—like a fractal, where small parts mirror the whole, again and again.
The nature I see above my laptop are my houseplants and the cats keeping me company. New seedlings on the windowsill proudly show their first leaves, eager to grow and eventually nourish me. Outside, tall summer grasses bend in the breeze, and yarrow flowers wait to be dried into medicinal tea. The ocean is calm, a soft blue cradling my gaze as mother ducks and ducklings swim by. What abundance. What beauty. Such gratitude for the presence and offerings of each of these beings. Each simply existing—and yet contributing to the greater whole. Could that be a definition of community?
In my encounters with both humans and nature beings, I try—when I remember—to witness the wisdom they offer. Each being is a wisdom keeper in their own way. A trait, an action, a way of being. From the tree beings, I have learned:
- Stay grounded in your own soil (yourself, your values)
- Give freely the gifts that come naturally to you (carbon dioxide for oxygen exchange)
- Take care of each other (mycelium networks allow mother trees to nourish younger ones)
- Radiate your being and stand tall (I imagine each tree has its own harmonious sound)
I walk into a forest and feel held—by the quiet strength of the trees, their steady wisdom already known to me.
Why Nature Connection Matters
“Nature connectedness captures that relationship between people and the rest of nature. It is a measurable psychological construct that moves beyond contact with nature to an individual’s sense of their relationship with the natural world.”
– Nature Connectedness Research Group
Why does nature need us to connect—and why do we need nature?
Nature will continue without us. It doesn’t require our presence to thrive. But humans are relational beings. For some, it’s easier to build relationships with other humans. For others, it’s nature that offers connection, solace, and refuge.
At its heart, it’s all about relationships. Nature offers us a quieter, more balanced way of living—if we allow it. The beings around us may not speak our language, but our bodies, emotions, and intuition can understand them.
Why does it matter? Because you matter. The planet and all its life forms matter. Because life matters. When we create meaningful relationships with all beings in our lives, we find joy in caring for them—just as they do for us.
Totelly’s Role in Fostering Nature Connection
At Totelly, nature connection is one of our three guiding pillars—alongside self-connection and connection with others. We see nature not only as our backdrop, but as the living whole of which we are a part.
While nature may not always be the central focus of our events, it is always present—woven into the spaces we gather, the foods we share, and the land we acknowledge. We intentionally offer in-person gatherings rooted in place, allowing people to build meaningful, respectful relationships with the land and its more-than-human beings.
We also highlight local initiatives that deepen nature awareness, from food growing and conservation to outdoor learning. And through our Totelly retreat—the International Life Design Weekend—we explore our personal relational ecosystems—the networks of people, places, and practices that support our lives. During a weekend of play, reflection, and creativity, we draw on nature’s wisdom to reimagine how our lives can flow more in harmony with who we are and what we need.
A Closing Reflection
Nature is not something that is only out there. It is also what we are made of. The elements in the soil—carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus—flow through our bodies. Water holds memory and moves through all life. The carbon dioxide we exhale nourishes plants that, in turn, gift us oxygen. What we give, we receive. What we breathe out, another breathes in.
When we recognize this mutual exchange—of breath, nourishment, and presence—we remember how to live in reciprocity with the world around us. The community of nature is ever-present, ever-welcoming.
Do you accept its invitation?