Susan, your words feel like a calming breeze in the midst of chaos. Terraphilia and its grounding power resonate deeply, and your personal story of how it sustained you through painful times is incredibly moving - thank you for sharing. I love the idea of bringing nature into my daily life; it’s such an accessible way to nurture ourselves, isn't it? As my garden wakes with early spring, I feel myself waking up too, ready to reconnect, act with love and find strength in the world, heart and spirt around me.
Deborah, I agree: Bringing nature into our daily lives is the best way to nurture ourselves, and it's free. (Which is why it's not prescribed more by western medicine, I'm afraid. Nature exposure can't be synthesized and patented for profit.) Thanks for that image of your garden waking up, and you waking up too with purpose and strength, grounding and compassion. Blessings!
Yes! The Earth reminds us of our place in her grand scheme of things...no more or less important.
Our cottage and garden keep me sane and on those days I find my mind spinning into what ifs, just walking out my door calms my spirit.
In this time of daily uncertainty, I lean heavily on what is certain and remember that all I can do is be the person I claim to be. It is all I am called to do...and it's enough.
We are seeing more signs of Spring each day...sending you warm hugs.
"Just walking out my door calms my spirit." I am so glad you have the cottage and your garden as a refuge and source of strength and sustenance, Kathleen. And you are right: being who we are and doing what we are called to do is enough, and together, our "enoughs" add up to a lot. May spring continue to uplift you and your beautiful poems.
Wonderful article Susan, thank you. I use nature as my healing balm whenever I can, through walking, landscape photography and in the garden. But when the weather limits this, I have to agree, just looking at a beautiful landscape or nature image, or film grounds me and takes me back to that healing place.
Thank you, Lin! I am glad that you have your images and film to give you that balm and grounding when you can't get outside. We all need the connection to the wider and wilder world to sustain us in these times.
Christina, I thought I answered this when you posted it, but somehow it didn't come through (maybe my answer was only in my mind!). At any rate, thank you for reading, and I'm glad I can be calming and also inspire us to effective action in these times. Blessings to you.
Dear Susan, you're always so inspiring ... and we all of us owe you a huge bow of thanks for coining the term "terraphilia." It's the perfect practice for these times. And you describe it so well here, as strength training. Brava! The fact that terraphilia was your salvation during the hardest time in your life tells us everything we need to know about the healing power of nature -- and how she will save us now. May you be well. May all of us be well. May all beings be well. 🙏🏽
Jeanne, Thank you so much for your words, especially the beautiful benediction for us all at the end. Yes, may we all--all beings--be well. Blessings to you in abundance!
Your points are well taken. Thanks for your clarity of thought.
I know from personal experience that contact with nature helps and may well have been the reason I survived, not without scars and occasional demons, but so I could contribute to some small part of our understanding of the natural world. Many humans regard the natural world as not important and themselves as separated from it. Yet their very existence depends, as we have discussed earlier, on being a part of that world. Our peace of mind also depends on this, as I have been trying to tell our local city council. In protecting our natural areas within the city, we are not only preserving our wildlife, forests and wetlands, we are preserving our sanity, especially in this difficult time.
I like that last sentence: "In protecting our natural areas within the city, we are not only preserving our wildlife, forests and wetlands, we are preserving our sanity, especially in this difficult time." We are indeed preserving our sanity when we preserve and conserve our connection to nature nearby. Blessings!
It's a good mantra. And isn't that a great statue of St. Francis? It's behind the cathedral, and I'll be interested to see if they do have it hooked up to a waterline, because it would be fun to see him actually dancing on water this summer. Love and blessings to you.
You can’t help but smile at the joy the statue radiates, even with no water in the fountain. It’s behind the cathedral on the corner closest to the Drury.
I am one hundred percent with you, a believer in terraphilia. Was just reading Birding to Change the World — the science of bird song and wild life exposure and outdoor air underscores what we know intuitively to be true.
Thanks much, Beth. I'll have to look for a copy of Birding to Change the World, although I grew up with birders, so I usually avoid birding books because of overexposure when I was young. (And that's why I'm a plant-geek, not a birder!) Blessings to you.
You are so right - time in Nature is such an ideal way to deal with stress, get the mind thinking about something other than the insanity taking place in our country, and find some inner peace. Your post reminds me of the many grant proposals I wrote to fund Nature education programs, mostly for elementary students. I would cite the numerous studies indicating the many health, social, and academic benefits of spending time in Nature. Just seeing green things growing outside a classroom window had beneficial impacts on kids. Thank you for the frequent reminders to get outside.
All of those kids who passed through your programs are immensely lucky, Dave, because those programs nurtured their terraphilia and gave them a healthy foundation to draw on. Thank you for having that vision and giving them that gift! Now just remember to give it to yourself. Every day.
I laughed when I read the suggestion about a nature screensaver. I was born in the mountains of Arizona and love the Ponderosa pines. Walking among them is something I miss terribly, although in reality I don't expect to see them in person again. I have a beautiful screensaver made from a photo I took when I had a small cabin in Pine, Arizona for a few years. When I feel stressed or tired, a few minutes of focusing on the pines is like a mini-vacation.
Oh, those pondos! They are such beautiful trees when they grow up, and the old ones have seen so much in their lives. I'm glad you have a photo of your beloved ponderosas from your cabin among them to look at when you need to settle your systems and find your calm. If only digital technology could bring you the fragrance of their terpenes on a sunny day too, but I imagine you can bring that up from your many memories.
Thanks as always Susan for concise thinking and inspiring writing in this post. As a bit of a terraphiliac myself-not claiming a skillset that remotely approaches yours-you stimulate both heart and spirit by what you say.
Today’s image of the sculpture of St. Francis of Assisi provoked feelings of both freedom and taking flight. A wonderful selection, Susan. As I read today, images from my own past experiences in Nature welled up. Great Spirit is omnipresent, enduring, and vital to our brief existence in present form. Thanks for your Spark today.
We all practice our terraphilia in our own way with our own gifts, Gary. No comparisons are necessary, because it's about our individual relationship, not a competition of any sort. :)
Don't you just love the joy of that sculpture of St. Francis? I hope to visit him again in summer and see the fountain running, so he really is dancing on water.
Susan, again and again, you don't allow me to forget our essential Earth.
"Practicing terraphilia...is a strength-training routine for our hearts and spirits."
We are feeling the stirrings of spring here in the Northeast. Even the high winds are reminding us of what's ahead. I can't wait for the bounty of rabbits. Already today the birds were trilling from every rooftop we passed.
Marlena, Thank you for your words, as always! La verdad essencial es que La Tierra y La Naturaleza son nuestro hogar. (My apologies for my clumsy Spanish.) I am so glad that you are feeling the stirrings of spring, high winds notwithstanding. May the trilling birds and the hints of green bring spring to your heart and spirit as well. Blessings!
This: "Practicing that cell-level attachment to a world larger and more lasting than human concerns reminds us to live with love and care, to stay centered, connected and kind."
Thank you for sharing a light on the path. We're in the thick of it now, and without these types of practices, we won't have the strength to move through and beyond. I like the idea that it's strength training, too -- as important an exercise as any I do at the gym.
Stephanie, You're right, without tending our hearts and spirits, we won't have the strength to do whatever we are called to do in these times. It seems to me that practicing our terraphilia and other spiritually strengthening exercises are at least as important as tending our physical bodies, and perhaps more important given how hard it is to stay grounded and balanced in the debilitating chaos of current events. Blessings and a warm hug to you!
Grounding and inspiring piece. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Stephanie! We are all trying to uplift and strengthen each other in these times. Blessings to you.
Susan, your words feel like a calming breeze in the midst of chaos. Terraphilia and its grounding power resonate deeply, and your personal story of how it sustained you through painful times is incredibly moving - thank you for sharing. I love the idea of bringing nature into my daily life; it’s such an accessible way to nurture ourselves, isn't it? As my garden wakes with early spring, I feel myself waking up too, ready to reconnect, act with love and find strength in the world, heart and spirt around me.
Deborah, I agree: Bringing nature into our daily lives is the best way to nurture ourselves, and it's free. (Which is why it's not prescribed more by western medicine, I'm afraid. Nature exposure can't be synthesized and patented for profit.) Thanks for that image of your garden waking up, and you waking up too with purpose and strength, grounding and compassion. Blessings!
Yes! The Earth reminds us of our place in her grand scheme of things...no more or less important.
Our cottage and garden keep me sane and on those days I find my mind spinning into what ifs, just walking out my door calms my spirit.
In this time of daily uncertainty, I lean heavily on what is certain and remember that all I can do is be the person I claim to be. It is all I am called to do...and it's enough.
We are seeing more signs of Spring each day...sending you warm hugs.
Kathleen
"Just walking out my door calms my spirit." I am so glad you have the cottage and your garden as a refuge and source of strength and sustenance, Kathleen. And you are right: being who we are and doing what we are called to do is enough, and together, our "enoughs" add up to a lot. May spring continue to uplift you and your beautiful poems.
Wonderful article Susan, thank you. I use nature as my healing balm whenever I can, through walking, landscape photography and in the garden. But when the weather limits this, I have to agree, just looking at a beautiful landscape or nature image, or film grounds me and takes me back to that healing place.
Thank you, Lin! I am glad that you have your images and film to give you that balm and grounding when you can't get outside. We all need the connection to the wider and wilder world to sustain us in these times.
This has a calming effect. I also like what you say about “right action.” Thank you.
Christina, I thought I answered this when you posted it, but somehow it didn't come through (maybe my answer was only in my mind!). At any rate, thank you for reading, and I'm glad I can be calming and also inspire us to effective action in these times. Blessings to you.
Dear Susan, you're always so inspiring ... and we all of us owe you a huge bow of thanks for coining the term "terraphilia." It's the perfect practice for these times. And you describe it so well here, as strength training. Brava! The fact that terraphilia was your salvation during the hardest time in your life tells us everything we need to know about the healing power of nature -- and how she will save us now. May you be well. May all of us be well. May all beings be well. 🙏🏽
Jeanne, Thank you so much for your words, especially the beautiful benediction for us all at the end. Yes, may we all--all beings--be well. Blessings to you in abundance!
Your points are well taken. Thanks for your clarity of thought.
I know from personal experience that contact with nature helps and may well have been the reason I survived, not without scars and occasional demons, but so I could contribute to some small part of our understanding of the natural world. Many humans regard the natural world as not important and themselves as separated from it. Yet their very existence depends, as we have discussed earlier, on being a part of that world. Our peace of mind also depends on this, as I have been trying to tell our local city council. In protecting our natural areas within the city, we are not only preserving our wildlife, forests and wetlands, we are preserving our sanity, especially in this difficult time.
I like that last sentence: "In protecting our natural areas within the city, we are not only preserving our wildlife, forests and wetlands, we are preserving our sanity, especially in this difficult time." We are indeed preserving our sanity when we preserve and conserve our connection to nature nearby. Blessings!
Thanks Susan! Great reminder just when I was beginning to drown in the Orange Guy's latest antics!
Always good to be reminded not to let the chaos swirl you in. Hugs to you, Sue!
My Mom calls him that too!
LOVE DOES WIN... that is my new mantra. And the image of St. Francis dancing on water is a keeper as well.
Thank you, dear Susan.
Liz
It's a good mantra. And isn't that a great statue of St. Francis? It's behind the cathedral, and I'll be interested to see if they do have it hooked up to a waterline, because it would be fun to see him actually dancing on water this summer. Love and blessings to you.
I will definitely check it out and let you know. XOXOXO
You can’t help but smile at the joy the statue radiates, even with no water in the fountain. It’s behind the cathedral on the corner closest to the Drury.
I am one hundred percent with you, a believer in terraphilia. Was just reading Birding to Change the World — the science of bird song and wild life exposure and outdoor air underscores what we know intuitively to be true.
Thanks much, Beth. I'll have to look for a copy of Birding to Change the World, although I grew up with birders, so I usually avoid birding books because of overexposure when I was young. (And that's why I'm a plant-geek, not a birder!) Blessings to you.
You are so right - time in Nature is such an ideal way to deal with stress, get the mind thinking about something other than the insanity taking place in our country, and find some inner peace. Your post reminds me of the many grant proposals I wrote to fund Nature education programs, mostly for elementary students. I would cite the numerous studies indicating the many health, social, and academic benefits of spending time in Nature. Just seeing green things growing outside a classroom window had beneficial impacts on kids. Thank you for the frequent reminders to get outside.
All of those kids who passed through your programs are immensely lucky, Dave, because those programs nurtured their terraphilia and gave them a healthy foundation to draw on. Thank you for having that vision and giving them that gift! Now just remember to give it to yourself. Every day.
I laughed when I read the suggestion about a nature screensaver. I was born in the mountains of Arizona and love the Ponderosa pines. Walking among them is something I miss terribly, although in reality I don't expect to see them in person again. I have a beautiful screensaver made from a photo I took when I had a small cabin in Pine, Arizona for a few years. When I feel stressed or tired, a few minutes of focusing on the pines is like a mini-vacation.
Oh, those pondos! They are such beautiful trees when they grow up, and the old ones have seen so much in their lives. I'm glad you have a photo of your beloved ponderosas from your cabin among them to look at when you need to settle your systems and find your calm. If only digital technology could bring you the fragrance of their terpenes on a sunny day too, but I imagine you can bring that up from your many memories.
Terraphilia,
Gaia’s gym for bodies, beings.
Bath for breaths, brains, bonds.
...
Loving living Earth,
‘our species’ superpower.’
Refuel to resist.
Another beautiful and evocative poem, Marisol! Thank you for sharing your gift.
Thanks as always Susan for concise thinking and inspiring writing in this post. As a bit of a terraphiliac myself-not claiming a skillset that remotely approaches yours-you stimulate both heart and spirit by what you say.
Today’s image of the sculpture of St. Francis of Assisi provoked feelings of both freedom and taking flight. A wonderful selection, Susan. As I read today, images from my own past experiences in Nature welled up. Great Spirit is omnipresent, enduring, and vital to our brief existence in present form. Thanks for your Spark today.
We all practice our terraphilia in our own way with our own gifts, Gary. No comparisons are necessary, because it's about our individual relationship, not a competition of any sort. :)
Don't you just love the joy of that sculpture of St. Francis? I hope to visit him again in summer and see the fountain running, so he really is dancing on water.
Many blessings to you!
I hope your summer visit does just that!
Thanks, Gary. :)
Susan, again and again, you don't allow me to forget our essential Earth.
"Practicing terraphilia...is a strength-training routine for our hearts and spirits."
We are feeling the stirrings of spring here in the Northeast. Even the high winds are reminding us of what's ahead. I can't wait for the bounty of rabbits. Already today the birds were trilling from every rooftop we passed.
Marlena, Thank you for your words, as always! La verdad essencial es que La Tierra y La Naturaleza son nuestro hogar. (My apologies for my clumsy Spanish.) I am so glad that you are feeling the stirrings of spring, high winds notwithstanding. May the trilling birds and the hints of green bring spring to your heart and spirit as well. Blessings!
This: "Practicing that cell-level attachment to a world larger and more lasting than human concerns reminds us to live with love and care, to stay centered, connected and kind."
Thank you for sharing a light on the path. We're in the thick of it now, and without these types of practices, we won't have the strength to move through and beyond. I like the idea that it's strength training, too -- as important an exercise as any I do at the gym.
Stephanie, You're right, without tending our hearts and spirits, we won't have the strength to do whatever we are called to do in these times. It seems to me that practicing our terraphilia and other spiritually strengthening exercises are at least as important as tending our physical bodies, and perhaps more important given how hard it is to stay grounded and balanced in the debilitating chaos of current events. Blessings and a warm hug to you!