How connected to Nature do you feel?

Do you make time for Nature?

Do you spend intentional moments observing and checking in with Nature?

For the sake of transparency, these are trick questions. Contrary to popular belief, Nature is not this separate entity that exists outside. You are Nature. Nature is you. There is no distinction. The trees, animals, and that thing you may occasionally go visit or admire is simply another iteration of your physical existence. You ARE Nature. It’s not something outside of you. The seasonal flow, the sun and moon, the soil and plants… all you.

This illusion of separation is responsible for much of the dysfunction and dis-ease we experience in our modern lives. Many things that we think of as “normal” are not natural and are the product of industrialized civilizations and are new concepts to our species. These ways of being have severed our connection to the Earth and ultimately the connection to ourselves and our very innate nature.

This is the genesis for Feminine Shame and the ways it negatively impacts every aspect of our lives, regardless of gender or physical anatomy.

Things like living off processed and fast foods, sitting in a chair all day, staring at screens from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, living in climate controlled environments, ignoring our circadian rhythms, pushing past our limits, glorifying exhaustion, and going against seasonal needs and flows, etc. have all contributed to the state of our planet, our rapidly declining physical and mental health, and I’d even go so far as to say crime rates, the objectification of women, and more.  It’s all connected.

The waxes and wanes of nature exist for a reason!

When we resist the natural rhythms of life, either consciously or subconsciously, we create dis-ease and disharmony on all levels of our being – physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. We feel lost, disjointed, frustrated, and purposeless. We feel depleted and burnt out and aren’t tapped into our own life force energy.

All living things on Earth require periods of rejuvenation, purging, expansion, and building. We aren’t meant to exist in one of these phases indefinitely. When operating from that core wound, from shame, this natural rhythm is lost. Add that to a lack of trust for the body, and we have bigger challenges!

Thankfully, you don’t have to face those challenges alone. Remember that you are Nature, which means that you have all the strength, wisdom, resiliency, and gifts of the Mother to support you. On my own journey I’ve foraged lessons from the forest of experiences and now I’m inviting you to claim your own share of these wonderful resources:

Healing Feminine Shame

Feminine Shame is an intense and deeply held resistance, aversion, resentment, and fear towards anything that is soft, transient, cyclical, fluid, passive, nurturing, intuitive, an/or emotional in nature. It is a shame towards that which is natural. Identifying, confronting, and healing the programs that drive the wedge further between us and Nature are crucial. Feminine Shame is a deep, insidious thing that impacts every facet of our life. We’re all carrying a legacy of it, regardless of our gender or anatomy. Read more

Connecting To Your Body

Your body is a miniature Earth! It’s made of the same elements and has its own cycles and seasons and rhythms. Cultivating a deeper connection with and greater sense of gratitude for it will support you in living a more natural life. Read more

Seasonal Living

Living Seasonally helps us to plug back into the natural way of living; a way of living that our bodies and cellular intelligence understand. By having the external mirror of the flowing of the seasons as our guide, we remember what we’ve known all along. Read more

Working With the Wheel of The Mother

InnerSpark’s Wheel, inspired by the seasons, offers an energetic, archetypal invitation to explore the eight facets of The Mother within ourselves for growth, healing, and transformation. These eight members of your inner wisdom council are always available and ready to offer you specific practices, invitations, insights, and more. Read more

Herbalism

The practice of using physical plant matter in herbal medicine to enhance our well-being and human experience can be seen in a variety of modalities from Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine to Native Americans and other indigenous peoples around the world. Herbal medicine is the primary resource for healing and physical body support, and these “alternative medicine” practices have been around a lot longer than the allopathic approach of today. Read more

Plant Medicine

Plants are wonderful allies that allow life on Earth to even be possible for us! From providing nourishment, healing, energetic support, clothing, and more, these Earth-grown goodies are profound. In this article, I lay out the four main forms of plant medicines and how to incorporate them into your life. Read more