Deep in our inner self, perhaps buried under a lot of should’s, must’s, have-to’s, and self-admonishments, there is a being that whispers and tugs at us wanting expression. It can be found underneath the demanding inner voices telling us of how perfect we must be in everything we do or that we haven’t done enough.
If we release this wilder nature from the depths of our consciousness, a sense of renewal and revitalization awaits us. We feel its power to transform our experience of life as we connect to wildness within and wilderness without. Joy bubbles to the surface like a gurgling spring flowing over rocks, each drop of water making its way to the ocean, the vast source of life.
We honor our inner selves and the nature around us with its ability to heal and restore balance by taking a moment to reconnect with our wild selves. Here are a number of ways from the simple and easy to those that take more time to bring forth and release our wildness!
Start simply with your toes
Find a patch of fresh grass, moist with dew, maybe some flowering dandelions or fresh rain drops.
Take off your shoes and socks. Allow your bare feet to rest upon the earth. Wiggle your toes into the tickling green blades and let them search into the deep roots penetrating the soil.
As your feet connect with the living plants beneath you, close your eyes and imagine you are a rooted being too. Your feet and toes grow into taproots reaching down into Mother Earth and drawing up her nourishment.
You are practicing grounding, a way to reconnect yourself with the electrical charges that come from the Earth’s magnetic field. Electrons enter your body via your skin as it rests on the earth’s surface. Grounding theories claim that it can help reduce inflammation, restore the cardiovascular system, improve your mood, lower stress and even chronic pain.
I just think it feels so very good to be connected to the earth!
Take a walk on the wild side
Can you locate a wilderness area near where you live? Maybe a National Park or just a bit land left to go back to the wild where animals burrow into the ground or beavers build dams?
Carve out some time to go there.
Walk on a trail perhaps in a forest, along a stream or across an open meadow.
Or if you live by the beach, walk barefoot along the ocean waves. Pause frequently to listen and take in the scents, the sounds, the quality of the air.
Find a spot that calls to you with a log or a rock just waiting to be sat upon. If there is a waterfall or breaking waves, sit as close as you can to breathe in the negative ions that come from breaking water into smaller droplets. Negative ions are associated with higher levels of serotonin which elevates your mood and lowers your stress so inhale their essence.
Wherever you enjoy wilderness, allow your vision to diffuse as you gaze at the whole scene around you. We spend so much time with our eyes closely focused on computer screens or reading books. Our ancestors evolved to look far and wide while watching for changes in the weather, migration of animals and birds, or star patterns in the night sky.
Gazing in a diffused mode will relax and refresh your brain and thinking!
Releasing wild sounds
Little kids do it all the time and exhibit no embarrassment.
They mimic the cawing of crows, the croaking of frogs, the squawking of geese, the hooting of owls.
How about it? Let those vocal cords go!
Call to the wild coyote howling in your soul or the bear growling in your gut. Find somewhere safe where you can release to give voice to your wild side!
Find your place in space
Do you know where north, south, east and west are as you read this now? Orienting yourself on the earth is a way to connect with the energies of the planet swirling around you.
Many native cultures associate one of the four elements, earth, air, fire and water, with each of the directions. Getting in touch with these elements and how their energies are expressed can help your wild side find expression.
Depending on the tradition you follow, you’ll find different elements associated with different directions.
No worries, it’s all about what rings true to you so feel into it.
Choose which direction resonates with air and wind. Where does earth and water lie in your constellation of space? From which direction does fire light and warm up your life?
Calling the Four Directions and giving thanks for the element you assign to that direction is a way to acknowledge our wild selves.
Stand facing each one. As you turn, feel your position within the physical space surrounding you and contemplate the way the elements impact your life.
There are three more directions: Down to the earth beneath you and up to the sky above your head.
Finally, end by going into the space within you. Let yourself stand there, eyes closed and become centered in your wild self.
Dance, dance, dance away
When was the last time you let yourself dance with wild abandon?
Shaking the body awakens our wild nature.
Put on whatever music is irresistible to your body.
You just can’t listen to it without getting up and moving!
Clapping, stomping, shimmying, jumping, wiggling, jiggling, swaying, swinging and spinning – all of them will release the wildness lurking within you. Ok, if you’re shy, do it at home alone. The only rule is to stop all self judgement and let your body feel the music move your torso, legs, feet, arms, neck and head any way they want to go. Let out that trapped inner wildness!
Wild herbs will rewild your cellular metabolism
Wild herbs create compounds that communicate to our cells and their thousands of mitochondria that create ATP, the universal energy source for cellular metabolism. It’s an ancient language of biodiversity that sings to our genes and affects which ones are expressed for optimal health, which ones are suppressed to protect our wellbeing.
No matter where you live, you’ll find commonly eaten wild herbs nearby. Even in cities, though perhaps not the cleanest, herbs will pop up in parks and playgrounds. Get the free app, Picturethis, and let it help you identify the herbs that are safe to eat or drink.
Widely distributed leafy herbs like plantain and chickweed are easy ways to add wild herbs to your salads or soups. Others like spring nettles can be made into healing teas with their abundant minerals and anti-inflammatory compounds.
No time for stalking the wild herbs? Teeccino brings them to your cup.
Sip delicious carob pods from wild trees growing all over the Mediterranean, hand-harvested wild dandelion roots from E. European meadows, ramón seeds falling from the upper canopy of Central American rainforests, cinnamon bark from wild forests in Vietnam, adaptogenic herbs like eleuthero roots and schisandra berries or mushrooms like chaga and turkey tail all harvested by hand in Northern Chinese forests. These are just some of the wild herbs that bring their unique antioxidants, polysaccharides, and alkaloids to sing biodiversity into your cells and nourish your microbiome.
Feeling gratitude for Mother Earth
Our wild selves come alive in the presence of Mother Nature’s vibrancy.
Just noticing where the wild world touches our daily lives is a way to appreciate how profoundly nature sustains us and provides healing for our bodies.
By letting your wild self have its moment of expression, you’ll be in resonance with the wild world and all its mystery and majesty!
