04/17/2026
That’s me: a proud treehugger. Since childhood, I’ve always felt at home in nature. I’ve felt connected. Curious. Even compassionate.
There, I clearly see the cycles of the seasons—of birth, death, and rebirth. I sense all the beings, including the trees… and their wisdom. I can imagine and tap into the energy of the mycelium network underfoot and all around. I know magic is there; I am held in it. I am a part of it. ✨
A little caveat: I also have great reverence for the power of nature, knowing that I am very small, and that I am ultimately at her mercy. If you don’t know my story about the hurricane and landslide, I’ll talk about it another time.🌀
Growing up with hardship, neglect, and abuse, I often found solace by playing outside… climbing trees, staring up at the stars, digging in the dirt, harvesting wild berries, making flower chains and “potions,” and of course, the occasional mud pie. 🤎
Still, for decades of my life, I did not feel I belonged here, in this mad world (that we humans have constructed). I wanted to “go home” to Source. Yet I repeatedly found a sense of belonging in the woods. I know there are so many others who feel this way, or who have. 🙌🏽
Do you know that nature is a great co-regulator? Our nervous systems respond to our environments. We can often move into a more balanced state if we take a moment to pause, truly notice, breathe, and feel… to be held by nature.🌿
No woods nearby? If we step away from our desks, rise up from the couch in front of the TV, pause the scroll—and go outside—or sit near a window, walk out to a rooftop garden or local park, we still benefit. 🌱
Even imagining ourselves surrounded by nature causes our bodies to respond. It’s part of why seeing images of nature, or hearing recorded sounds like a babbling brook or birdsong, can instantly help us feel more present. 🙏🏼
I believe we’re seeing so much unrest in the world because we collectively have deep unrest and disconnection within. And it’s getting harder to ignore, deny, or avoid. We can sense this deep in our bones. We can see it in the many events unfolding around us. And many of us can feel it, even if we don’t always have words for it. Too often, we don’t know how to remedy it; we may feel helpless. Our human issues are complex, and we’re all part of this intricate, interconnected system. 🚦
What can we do?
Coming home to our own bodies is coming home to land on our shared Earth—home to us all, life-giver to us all. It is also a potent remedy for navigating these exceptionally challenging and rapidly changing times. The body is a wise instrument and a gateway. 🫶🏽
Somatics and embodiment are tools and practices we can learn and use to fine-tune our instruments… to be here, in presence. To return to center when we’re shaken off base, or when we find ourselves too diffuse. To witness ourselves and each other more deeply, and to live more fully. To gently and gradually thaw and acknowledge frozen, numbed, grieving, and traumatized places within us—and to feel pleasure and joy more richly, reconnecting to ourselves as whole beings.
To remember.
To truly recognize and honor our capacities, and who we really are. 💛
The trees know. May we learn from their rootedness, from their resilience. May we offer them reverence and respect, if not thanks, for all that they give—building materials, shade, a place to climb or rest, and the air we breathe. 🌳🌲
So go ahead and hug a tree, if you want to, the next time you can. That’s just you loving yourself—and our world.
💚 ~ a.rae
P.S. I invite you to follow me for somatic tips, micropractices, and inspiring stories.
