20 years ago I began an apprenticeship in the Five Element style of acupuncture – a form of healing based on balancing the expressions of the natural elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) in the human body and mind. I went into it expecting a big change in how I treat patients, but an even bigger change occurred in how I relate to the world.

While I found it to be a pretty effective system of medicine, I believe its greatest value lies in the worldview it’s based upon: A world that’s wholly alive and full of Spirit. A world that we’ll forever belong to. A world that offers all the guidance and resources we need to be fully actualized beings.

My teacher often said, “This isn’t something you can learn from a book. Not really.” A book or teacher can point you in the right direction, but in the end the only way to truly get it is through a direct, personal relationship with the natural world.

I discovered that, even with a lifelong love of science, nature and I didn’t really have a living, two-way relationship. I explored, observed, and admired the natural world, but it felt like a one-way street. I could recognize that technically the materials and forces of nature birthed me and everything I hold dear, yet I wasn’t living this or consciously interacting with the Spirit of the world.

As I began to change my orientation, I noticed that even the slightest acknowledgment of my belongingness to this Spirit greatly affected how I feel. I now believe that when this relationship is healthy, we’re much less likely to experience anxiety and depression.

Today I want to encourage you to be open to a different kind of relationship with the natural world. What if it could offer an enduring sense of belonging, stability, clarity, and meaning? Before we get into the specifics of how to do this, let’s look a little deeper at how we got to where we are.

Although humans are as dependent on natural resources as ever, in the past century we’ve seen a huge shift to outsourcing nearly everything we eat, drink, wear, and utilize. It’s a nice gesture to say, “Thank you to the people who mined the rare elements and those who drilled for oil that was refined into the plastic and semiconductors that make this wondrous cell phone,” but this probably doesn’t offer a true sense of connection with our Source. Meanwhile, our technologies have provided us safety from most natural threats. The result of these advances is the perception that we dominate the world.

Until fairly recently, most people believed that humans were definitely not in control of the world – that was the job of gods and spirits. And even though the gods might be unpredictable, at least the weight of the world wasn't on our shoulders. 

This weight is heavier than we realize. While we’re patting ourselves on the back for being so much more sophisticated than earlier humans, we might ask why we’re experiencing epidemic rates of anxiety and depression.

I believe a significant factor is the belief that if we’re the masters of the world, that means it’s all up to us now. If we’re the masters of the world, there’s nothing bigger to belong to. We have fix everything and solve all the problems.

Luckily, there’s a path to relinquishing this burden. It’s not a matter of developing even greater technologies and bigger guns so there’s nothing that can threaten us. And it’s not a matter of telling ourselves, “It’s all up to God so we don’t need to take care of anything! Yay!”

Here are three principles to keep you on the path with heart:  

Remember: Remember that you belong to this world and not the other way around. Remember your origins, deep in your cells, with the air, the soil, the water, the fire, the plants, the minerals. . . Remember to make this recognition a priority, every day.

Reunite: Intentionally reunite with the natural world and all of creation. Find that thread of Oneness that connects and sanctifies everything, and forge a relationship with it. When you step on the earth, when you take a deep breath, when you put food in your mouth, be aware of the connection.

Rebuild: Rebuild a foundation in what is real, enduring, and always here and now. Rebuild a sense of belonging to the world, a sense of gratitude to the world, and a sense of trust in the Spirit that creates and animates all of it (including you).

I hope you find these directions useful, and always feel free to let your own heart guide you.

Love,

Peter