Thinking “With” Nature to Address Just About Any Health Issue
Did you know that in a forest, if a tree is struggling, other trees have ways of sending it nutrients to help it out?
There are moments that I feel so profoundly touched by the majesty of nature that it brings tears to my eyes. I think we sometimes forget that nature isn’t a location we visit on a hike. It’s what we are.
There is not an atom in the universe to which we are not somehow connected. As intelligent and amazing as we humans are, we still experience infinite reality through a relative pin hole.
If we want to experience the best health outcomes possible, we need to expand our vision and work with the genius of nature that knows how to heal us when we stop tearing ourselves down faster than we can rebuild.
In graduate school, I participated in a joint doctoral Medical Anthropology program between UC Berkeley and UCSF medical school where I gained a unique perspective on human health. Traveling to other countries and sub-cultures within countries was equally eye opening. My research taught me something crucial that I would like us all to really get, because it has the potential to change all our lives, as it has changed mine and those of countless clients.
In mainstream health culture, we are missing the big big picture of how nature works.
We are not thinking and living in alignment with our evolutionary biology… or psychology. For example, people believe that if you if you get fat, you should just eat less. If you have acid reflux, you should take an antacid. If you have high cholesterol, you should take a statin. If you have an unpleasant emotion, you should numb or avoid it. If you understand how the human body works, you will see that these strategies are the logical equivalent of your house being on fire and thinking that if you take the battery out of the smoke detector, it will stop the fire. This is not only blatantly inaccurate thinking, but it is also very dangerous.
Instead of working with the genius of nature, our current most widespread “health” strategies try to conquer nature.
They are not biocompatible, meaning they don’t work with our biology in a way that addresses the root causes without triggering cascades of harmful side-effects. We are pulling the battery out of the smoke alarm and not putting out the fire. Furthermore, so many approaches are one-size fits all and not bioindividual, or tailored to each person’s unique biology and personality.
And, tragically, we have a culture of fighting disease, not nurturing health. We “battle” cancer and heart disease. We “declare war” on drugs. We’ve been “fighting” COVID-19. Sure, there are times we may need to kill microbes that make us sick, but, in most cases, they only make us sick in the first place because we do not effectively nurture resilience. Instead, we have normalized both neglecting and overburdening our precious bodies, minds and hearts as we destroy the very ecosystems we depend upon for life.
In our culture, we think it’s honorable to forsake our most basic human needs to the point we get sick. Then, we get mad at our bodies when we feel unpleasant symptoms, which are nature’s genius way of begging for nurture. We think it’s normal to expect doctors to give us magic pills to cover up symptoms, which is essentially telling our bodies to shut up and stop asking for help.
Then, we are surprised when we get sicker, more disabled and increasingly unhappy. We think it’s just bad luck or all about genetics. We don’t realize that over 90% of health is lifestyle and the extent to which we replicate the habits that made our parents sick. This “war on disease” approach makes it virtually impossible for the genius of nature that governs your cells and microbes to heal you. However, when we shift our focus away from fighting disease and fall in love with nurturing health, the capacity for healing is awe-inspiring.
When you commit to address the root causes of your health issues and find biocompatible, bioindividual solutions that nurture well-being, here’s what gets to happen.
You dramatically decrease your disease and disability risks while increasing your probability of vibrant, able-bodied aging. That alone is amazing, but there’s so much more to it.
Because we are inseparable from nature, the same sustainable choices that optimize our health are healing for the planet and vice versa. Because your mind and emotions are extensions of your body, you experience more energy, confidence, calm and joy. And, when your health changes for the better, so does your whole life. You tend to think more clearly, have more patience and compassion, make better decisions and feel more love. In short, you get to experience more total pleasure and fulfillment in life.
Pushing against nature is always a losing battle.
Aligning with the genius of nature – the very essence of what we are – is always a win-win. The beauty of it is that we get to vote on the reality we want to create with our moment to moment choices.
We are each so much more powerful than we realize.
Wanna hear some impressive case histories and explore this approach to healing in more depth?
Check out this 45 min talk I gave for the Ohana Green Witches’ Back to Nature Summer Solstice Festival:
PS: Ohana Green Witches are three magical sisters here on Oahu in Hawaii. They’re a small, local business offering tinctures, hydrosols, teas, honey, seasonings and more. You can visit their site here!