The Flow of Nature in the Face of Change

Last Updated on August 15, 2023 by Avia

How Nature Helps us Deal with Trauma and Change: I’ve been going through a rough patch lately (I know, who isn’t, right?). Mostly, I’m grappling with transitions and how life demands to be reorganized and perception re-adjusted after a big change. When a shift takes place in one’s life, the whole construct beckons to accommodate for that change. It’s rather irksome, isn’t it? I mean…we’re rolling along through life, everything is peachy keen, and then the bottom drops out. When that happens, our past ways of maneuvering through life are no longer effective.

For example, if a loved one dies, the old construct of living life simply doesn’t work anymore. That’s when Nature is always a healing salve to my jangled nerves and helps me adjust my overturned applecart of functioning.

How Nature Helps and Heals in Times of Traumatic Change

How so? How does Nature help in times of heartwrenching, traumatic change? Well, consider how Nature is synonymous with change..the two go hand-in-hand. Nature and change both dance to the same kind of music. That is to say, Nature moves in the rhythm of change. Transition, transformation, and renewal are constant dance partners in our natural environment. Stuff is dying in a forest every minute of every day. In its stead, more stuff is being born or blossoming. It’s that whole “circle of life” thing. Nature doesn’t bemoan the loss of a blueberry bush or a bumblebee…it simply acknowledges the repurposing of energy and makes room for the new birth of a birch tree or a beetle.

I love this, and I’ve found Nature to be a resplendent guru when it comes to acceptance, and reestablishing harmony when sh*t goes horribly out-of-sorts in my life. Rather than gnash my teeth, and render my garments in grief, anger, sorrow or regret…Nature nudges me to step in the flow of life (in all its phases, including afterlife).

Symbolic Living and Natural Magic — Observing Order in Nature’s Life Cycles

Observing Order in Nature is Reassuring and Calming in the Face of Calamity

When I look to the copse of sun-dappled maples dancing in my backyard, I see no drama at the loss of a fellow mate that perished in a recent thunderstorm.

Instead, I observe a celebration in a new phase of life for that fallen maple.
An orchestra of insects has descended upon its bark, burrowing their way into deep, tasty treasures or anchoring themselves in a perfect new home within the maple’s marrow.
Next, I see a sea of birds attracted to all this hubbub of new life born from the decomposing maple tree.
And then mice, voles, squirrels arrive..performing their own funerary dance for the fallen arboreal soul.
This, in turn, snatches the attention of the fox, who pounces deftly upon her prey so her kits may eat another day.
Finally, my beloved buzzards hover, seeking remnants to consume with their ever-alert senses.

These cycles…so organic, fluid, and rhythmic inspire comfort when change broadsides me like a bullet between the eyes.

Nature Reinforces a No-Drama Zone

Rather than be paralyzed or traumatized, I look to Nature. I ask, “WWND?” (what would Nature do)? In the throes of grief or unwanted feelings or adjustments, Nature beckons stillness, surrender, serenity.

Seeking succor in Nature’s majesty, I see very few tantrums. I do not sense self-destructive behavior. There is no ego crashing through the forest screaming out, “Why me?! WhatamIgonnadonow!?! WTF!?” Nope. Nature is both constant and revolutionary. In fact, Nature and spiritual growth go hand-and-hand because it reinforces calm, grounded, tranquility.

Instead, I sense peace, balance, comfort. Where my human, self-centric mind fails, rails, flails, and bellyaches…Nature remains resolute in the order and comforting balance of life. I take a lot of solace from that. Maybe you can too.

Just thinkin’. As always, thanks for reading!

Mighty brightly,