Cycle of Life// Rewilding
- sustainatives
- Jul 28, 2021
- 4 min read
Recent events have been showing me the truth in the cycles of life.
It’s been said before, and would definitely been mentioned multiple times on the internet, so I won’t go into detail as to what I mean by ‘cycle of life’.
I’ll just put it this way: the more I allow myself time and space to quieten my mind, the more I feel the presence of what some call the “not-human” parts of life; emotions, fears, the trees, sky, rivers, creatures of the wild, the wind. And the more I allow myself to feel these things, the more intimate I get with life.
And life isn’t always pretty or easy. It can challenge me, sometimes to the point I question my existence. It asks of me questions where I have to dig deeply to answer. It stretches me beyond what I believe is reality.
I’ve been working with Claire Dunn as a mentor and guide for over a year now, and this has been a big theme we’ve touched on; the journey of entering the mystery of life. Of being able to continue walking forward even if you can’t see your own feet. It’s been one of the most challenging experiences I’ve had to face. Still facing. I am someone who has a very strong analytical mind. I not only observe, but I try to understand and see both the parts the make the whole as well as the bigger picture. It can be exhausting. Inspiring and energetic at times, but it can drain me fast. Especially when my mind is whirling with tasks and goals and logistics. Mix in worries, social media and a desire to offer something valuable to the world, and you have a melting pot of a modern human being.
What do I mean a ‘modern human being’?
"Caged by convenience, we modern humans have forgotten our wild roots, our acute capacities of perception, our kinship with the natural world."
Rewilding the Urban Soul by Claire Dunn
A human that is very much involved in how they present themselves through their clothes, possessions, what they’ve achieved, how they earn their money, how much money they have, what gadgets they can afford, which countries they’re travelled to; basically a human who is very much involved in their outward and physical appearance.
I’ve noticed this is part of why social media has billions of users. Why digital technology is increasingly ‘advancing’. Why cities are expanding. Why we have epidemics of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Why we feel so disconnected from life and each other. Why the world feels so violent at times. Why we are seeing more sedentary and over-weight people. Why we are seeing people unhappy with their weight and their body shape.
Is it any wonder these are all present int the world when we are constantly bombarded with noise? From advertisements (billboards, the radio playing on the bus, “free” Spotify and YouTube, magazines, social media influencers etc). To loud machinery and vehicles. To competitive and desperate attempts to survive in the world of social media. People talking at each other, rather than with each other.
It’s not a new truth, but I’ll say it again: we are an over-stimulated, anxious, disconnected society.
Digital technology, social media and scientific advancements may help us with feeling more connected to people all around the world, with extending our lifespans, with exploring other habitable planets in the galaxies, with saving more lives, with discovering more of the human potential, but I feel like it won’t be technology itself that will help us thrive.
It’ll be humans itself.
It’ll be in kind words, in generous actions, in peaceful communication, in practices that a sense of stillness and inner quiet, in the mindful choices.
It’ll be in realising that we aren’t here to control everything, but to be part of the whole. That we have our roles as humans, and if we are to abandon those roles the whole system will collapse.
What does this have to do with ‘cycles of life’?
I’ve been learning more about rewilding the self, in decolonising the mind.
And through this process, I’m learning that there are times for things to be alive, to rest, to fall and to no longer be.
That I learn about this process, not just intellectually, but also deep in my bones, when I allow myself to pay attention.
To my breath. To my thoughts. To what is happening around me and within me.
Claire’s work of rewilding (as well as others ie Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone) and her recent book, Rewilding the Urban Soul, continues to inspire me to my own work of deep inquiry.
To ask questions, even if they’re difficult in nature and to answer. To feel rather than just think my way through life. To embrace life’s invitations and let myself be swept into an adventure, rather than a well-thought out life plan.
May this adventure continue serving me wind-y paths and forks in the road that encourage me to be present with the journey.
"Sit. Listen. Observe. Question. Share. Question. Get super curious. Repeat."
Rewilding the Urban Soul by Claire Dunn
Other Links:
Claire's other book: My Year Without Matches
On rewilding:
Decolonising the Mind
Article from Stars Leadership Institute
Ella Noah Bancroft's work
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