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Start feeling more grounded—in just a few minutes a day.
Download the free 7-Day Nature Reconnection Guide and begin gently regulating your nervous system through simple, research-informed practices—no forest required.
We respect your space.
No spam. No noise. Just occasional, grounding emails with reflections, practices, and seasonal insights. Unsubscribe anytime—no hard feelings.
Living in Harmony with Nature: A Daily Practice for a Healthier World
Sol Reed
- May 20, 2025
The first time I truly grasped the concept of harmony with nature, I was barefoot, standing at the edge of a small creek near Puget Sound. A heron lifted off the water with barely a sound, and something clicked. This wasn’t just scenery—it was a relationship. One I’d been missing.
We’re not separate from nature. We are nature.
And yet modern society has largely forgotten that. As we continue to push the limits of our technological systems, churn through fossil fuels, and rely on single-use plastics, the negative impact on ecological systems, animal populations, and our daily lives becomes impossible to ignore.
Living in harmony with Mother Nature isn't about big sacrifices or preaching from the mountaintop. It's about simple actions taken consistently: walking instead of driving, choosing local food sources, or refusing that extra plastic bottle. These choices ripple out, and over time, they help us restore a healthy environment for future generations.
One of the most urgent concerns is the loss of biodiversity. Biological diversity isn’t just about exotic animals—it’s the web of natural processes that sustains life. Wild birds nesting in your garden, the bees in your veggie patch, the baby birds chirping in spring—each plays a role. And when they disappear, so do parts of us.
The United Nations has recognised this, placing harmony with nature at the heart of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. It calls for action not just from governments but from civil society, private sectors, and individual action. It’s a shared responsibility. From private sector industries like the timber sector, to community groups and indigenous peoples—everyone has a role.
That’s where the concept of Nature Positive comes in. It shifts our thinking from just reducing harm to actively contributing to restoration. Through eco-friendly practices, slow food movements, and even biodiversity footprint assessments, we can help reverse environmental degradation.
It’s also about reimagining our relationship with nature from a non-anthropocentric perspective. This means recognising nature not just for its utility, but as a living system with intrinsic value. When connection with nature becomes part of our professional lives, our societal systems, and even our knowledge systems—from scientific knowledge to ecological knowledge—we start to heal.
My friends in the Sumas First Nation speak often of walking in step with the flow of life. That kind of integration with nature is something we all need to relearn. It’s how we keep human societies and human systems resilient.
And while the challenges—from biodiversity loss to sick animals, polluted carbon sinks, and disconnected human societies—may feel overwhelming, simple practices matter. So does wise skepticism of the status quo. We need critical inquiry, yes—but also grounded, gentle persistence.
Every morning, I return to that creek. I watch the light shift through the trees, listen to the rustle of wild animals, feel the ground beneath my feet. These moments remind me that harmony with nature offers more than just physical health or mental well-being—it offers belonging.
Let’s not just visit nature. Let’s belong to it again.
About the Author
Sol Reed
Sol Reed is a queer writer, seasonal observer, and student of the more-than-human world. Raised between coastal dunes and eucalypt forest, Sol writes at the quiet intersection of grief, presence, and place—where reconnection is less a goal and more a remembering.
Their reflections draw from deep ecology, folk wisdom, and the subtle patterns of the Earth’s turning. With a background in arts education and storytelling, Sol invites readers into slower rhythms, deeper noticing, and the sacred ordinary of everyday nature.
Sol lives on Yuin Country in a handbuilt cabin near the sea, where they grow herbs, write by the tides, and believe that belonging is something we practise.
