Roots of Belonging: Reconnecting to the Land That Holds You
Woman leaning against a tree trunk, eyes closed, relaxing, connecting ot the land
In a world of constant movement, noise, and digital distraction, many of us feel a deep ache inside. We are connected to everything online but disconnected from the very ground beneath our feet. Rewilding yourself is not only about escaping into nature—it is about remembering that you belong to the land, and the land belongs to you. This sense of rootedness, this return to the soil of your being, is what I call the roots of belonging.
In this post, we’ll explore why belonging to the land matters, how we’ve lost touch with it, and how you can begin to restore that connection in simple, powerful ways.
Why Belonging to the Land Matters
Humans are not separate from nature. We evolved within forests, rivers, mountains, and open skies. Our nervous systems are tuned to the rhythm of the wild—the cycle of day and night, the turn of the seasons, the songs of birds at dawn.
When you reconnect to the land, you are not just taking a walk in the woods. You are stepping back into alignment with the ecosystem that created you. This brings benefits on every level:
Mental health: Studies show that time in nature lowers stress, reduces anxiety, and improves focus.
Physical health: Walking outdoors, breathing fresh air, and absorbing natural light strengthen the immune system and restore energy.
Spiritual health: Nature gives us perspective. When you stand before an ancient oak or watch the tide rolling in, you feel part of something far larger than yourself.
Belonging is medicine. It heals the loneliness and fragmentation so many of us carry.
How We Lost Our Connection
Modern culture has drawn us away from our roots. Many of us spend 90% of our lives indoors. Our work happens in artificial environments. Our leisure is mediated by screens. Even our food often comes packaged and processed, far removed from the soil or sea that nourished it.
This disconnection creates what some call “nature deficit disorder.” But it goes deeper than that. It is a forgetting of who we are. Without connection to the land, we forget our place in the web of life. We begin to treat nature as a resource to exploit, rather than a living home to belong to.
The good news is that the path back is always waiting. The wild is never truly lost—it only waits for us to turn and listen.
Rewilding as a Path to Belonging
Rewilding yourself means stepping back into relationship with the living world. It’s not about abandoning modern life but about weaving wildness back into your daily rhythm.
Here are some ways you can begin:
1. Walk the Land With Presence
Choose a local path, woodland, or riverbank and walk slowly. Leave your phone in your pocket. Breathe deeply. Notice the texture of the ground, the sounds of birds, the scent of the air. Presence transforms a simple walk into a practice of belonging.
2. Learn the Names of Plants and Trees
To know the names of the beings around you is to enter into relationship with them. Start small: identify three local trees, three wildflowers, or three birds. Each name anchors you deeper into the story of the land.
3. Create Small Rituals Outdoors
Ritual is a way of showing respect and intention. Light a candle at dawn in your garden. Pour a little water on the soil as thanks before a meal. Whisper gratitude to a tree. These acts root your spirit in place.
4. Eat From the Local Land
Whenever possible, choose foods grown in your region. Farmers’ markets, foraging, and seasonal eating bring the cycle of the land back into your body. Every bite becomes a form of connection.
5. Listen to the Silence
Silence is not empty—it is full of the voice of the earth. Find a quiet place outdoors, sit still for ten minutes, and listen. In that silence, you will feel your own roots reaching down.
The Deeper Meaning of Roots
Roots are not just physical. They are spiritual and emotional. To be rooted means:
Stability: Like a tree in the storm, you bend but do not break.
Nourishment: Roots draw sustenance from deep soil. You draw strength from belonging.
Interconnection: Underground, roots touch and communicate with others. Your belonging connects you with all beings.
When you feel ungrounded or anxious, ask yourself: Where are my roots? How can I return to them today?
Belonging in Modern Times
You may wonder, “But I live in a town, or I don’t have easy access to wilderness.” Belonging doesn’t require a distant forest. You can begin wherever you are:
A tree in your street can become a teacher.
A patch of sky outside your window can remind you of vastness.
A garden plant, tended with care, can reconnect you to cycles of growth.
Belonging begins not with the size of the landscape but with the quality of your attention.
A Simple Practice: Root Meditation
Here is a short daily practice to ground you in belonging:
Stand barefoot on the earth, or place your feet firmly on the ground indoors.
Close your eyes and breathe slowly.
Imagine roots extending from your feet into the soil, reaching deeper with every breath.
Feel those roots drawing up strength, calm, and nourishment.
As you breathe out, imagine offering your gratitude back into the earth.
Do this for five minutes each morning, and notice how your sense of groundedness changes.
Why This Matters Now
We live in times of ecological crisis. Forests are cut down, seas polluted, species disappearing daily. It is easy to feel helpless. Yet the first step toward healing the planet is healing our relationship with it.
When you feel belonging to the land, you naturally begin to protect it. Care is born from connection. By rewilding yourself, you help rewild the world.
Final Thoughts
The roots of belonging are already inside you. They have never been cut, only hidden. Every step you take on the earth, every breath of wind in your lungs, every sip of water is a reminder: you belong here.
To rewild yourself is to return to this truth. The land does not ask you to be perfect. It only asks you to show up, to listen, and to remember.
So go outside today. Touch the bark of a tree. Listen to the silence. Feel the ground beneath your feet. And know this: the land has always held you, and always will.
