Touch Grass

It’s time for our midweek turnaround. a brief, gentle turning practice to orient you to what matters. It includes a prompt for a meditative activity for disentangling from the default American mindset and connecting more closely with yourself and your surroundings. You may find it helpful to have a journal at hand, but it’s not required. I hope these practices of body and heart bring you peace and connection in the middle of whatever storm is blowing around you at the moment. Today’s newsletter is part of my series about connecting with and learning from plants.

Recently, we’ve been engaging with plants in different ways for our weekly practice. Today, I want to take a step back for a minute and talk about why. What is it that plants do to and for us when we pay attention to them? Or, as the kids say, when we “touch grass.”

I’d say 90% of the social media content I see about being in nature is written like an advertisement, as if nature was a vitamin we could take or a fancy new product we could buy. Nature reduces stress and anxiety! It improves your mood! It enhances cognitive function, boosts self esteem, teaches you to engage your senses. Yada yada. These aren’t WRONG, I guess, but… imagine if someone you cared about talked about you that way. “Wow, being around Amy makes me feel so grounded and mindful.” It’s like you don’t care about being with me nearly as much as what I do for you. Does that feel as icky to you as it does to me?

One thing I love about telling someone to “touch grass” is that it’s as straightforward as when my hairdresser hangs up a sign in her salon that says “Call your mom.” You don’t need a reason. No one needs to tell you that talking with your mom for an hour each week will reduce your stress and anxiety and improve your mood. (Well, at least with some moms.) The benefits go without saying because she’s someone you care about. Someone you rely on to give you an emotional home in the world, remind you of the best parts of yourself, share the joy of your love together.

That’s how “nature” is for me. Being with trees and plants is being home. Yes, it improves my mood, almost immediately, but that’s because when I step into green space, I suddenly feel a confidence of my place in the world that I only find when I’m with the beings closest to me. The trees and plants and I belong to each other. Not in how this computer I’m typing on belongs to me, but in how family and friends belong to one another.

So, your assignment this week is to touch grass. That’s it. Touch grass (or a hug a tree or a rustle a fern or chat with a plant of your choice) and enjoy the interaction for its own sake. Feel the sense of belonging. Feel the love. And when you’re done, maybe call your mom.

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