We, as human animals, emerged from the natural world. Linked to this, nature therapy has evolved as a method of soothing our jangled nervous systems. Have you ever wondered why relaxation recordings often include nature sounds or scenes from nature? On a subconscious level, we recognize the natural wild environment as a comforting, homey feeling in the same way that a drumbeat connects us to the memory of our mother's heartbeat in the womb. When we connect to the nurturing, feminine energy of nature and the natural world, we return to a more grounded state, one more stable than our typical daily stress.

The feminine energy that I’m referring to is not to be mistaken as part of the political women-against-patriarchy dispute. Nor is it a gender bias. It’s deeper than that. I’m referring to the energies of feminine and masculine that operate within each of us, regardless of our sex or gender. For too long, especially since the Industrial Revolution, we’ve been pushing competitively with masculine energy. The masculine penetrating actions that we’ve all been programmed to push ahead with on a daily basis is stressful, and it should be balanced with feminine care-taking energy for homeostasis. This applies across the board in my wide-angle, circular perception.

Loving and connecting with nature is a feminine process, as we attempt to maintain a healthy feminine-masculine balance. Think along with me for a moment. The natural environment (Earth) can be thought of as a womb from which all aspects of nature are born. We Homo sapiens make our homes in nature just as other animals do. Many of the shelters taught in wilderness survival education originated from animals, such as nests of squirrels and birds. A well-made primitive debris hut is a perfect human-animal "nest," warm, dry, and safe, just as other nests provide spaces to care for fragile young animals. And instinct keeps the adult animals attached to the young. This instinctual attachment to others and our environment is feminine, happening deep within.