🌿 Are We Really Connecting to Nature?

A gentle reflection on integrity, lifestyle, and the messages we send.

In a time when wild swimming is trending, retreats promise to “reconnect you to the Earth,” and skincare lines boast being “infused with nature,” the idea of living a natural, conscious life is more marketable than ever. But are we really connecting to nature—or are we consuming it?

This isn’t about blame. It’s about awareness. It’s about checking in with ourselves, our integrity, and the ripple effect of our choices—whether we’re an eco-business owner, influencer, or simply doing our best to live more in tune with the Earth.

🌍 The Nature Paradox

We meditate under trees but bring plastic-packed snacks.

We hike to remote places but fly or drive there.

We light beeswax candles but use fuel-guzzling transport to buy them.

This is the paradox.

As people seek healing through nature, the ways we access that connection can sometimes harm the very thing we revere.

Research shows that time in nature improves mood, reduces stress, and boosts creativity (Bratman et al., 2015).

But when that time becomes another item to consume or post on social media, the experience can shift. Are we absorbing nature—or just using it for aesthetics and identity?

🧘‍♀️ Nature as Lifestyle or Nature as Relationship?

Nature isn’t a brand.

It's not a filtered sunrise or a sustainably printed slogan tee.

To truly connect to nature means building a relationship—one rooted in reciprocity, not extraction.

Writer and botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer calls this a “gift economy” with the Earth. In her book Braiding Sweetgrass (2013), she writes:

“All flourishing is mutual.”

When we take, we must also give. When we consume—even in the name of health and healing—we need to ask: what is the true cost?

🔄 Contradictions in Our Choices

Let’s look closer at a few examples many of us can relate to:

Skincare & Beauty
A natural facial oil may contain rare ingredients from across the globe, flown in and bottled in non-recyclable packaging. “Clean beauty” brands may greenwash their image without ethical sourcing or cruelty-and toxic free guarantees.

Food
Avocados are nutrient-dense but also contribute to deforestation and massive water consumption. Plant-based milks, while great alternatives to dairy, can come with their own ecological toll depending on origin and processing with misleading claims to being nutritious.

Retreat Culture
Many wellness retreats require flights, use of disposable materials, and leave behind an environmental footprint. Some repackage indigenous practices without respecting cultural context or sustainability.

Health, Botox and “Natural” Aesthetics
There’s also a rising conversation about natural lifestyles and being healthier that still include aesthetic procedures like Botox or fillers. Can we claim a connection to nature or selling health while modifying ourselves in ways that disconnect us from aging, intuition, and bodily cycles?

These contradictions aren’t wrong. They’re just real. And acknowledging them doesn’t mean abandoning our practices—but making them more aligned.

🔍 Pause. Reflect. Realign.

At The Wild Remedy, we believe in gentle, honest self-inquiry. Here are some journaling prompts to sit with:

• Do my choices reflect the values I speak about?
  
  

• What does “natural” mean to me—and is it rooted in relationship or branding?
  
  

• How do I honour the Earth in both big and small ways?
  
  

• Can I offer more gratitude or give something back after I receive?
  
  

• Where can I shift one thing to make it more harmonious?
  
  
  

🌿 Real Connection Begins with Integrity

Are we really connecting with nature if we’re harming it?”

The truth is: we all contradict ourselves sometimes. Living consciously isn't about perfection. It’s about awareness and accountability. If you’ve flown across the world or country to heal in nature, how can you give back—perhaps by supporting rewilding projects, planting trees, or offsetting emissions?

If you sell natural products, how transparent is your supply chain? Are you educating your audience or simply selling an image?

If you follow influencers for their nature-based and mindfulness content, look beyond the aesthetic. Who is walking with integrity? Who is uplifting the land, not just using it for content?

🎁 Free Download: “Nature & Integrity” Journal Pages

We’ve created a FREE digital resource to accompany this article—
“Nature & Integrity: 7 Days to Reflect and Realign.”

This printable PDF includes:

• Daily journal prompts
  

• Mindful actions to reconnect meaningfully with nature
  

• A values vs lifestyle choices reflection table
  

• A printable integrity intention card
  

👉 Download free 7 day reflect & realign

Final Thoughts 🌾

As the founder of The Wild Remedy, I’ve come to realise that truly connecting with nature isn't just about being in beautiful landscapes and retreats—it's about developing an ongoing relationship of respect, honesty, and responsibility.

Writing this article has been a reflection of my own journey: questioning my impact, re-evaluating my choices, and understanding that nature has not only held space for my healing, but offered answers to many of life’s most complex questions. Every day, I continue to learn, to be humbled, and to remember how precious this connection is. This piece is an offering—an invitation—to pause and consider what it really means to honour nature in our words, actions, and everyday lives.

Connecting to nature isn’t about living a perfect, plastic-chemical free life. It’s about living in truth. It’s about asking better questions and making small, conscious shifts. Let’s move from consuming nature to honouring her.

Together, we can heal—gently, honestly, and in harmony with the Earth.

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References:

• Bratman, G. N., et al. (2015). Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation. PNAS.
  

• Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants.
  
  

• Monbiot, G. (2019). The nature of wellness culture and its ecological blind spots. The Guardian.
  
  

• Hill, J. (2021). The Greenwashing of Self-Care: When "eco" sells but doesn't heal. Sustain Journal.

• Earth Day 2025 | Activities & Resources for April 22 - Earth Day