Refuge in nature & gratitude for our food

Having just spent a month on the Peloponnese in Greece, I have had the privilege of time away from my computer and the space to be immersed in nature.

This time away is so critical, for all of us, to help shift the perspective of the daily grind and allow for new seeds of creativity to blossom. For me, this brings the opportunity to connect with nature in a deeper way and to really listen to what she has to say.

In Greece, I was surrounded by abundance, from wild thyme and sage in full bloom, to bees making raw honey, to a mulberry tree dripping with fruit on my porch, to the carob trees, the olives and the caper berries. Everywhere I looked there was something to feast on, provided by the plants around me.

But at the same time, I felt this overwhelming sadness as to how we have become so disconnected from the food we put in our mouths day to day. Do we ever stop to consider the being that gave its life to provide this food, be it plant or animal, let alone give thanks for it?

Nowadays, we are mostly shopping in supermarkets, buying fruits and vegetables wrapped in plastic, and always in such a rush that we barely even acknowledge what it is we’re eating.

Surely, this is not a reciprocal relationship with nature for all the gifts she brings? And if it is not a reciprocal relationship, how long can it last?

In a world that we choose to pump with pollution and ignore the messages that nature brings, how can it be otherwise that our health is deteriorating? And yet we want more, expect more, and demand more.

Over the years of working with food and health, one of the biggest lessons I have learned is that our relationship with food is key; and our relationship with food is our relationship with nature, and with ourselves. They are one.

The healing journey is ultimately a lesson in love. It is a journey back home to your own heart but also to the heart of nature. As we heal and become more whole, we naturally attune to the whispers of nature and our own hearts.

Perhaps we can all make a conscious effort to take time with our food and to give thanks. A simple blessing to for what we eat doesn't take long but the gifts it brings in return are great!