Each new year presents an opportunity for reflection and growth, and as we embark on 2022, we’d like to invite you to join us on the journey. Every month we will be sharing a thoughtfully chosen theme to inspire and hearten you. So, plan to pour yourself a cup of something warm and take some time to pause and reflect. There will be journal prompts, selected reading (in the form of articles because whole books feel a little intimidating in this season, no?), and so many moments for discovery and growth. We can’t wait to see what beautiful things unfold for you and your family this year, and we hope these words and stories will bring light and delight to the days ahead. Happy New Year, friend.
Rewilding: The environmental and human process of reverting back to a natural or untamed state of being. It is the process of rekindling our connection to nature and unearthing a truer, wilder, more holistic way of life.
You don’t often hear about rewilding in regards to the human experience. It’s more of a technical term steeped in environmentalism. To rewild a piece of land is to allow it to return to its original state, biodiverse and flourishing as nature intended. But wouldn’t you like to return to that state as well? Rewilding is a progressive approach to conservation. It's about letting nature take care of itself, enabling natural processes to shape land and sea, repair damaged ecosystems, and restore degraded landscapes. It’s through rewilding that wildlife's natural rhythms create wilder, more biodiverse habitats. At the beginning of a new year, talk of goals, intentions, and resolutions is rampant. And if that’s your thing, by all means, go forth! But we also want to challenge you—and ourselves—to go beyond the typical January reflections and embrace a “rewilding” mindset. Rewilded land may look unkempt to the outside observer, but in actuality, it is doing exactly what it needs to be in the moment. And can’t the same be said for our journey with motherhood as well? Rewilding speaks poetically and practically to the soul of a mother—but to her soul as a woman first. It’s the process of undoing modern conditioning and rekindling our connection to nature. The result? Unearthing a truer, wilder, more holistic way of life and sense of self. When we talk about “wild,” we’re talking about our natural state of being, the way we were before modern society created unfitting ideals. Before we felt that in order to “succeed” in motherhood we had to do it all and do it perfectly. When ecosystems are depleted of resources, plant and wildlife growth is stunted. And that’s true for humans, too. When we are cut off from our natural resources—the things we love, the things that make us feel alive, and the things that nourish us—our growth is stunted. Our energy, depleted. Our intuition and creativity is stifled. We crave sustenance—the things that make us feel grounded, alive, free, cleansed, renewed, and nourished. It’s not unusual to find ourselves in pursuit of external ways to “fix ourselves.” We seek solutions to outsource problems and automate life. But doing so is to forget that we already instinctively have our own answers and solutions. This is what the process of rewilding is all about: having the courage to embark on a journey that brings us into deeper intimacy with our true nature as women and as mothers. This month we’ll be doing a deep dive into the intricacies of rewilding and how you can begin the journey back to your wildest state of being. To start, know this:
- Rewilding doesn’t work if you don’t have compassion and awareness for yourself. This is a process that takes time and everyone’s progress will look different, so be gentle with yourself. You are doing exactly what you need.
- We’ll find the courage to recognize and be honest with ourselves about what isn’t working or serving us. This means pinpointing the hard things and fine-tuning until we’re flourishing again.
- Next—and most importantly—we’ll begin carving out the time and space to reconnect and care for ourselves. As we fill up our own cups, we’ll become more attuned to our needs and boundaries, making us happier humans and even better mothers.
- As a final step, we’ll take conscious action.
Are you ready to begin the new year as your most authentic, wild self? Let’s do this.
Each month we encourage you to put pen to paper with a new prompt. The physical practice of taking yourself aside and spending quiet time with your thoughts is almost as important as the thoughts themselves. There are no rules or guidelines here. Just more space to feel. Write as little or as much as you want, as long as you give yourself permission to be fully yourself, without interruption.
When I imagine myself at my most natural state, what does that look like? If I remove all of the “should” factors of what I think I “should” be doing or life “should” look like, where does that lead me? What would I do with my time? Who would I spend it with? How would I describe my values, characteristics and priorities?
