Connecting to nature through poetry and prose
The mini-season of Autumn Equinox runs from September 22 until October 7. The Harvest Moon is a relevant kigo, or seasonal words, to use when writing haiku. In today's post we will read some harvest moon inspired poetry and haiku.
The 1960s brought an awareness of an emerging environmental crisis. This crisis captured the attention of poets and led to the creation of ecopoetry. Ecopoetry can then be separated into three large categories: nature poetry, environmental poetry, and ecological poetry.
Poets John Keats (1795-1821) and Dan Beachy-Quick (b.1973) share their thoughts on crickets and grasshoppers.
"Love for Other Things" by Tom Hennen. Hennen’s style is described as “almost Taoist, with a tempered knowledge of self and world." I read Hennen’s poetry and say to myself, “This is poetry that works for me”.
August can be an intense sensory experience, and today we have poems by Lizette Woodworth Reese and Sara Teasdale that speak to this experience.
Shinrin-yoku, also known as Forest Bathing, has been shown to reduce stress levels and blood pressure, boost energy and creativity, and strengthen your immune system. Marie Bourdon talked with us about her experience becoming a Forest Therapy Guide and what inspires her about this work.
EcoNIDRA™ is a combination of Yoga Nidra and nature connection practices. Certified EcoNIDRA™ teacher Amanda Bond talks about her experience finding the practice and then becoming a teacher.
Poets Joyce Kilmer and Joy Harjo explore the connection between poetry and trees in their poems "Trees" (Kilmer) and "Speaking Tree" (Harjo).
Can technology support our connection to nature? Technobiophilia suggests that humans have an "innate attraction to life and lifelike processes as they appear in technology” and, if used thoughtfully, it can support our well-being.
The human trend towards a life separated from the natural world is identified as one of the reasons that we have rapid rates of species extinction and environmental destruction. Reestablishing, or strengthening, a connection to nature is one of the ways that individuals can help reverse this trend.
Naturalist Weekly 