Are We Disconnected From Nature?
Exploring the first step in our new podcast series on Reciprocity With Nature
Have you ever paused to wonder how truly connected you are to the natural world? Not just in theory or fleeting moments while on a hike, but in your everyday life. In our latest episode of the Becoming Mindful Podcast, we begin a new series titled “Reciprocity With Nature,” and we open with a heartfelt, searching conversation: Are we disconnected from nature?
This episode was born from both curiosity and concern. As the pace of modern life accelerates and screens and schedules increasingly consume our attention, it’s easy to forget that we are not separate from nature—we are nature. Yet many of us feel that something has been lost. A primal connection. A sense of belonging. A deeper awareness of interdependence.
In this first installment, we invite listeners to join us as we reflect on how our relationship with the Earth has shifted, both culturally and personally, over time. We share stories, struggles, and small awakenings—sometimes humorous, sometimes tender—that illustrate how disconnection can subtly creep into our lives, and how moments of re-connection can feel like coming home.
Some of the questions we explore include:
What does it mean to be connected to nature?
How do we know when we've become disconnected—and why does that matter?
In what ways has modern life numbed or distanced us from the wild, intuitive parts of ourselves?
How can mindfulness help us reweave the threads between inner and outer nature?
And perhaps most importantly: what might change if we lived as if reciprocity with the natural world were not only possible, but necessary?
This episode begins a longer inquiry that will unfold over the coming months as we dive deeper into themes of interdependence, stewardship, and sacred relationship with the land.
We hope this conversation serves not just as a reflection, but as an invitation. An invitation to notice. To remember. To restore a sense of kinship with the living world.
If you're curious to listen, we suggest heading outside if you can—maybe sit under a tree or walk in a quiet park—and let the episode accompany you. You don’t need answers—just a willingness to wonder.
We’re so glad to have you with us on this journey.
Listen to the episode here: Episode S2E07 – Are We Disconnected From Nature?
Land Acknowledgement
I acknowledge that the land on which I live is the ancestral home of the Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, and Menominee peoples. These Indigenous communities cared for this land long before the arrival of European settlers and continue to contribute to its cultural and ecological richness today.
I invite us to honor the enduring presence and sovereignty of Native peoples and commit to learning from and supporting their voices and leadership.