Series: Wilderness, Preservation and Exploration. Episode: 2
Before we reach upward, we must first belong to the ground.
Last week, we learned from the quiet – the stillness that exists before all beginnings.
This week, we move from that stillness into grounding.
Because before anything grows – before the branches stretch, before the leaves unfold, roots must find their place in the earth.
1. The Wisdom of Roots
Every living thing depends on its roots – not just for stability, but for nourishment, memory, and resilience.
Trees don’t reach higher by fighting gravity; they deepen their hold on the ground beneath them. The soil remembers their seasons, holds their stories, and gives them what they need to continue.
We’re not so different.
We, too, need places and practices that hold us steady. Whether it’s community, solitude, creativity, or time in nature, our “roots” are what keep us balanced when life asks us to bend.
To build a grounded life, we must first decide where we’re willing to grow from.
2. And sometimes, our roots aren’t just personal – they’re collective.
The stories passed down through generations, the landscapes that shaped our ancestors, the rituals and languages that connect us – all of these are forms of grounding. They remind us that who we are is part of something much larger, something that has held countless lives before ours. When we reconnect with that lineage, we find strength not only in the soil beneath our feet but in the history that steadies our heart.
To build a grounded life, we must first decide where we’re willing to grow from.
3. Why Grounding Comes Before Growth
It’s tempting to reach upward – to chase the next goal, the next version of ourselves. But nature never builds branches before roots. It knows that strength without grounding will break at the first storm.
Grounding, psychologically, is about belonging. Research in ecopsychology shows that people who regularly engage with natural environments report greater emotional stability and a deeper sense of self.
Grounding practices – from walking barefoot on the earth to mindful breathing outdoors – help reconnect body and mind, allowing us to feel safe enough to expand.
You can’t stretch into the future if your present feels unstable.
Roots first, always.
4. Learning from the Trees
There’s an old forest saying: “The tallest trees grow slow.”
It’s not just poetic – it’s ecological truth.
Fast-growing trees are often shallow-rooted, while those that endure centuries spend decades deepening before they rise.
We often want our growth to be visible, measurable. But roots grow unseen. Their work is quiet, patient, and essential.
To live a grounded life is to embrace that slow, invisible work – to find meaning in depth rather than height, in consistency rather than speed.
5. Finding Your Ground
Ask yourself: What holds me steady when everything shifts?
Maybe it’s early walks, shared meals, music, prayer, or the familiar path you take home.
These are your roots – anchors that remind you who you are when life moves too fast.
To live grounded is not to stay still, but to stay connected.
The wind will always come, but when you know where you’re planted, you learn to bend without breaking.
🌷 The Weekly Pinky Promise
“This week, I promise to nurture my roots – to slow down, connect deeply, and grow from where I already stand.”
Maybe it’s spending time in the place that calms you most.
Maybe it’s reconnecting with someone who feels like home.
Maybe it’s simply standing barefoot on the ground, remembering that the earth can hold you.
Whatever your promise is, let it remind you that groundedness isn’t stillness – it’s belonging.
🌾 The Wild Action
“Plant one act of grounding that reconnects you to place.”
Maybe it’s learning the names of the trees in your neighbourhood.
Maybe it’s tending a plant and watching its quiet persistence.
Maybe it’s visiting the same path every week and noticing what changes, and what stays the same.
When we pay attention to the ground beneath us, we remember that every step we take is shared with the living world.
💗 Additional Resources for Connection
- The Hidden Life of Trees – Peter Wohlleben: Understanding the unseen connections of forests.
- Braiding Sweetgrass – Robin Wall Kimmerer: On reciprocity, roots, and belonging.
- The Spell of the Sensuous – David Abram: Reclaiming our sensory connection with the earth.
🍃 Closing Reflection – The Gentle Revolution
Growth that lasts begins where we are.
We cannot reach upward without first belonging downward – to the land, to our lives, to ourselves.
The forest reminds us that strength isn’t built through striving, but through staying.
So this week, don’t chase the sky.
Trust the soil.
Because before we reach upward, we must first belong to the ground.
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