Our bodies and brains are wired to live in harmony with nature’s rhythms, and we are currently facing an evolutionary mismatch because the rapid pace of technological and cultural change has outstripped the much slower rate of biological evolution. Now finding ourselves in a world vastly different from the one we evolved to thrive in, this discord can generate new forms of trauma or exacerbates aftereffects of existing traumas, leaving us feeling perpetually out of sync and disconnected.

 

Inundated with stimuli, confined to artificial spaces and deprived of meaningful connections with nature and each other, we spend our days indoors, communicating through screens, consuming processed foods and rarely moving in ways our bodies were intended. As a result, nervous systems fine-tuned over millennia to respond to natural environments are overwhelmed by the pace and structure of contemporary life, leading to chronic stress, anxiety and a sense of alienation. Trauma in this context is not just a response to extreme events, but also an expression of our inability to reconcile who we are biologically with the demands of the world we have built.

 

By embracing habits that align with our evolutionary blueprint such as spending time in nature, eating whole foods, prioritizing restorative sleep and fostering genuine connections, we can begin to repair the fractures trauma creates. Rewilding helps us reconnect with ourselves, others and the Earth, nurturing a sense of wholeness and grounding us in the world we are meant to inhabit. In doing so, we heal not only our minds, but our sense of being, as well.

 

Gary Lougher is a certified trauma recovery coach and owner of 2nd Ascent Coaching, located at 550 N. 12th St., in Lemoyne. He is the creator of the Rewilding Your Soul coaching program. This is the first of a four-part series of articles on this topic. For more information, call 717-287-1102, email [email protected] or visit 2ndAscent.com.