People now spend over 90 percent of their time indoors and an average of 11 hours a day on a device, says Micah Mortali, author of “Rewilding: Meditations, Practices, and Skills for Awakening in Nature.”
Mortali, a longtime Berkshire County resident who lives in Pittsfield and is the founder of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership, has been leading wilderness retreats for nearly 30 years. He recently founded the School of Rewilding, a program that helps people move from screen-centered to nature-centered living.
The more time we spend on electronic devices, the more we don’t notice the places where we live—we don’t see the trees, rocks, or the clouds, says Mortali. “Instead of bonding with nature and our inner self, people are bonding with the video on their phone,” he says.
In addition, with artificial intelligence-generated images and chatbots, the internet has become “a house of mirrors,” he says. People don’t know what is real and what is not.
We are living indoors sitting in front of screens and have lost our connection to the Earth, he says. This is the reverse of how our ancestors lived who spent the majority of their time outdoors. “Human beings didn’t evolve to sit at a desk for eight hours hunching over a computer screen,” asserts Mortali. The way we are living is not healthy for ourselves or the planet.
What everyone is really hungry for, Mortali says, “is to feel alive, to feel good.” And that is what being in nature is about. “We’re meant to be active and have a relationship with nature.”
When you are outside in nature, you are in a sensory-rich environment; you feel the wind, you hear the birds, you see the leaves rustling on the trees—this is what makes you feel alive, he says. You don’t get that if you are sitting in a cubicle under fluorescent lights typing on a screen.
“One thing I encourage people to do is to spend time outside each day with no agenda—no phone or devices or exercising—just outdoors in nature with yourself, taking in the sights and sounds with your senses,” says Mortali.
Spending time outdoors reminds you that you are part of the natural world—the larger cosmos—and dependent upon it.
The Earth is a living system and our well-being is closely tied to the health of the planet. As Mortali points out, you are the planet. “The air you’re breathing was on the other side of the planet a few days ago; you’re inhaling oxygen that the trees exhale. The molecules of your body are the same molecules of the planet: oxygen, carbon, water. If there’s pollution on the planet, it’s in you, too.” Everything is interconnected; there is no separation.
Studies show that being in nature improves mood and sleep, accelerates healing, increases the ability to focus, and boosts the immune system. “Just like you can feel the presence of a forest when you’re in it, the forest can also feel your presence,” says Mortali. So ask: “How can you make the Earth healthier by your presence instead of the other way around?”
It is the mindfulness that you bring to your actions that matters, he says. When you consciously connect with the Earth, you are no longer fighting the life systems that support you; instead you become the Earth’s caretaker.
Mortali recommends these four ways to invite nature into your daily life and counteract screen-centered living.
- Nature meditation. Find a place outdoors where you can sit for 15 to 45 minutes each day and notice whatever is happening around you. Tune into what you see and hear. This deepens your connection with the land, plants and animals.
- Walk with awareness. Slow your pace so each footstep is conscious. Be aware of the sounds that surround you: the crunching of the ground beneath your feet. Send gratitude down through your feet into the ground.
- Grounding. Stand barefoot on the ground (grass, sand, or earth) for at least 15 minutes a day. The Earth itself has an energetic frequency and its electrons are healing antioxidants that counteract free radicals. Earthing improves sleep, reduces blood pressure, and lowers stress.
- Natural Light. Wake up each morning to natural light, not the blue light of your phone or computer. Sunlight regulates your brain and body. No phones, screens, or computers in the bedroom. At the end of the day, limit phones and screens. Look at the night sky instead of a screen. Keep the lights low in the bedroom. Our ancestors ended the day by gathering around and gazing at a fire. Light a candle before bedtime.
