Original Instructions: Rewild & Reconnect
Ancient Wisdom & Teachings for a Regenerative Future
Shantree Kacera, R.H., D.N., Ph.D.,
Original instructions are the sacred geography of a world where all life is revered and animated by spirit. It shows how human beings can play a richly decisive role in the web of life. And as a keystone species that creates conditions conducive to growth for all beings.
For millennia, our ancient ancestors acted as guardians of the web of life for the next seven generations. They successfully managed complex reciprocal relationships between biological and cultural diversity. Awareness of earth knowledge and wisdom is reemerging at the eleventh hour to help avert global ecological and social collapse. Ancient cultural wisdom shows us how to live in peace–with the earth and one another.
It seems apparent that the root cause of environmental degradation is humanity’s disconnect with the natural world as a sentient being and a sacred place. The voices of the past focus on re-imagining the world and restoring ourselves after colonization's fragmentation. The first and essential step is to remember who we are and to experience the sacredness of all life, as we have all been colonized.
The original instructions are ancient pathways of living from the heart of humanity to reconnect to the wild.
What is Rewilding?
Rewilding is about letting nature take care of itself. It’s a progressive approach to conservation that enables natural processes to shape land and sea, repair damaged ecosystems, and restore degraded landscapes. Through rewilding, wildlife’s natural rhythms create wilder, more biodiverse habitats.
Rewilding is a term used in nature conservancy. It refers to the practice of allowing land to return to its natural state to restore, repair, and rebalance ecosystems previously under threat.
Rewilding is the process of undoing domestication, which means returning to a more wild or natural state. It is considered a holistic approach to living, as opposed to specific or separate skills, practices, or pieces of knowledge. Rewilding is the Return of Nature. It intends to create permanently wild human cultures beyond domestication.
Rewilding is increasingly seen as a way to regain our biodiversity losses and recover native forest ecosystems – a promising tool to counterbalance.
What is Human Rewilding?
Rewilding is a way for us to restore and bring ourselves back home. In human terms, it is a reminder to return to our natural state and prioritize the needs and real-life resources we’ve evolved to rely on over the past 250,000 years.
Humans have proven to be highly adaptable and survive in this digital age. Our day-to-day lives have become so habitual and distraction-based that often, years go by without us stopping to take real-time for ourselves. The result is that we can become very productive outwardly. Still, inwardly, we may be suffering from various civilization-based issues, such as anxiety, chronic stress, or depression, along with the physical manifestations of that emotional distress.
Human rewilding is about reconnecting with nature—whether that’s for 20 minutes during your lunch break, for a weekend, or longer. Research has shown that spending time in nature reduces cortisol levels, lowers blood pressure, increases subjective reports of being in a good mood and feeling relaxed, and enhances our immune system. These are some benefits of taking time out from the modern world.
Rewilding Yourself – Reconnect
We need to restore ourselves to our natural rhythms, find ways to reinvigorate our wild nature, and connect with the natural environment.
7-Steps to Rewild Yourself
1) Light Up, Light Up
Less than 100 years have passed since we stopped relying on the sun, moon and stars to guide our waking and sleeping hours. Exposing ourselves to natural light cycles – or trying to recreate them – is extremely important for a balanced circadian rhythm. Natural sunlight creates repair and regenerates the mitochondria, optimizing healthier circadian rhythms and improving sleep and hormone function.
2) Don’t Be Blue
Nighttime exposure to blue light must also be reduced to prevent melatonin suppression. Another great way to avoid playing havoc with your circadian rhythm is to sit next to a window while working.
3) The Fast Route
Intermittent Fasting is natural and was a daily habit of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. It is one of the oldest dietary interventions and is supported by an abundance of peer-reviewed research showing dramatic health benefits for metabolism, the brain, the heart, and anti-aging.
4) Staying Grounded
Throw off your shoes and walk like your ancestors. Barefootedness connects us to nature and restores our electron reserve. Spending just 30 minutes per day barefoot has been shown to help you significantly de-stress, regulate emotions, and balance the nervous system. Researchers also found that walking barefoot can decrease white blood cell count and increase red blood cell count, indicating a positive immune response.
5) The Way You Move
Our ancestors did various physical movements like squatting, climbing, running, jumping and using their torsos to resist pushing and pulling forces. They were also prone to short spurts of high-intensity action like sprinting or moving more slowly for longer durations, like long-distance walks or hikes.
6) Ice, Ice, Baby
Our ancestors endured crippling cold without the benefits of modern technology. Current-day research reveals that emulating our ancestors’ exposure to periodic bouts of cold can positively affect mood, stress levels and our immune, cardiovascular and lymphatic systems. Conditioning your brain and body to endure and embrace cold-water immersion may be challenging, but it is a fantastic re-wilding technique, and the health benefits are endless.
7) Born To Be Wild
Wild foods are a food group and are our link to deep-seated wisdom and connection with nature. Wild foods such as herbs, roots, bark, mushrooms, berries, seaweed and seeds provided our ancestors with much of their crucial nourishment. Learning what local edibles are available to you, depending on the time of year and where you live, is the perfect way to feel better connected with your natural environment. Great wild staples such as dandelion, nettle, cleaver, and clover are easy to identify and grow in abundance. These potent, nutrient-dense, free foods can help us thrive in the modern world. Use them fresh in salads, experiment with adding them to your green smoothies instead of spinach and kale, and for even more medicinal benefits, make herbal infusions using dried roots, leaves and berries.
Rewild Your Life – A 7-Day Challenge
“Look deeper into nature, and you will understand everything better.”
~Albert Einstein.