🌙Komorebi, Yuragi & Sanpo Yoshi: Lessons from the Forest

A recent study from Finding Nature reveals something we might already sense: humanity has been steadily drifting away from the natural world for over two centuries. Using a fascinating model, researchers tracked the decline of nature-related words in books — words like river, blossom, moss. They found a drop of nearly 60%, suggesting not just a loss of vocabulary, but a loss of relationship.

When we stop naming the world, we stop noticing it.

When I traveled to Japan to practice Shinrin-Yoku (forest bathing), I was struck by how language there invites us back into intimacy with nature. Words like komorebi (the dappled sunlight through leaves), sanpo yoshi (“good for me, good for you, good for all”), and yuragi (the soothing fluctuation of wind or water) reminded me that nature isn’t just scenery — it’s community.

Language matters. In English, we often call a tree “it,” as though it were an object rather than a being. This subtle habit reinforces the illusion that we stand apart from the rest of life. But we don’t. The forest, the ocean, the hawk overhead — they are neighbors, not objects.

This relational shift is essential if we want to address the climate crisis. When we feel part of the living world, we begin to care for it in deeper ways. We protect what we love — and love grows through presence.

🌱 Simple Ways to Reconnect

You don’t need to travel far or spend a fortune to strengthen your bond with the more-than-human world. Here are a few invitations to try:

• Fall in love with the night again. Take slow walks under the stars, or visit your favorite trail each full moon to notice what has changed.

• Journal sunsets. Commit to writing down what you see and feel as the sky shifts each evening for a week or a month.

• Spend a day in nature alone. Bring a journal, or simply sit and listen. Let yourself romance the beauty around you.

• Dance with the ocean. Play music and let the waves set the tempo.

• Find a sit spot. Return to the same place regularly and notice who (plant, bird, breeze) shows up.

• Bring nature to your desk. Place a plant nearby, observe what it needs, and ask yourself the same question: What do I need to thrive today?

These small acts restore a sense of belonging. They remind us that the Earth is not just “out there,” but right here — breathing with us, shaping us, holding us.

🌿 An Invitation

This fall, I invite you to take your connection deeper. Join me for a guided forest therapy walk on one of our newly certified Forest Therapy Trails right here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Together, we’ll slow down, listen, and rediscover the love that turns care into action.

📅 Book a Forest Therapy Walk