An Ecological Point of View

In Gaia’s Garden, by Toby Hemenway, it is said that modern gardens require more upkeep because they are not designed and grown in a natural way. This requires more work on the gardener, and without upkeep the garden quickly returns to an unusable, unprofitable state. Designing ecological gardens that are more in line with nature require less upkeep because the plants and trees and animals work with each other, supporting one another’s health and wellbeing.

We can use this ecological framework when looking at human emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. Unless we live in line with nature and in line with our nature as human beings, not only does it require more upkeep, but we are unable to truly thrive. If we look at contemporary Western culture, specifically the United States; if we look at city life, the buildings and streets, the cement and unclean air, the lack of natural environment; if we look at our our sense of connection to our daily lives, to what we eat and where we source our food, to how much time we spend outside, to how we relate to others; if we look at our relationship to work and the amount we work, and where we work, in buildings, in square rooms without natural light, it’s no wonder there’s so much sickness in the world.

We have lost sight and lost touch with what is natural and what we are naturally made for. When there is sickness, be it mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual, it indicates that something is not working. It tells us that how we’re living, the ways we’re orienting our day-to-day lives, where we’re placing our attention and energy, is not serving us. And the remedies for these modern illnesses, which Western civilization provides, are often not in line with nature and our nature, and may only perpetuate our sickness.

Health and wellbeing must come from living in environments that are more natural to us as human beings, that work with us, versus against us. We need to look thoughtfully and heartfully at the way live and how we feel, and ask whether the substance of our lives is supporting us. If we discover it isn’t, then we need to make changes that better align us with our nature and the natural world, and thereby create the conditions to truly thrive.

Hemenway, Toby. Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture. 2nd ed., Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 2009.