In the era of modern life, most of us barely have time, or even space, to truly connect with nature. Our days are filled with screens, concrete, and constant noise, and even when we pause for a walk outside, our minds often stay elsewhere. We’ve grown used to thinking of nature as something “out there,” something we visit occasionally rather than something we belong to. The Nature Embedded Mind challenges that idea and invites us to remember a forgotten truth: we are nature, too.
Julie Brams introduces some terms, like the concept of reEarthing as a way of thinking that helps us realign our minds and hearts with the natural world. It’s about seeing ourselves not as separate or superior, but as part of the same living system that sustains us.
This book blends personal stories, scientific research, and what Brams calls “reflection invitations,” simple prompts that encourage readers to pause, notice, and practice what they’ve just read. These parts make the reading experience feel practical and alive, like a guide leading the readers back into awareness of our own senses and surroundings.
The language of the book itself reflects this Earth-centered perspective. Terms like “more-than-human beings” and “other-than-human beings” refer to the countless forms of life and natural elements we share our days with, such as plants, animals, minerals, air, water, even fire. By using such language, Brams helps us decenter humanity and open ourselves to a broader, more balanced view of life.
One of the most thought-provoking aspects of the book is how it reimagines the role of therapists and healers. Clinicians are encouraged to move from the traditional role of therapist to therapist-as-guide, working alongside nature as an active partner in the healing process. The book explores this through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) model, which emphasizes sensory connection, curiosity, and relationship-building with the “more-than-human” world.
One of the beauty of this book lies in its simple yet wonderful idea: our language shapes how we see the world. When we start describing ourselves as part of nature rather than apart from it, something within us shifts. It’s a subtle change in words, but it transforms the way we think and feel about our place in the world. This idea reminded me of Mari Andrew’s How to Be a Living Thing, which also invites readers to see humans as one of many living forms, rather than at the top of an imagined hierarchy.
The Nature Embedded Mind is a book to reimagine our relationship with the Earth through knowledge as well as our presence. By reEarthing our minds, we heal our relationship with nature and something within ourselves, too.
Summary
ReEarthing, Seeing Ourselves as Part of Nature, Not Apart from It
ReEarthing invites us to rethink how we see ourselves in relation to nature, not as observers standing outside it, but as living parts of the same whole. It’s a shift in perspective that reminds us we’re neither better nor worse than any other being sharing this planet. When we begin to “reEarth” ourselves, we start to feel that we live in partnership with all forms of life. We are not simply surrounded by nature; we are nature.
This transformation begins with something simple yet powerful: our language. The words we use reveal how we think about the world and our place in it. By paying attention to our language and choosing expressions that reflect connection rather than separation, we start to reshape our mindset. In doing so, we root ourselves more deeply in an Earth-centered way of living, one that honors our shared existence with every living being around us.
Restoring Our Lost Connection with the Earth
Modern civilization has long taught us to see ourselves as separate from nature, as if humanity stands above the living world rather than within it. This illusion of separation begins on a personal level and expands outward into the systems and structures of society. Even when we intellectually understand that we come from the same Earth as the soil beneath our feet, we often fail to feel that truth. Instead, we’ve learned to see ourselves as somehow more significant, more advanced, or more deserving.
Reconnecting with our original sense of Self-as-Earth means unlearning that separation. It’s about remembering that humans and nature are not two distinct entities but expressions of the same living whole. When we consciously restore this bond, we begin to heal the quiet ache of disconnection that civilization has instilled in us. Through practices like forest therapy and mindful presence in nature, we can slowly repair this relationship, rediscovering that to belong to the Earth is not just poetic sentiment, but a truth as real as the ground beneath us.
Reconnecting with Nature Through Our Senses
In ANFT-style forest therapy, the journey back to nature begins not with grand ideas, but with something simple: our senses. The practice starts with what’s called the Pleasures of Presence, inviting people to tune into at least five senses and notice the small joys that come from them, the warmth of sunlight, the texture of bark, the scent of leaves, the sound of wind, the taste of fresh air. By paying attention to these sensations, we begin to inhabit our bodies more fully. This embodied awareness works much like mindfulness, helping us return to the present moment, but it also goes a step further.
Unlike traditional meditation, forest therapy welcomes thoughts, ideas, and inspirations as part of the experience. These mental wanderings are part of our deepening relationship with the living world around us. The practice also encourages a state of wonder and curiosity, helping us break free from rigid patterns of thought and rediscover our innate ability to connect with the “other-than-human” beings we share the planet with. The guide’s role is to support each person as they explore their own questions and connections within the forest’s quiet conversation.
Author: Julie Brams
Publication date: 1 April 2025
Number of pages: 176 pages
Leave a Reply