It’s in the tagline of this website, my social media accounts and usually ends up dotted through most of my online content. It’s what I do “Bushcraft, Forest School and Holistic Outdoor Life”, but what on earth does ‘holistic’ even mean? Most people if pushed could probably have a decent stab at defining ‘Bushcraft’ or ‘Forest School’, however, ‘holistic’ just isn’t a phrase that people most people use outside of academia. The Cambridge Dictionary defines holistic as
“Dealing with or treating the whole of something or someone and not just a part.”
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/holistic
In essence it’s about seeing the whole system and the spiderweb of connections in ourselves and our environment that shapes us. Modern life encourages us to separate our lives into convenient boxes. You go for a walk for exercise, go to a supermarket for food and then watch a movie for relaxation. But in this sort of lifestyle, I believe people miss out a chance to live a more integrated and ‘human’ lifestyle. For many hundreds of years, exercise was an essential part of feeding yourself, relaxation was building a tool or item that you could use and human connection was the result of depending on others to survive.
An ongoing theme in many of my podcast interviews has been nature connection it is pretty much an undisputed fact that as a species we do so much better physically, mentally and spiritually in the natural world. However, recently research has shifted from looking at whether nature provides us benefits, to whether the depth of connection changes these benefits. Personally I believe it does, the difference between just sitting in a woodland and properly engaging with it through the harvesting of wild edibles or the making of a hazel basket is massive. What my aim is to do is to move people from a shallow connection to a deep integration with the world outdoors, by increasing confidence, exploring possibilities and connecting systems.
Take going for a walk in the park for example, at a basic level it provides us with some basic muscle exercise and a small boost to our mental health. Now add in the foraging of some blackberries along the way, suddenly you gain food (saving you money), health (vitamin, mineral and probiotic organisms in levels only found in freshly picked produce), social connection (slowing down in a space often brings interactions with other people), and an increased de-stressing effect (blackberry picking takes a lot of focus unless you want cuts galore). However, it doesn’t need to end there, you can continue stacking practices on top of this such as wearing barefoot shoes (sensory and foot health), walking before or after work (get into the right state of mind), or even taking some time to climb a tree or swing from a branch (good for upper body health and posture). The possibilities are endless.
I know it can be difficult to fit things like this into a crowded life, but by stacking systems together you may be surprised at just how much you can do with just a little extra effort. After all, I don’t want nature to be something that people just visit for a couple of weekend days a month, but something woven into your everyday life. It can be a little daunting, but here’s a list of things that you could try to add a little bit to your day/week.
- Get a foraging book and take it with you whenever you go to the local park or woodland (Food for Free is a great pocket-sized guide).
- Take a moment to walk barefoot every day (check out ‘grounding’ it is quite an interesting theory).
- Start a little herb planter outside your back door/on your balcony and add fresh herbs to some of your meals.
- Take your gym workout outside (Movnat have an incredible programme for whole-body fitness).
- Invite a friend out for a walk instead of a coffee (conversations are so much better on the move).
- Volunteer to do some conservation work (The Wildlife Trusts, Sustainable Life or Highbury Orchard are great options),
- Find a course or workshop that will build your confidence and understanding of the outdoors (shameless plug, I know, but it doesn’t have to be me either).
I hope this has inspired you to begin building connections and systems that help you live that holistic life, I would love to hear about how you stack things to make the most of your day so please do leave a comment below.
Until next time, make the most of each day!