July Founder’s Corner: Rooted in Connection: What Trees Teach Us About Wellness

The forest is a sensory playground. If you have ever walked a trail, you can probably take a breath right now and glimpse the sense of bay leaf mingling with wild fern. Let your gaze wander outside and you can almost feel the breeze playing in the branches of live oaks or pine. Pine trees have a particular sweetness when mixing with the suede texture of the sage bush. It’s a great time of the year here in July – longer days, warmth – and there is a natural invitation to be outdoors.

Beneath the forest floor, trees whisper. Wisdom moves. As forest ecologist Suzanne Simard (2021) writes:

“A forest is much more than what you see. It’s a complex, interdependent community of life that’s been growing and evolving for millions of years.”

Through vast underground fungal networks, called mycorrhizal networks, trees exchange nutrients, send distress signals, and support struggling neighbors. Mother trees send resources to the younger ones. This interconnectivity is sometimes called the “Wood Wide Web.” What looks like stillness above ground is actually alive with unseen conversation, connection, and care.

And so, when we walk among trees, we are not simply surrounded; we are held. These root systems below and canopies above mirror the kind of connection many of us are quietly longing for: one that is generous, reciprocal, and constant even when unseen.

Not so long ago, humans knew this. We understood our interconnectedness with Earth. We lived within forests and canyons, not just as conquerors, but as cohabitants and neighbors within nature. Unfortunately, we’ve forgotten our innate senses, relying on our brains as the primary source of connection to all things. Peter Wohlleben (2019), author of our book of the month The Heartbeat of Trees, writes:

“After living for centuries in a human-oriented world that robs us of the daily necessity of keeping a wary eye on nature, what skills do we still possess?”

He describes a rupture between humans and nature that is longing for repair.

In modern life, we’ve traded the quiet rhythms of tree roots and bird calls for screens and schedules. We’ve filled our senses with noise and obligations, and in doing so, have distanced ourselves from the simple wisdom of belonging – of stillness, soil, and green. Wellbeing, then, might not be a destination but a return: a reconnection with the living world that mirrors the spark within us.

Interconnectedness isn’t just a ‘want’. It’s essential. Nature knows this. So do our nervous systems. When we slow down and listen, we can sense that we are part of something larger, pulsing, alive. Yet, I doubt most of us notice the imbalance we experience in day-to-day life. We tend to be too busy to notice our own sense of connection or disconnection—not just from nature, but from ourselves. We might even question the meaning of this whole “project life.” But, as Parker Palmer (2007) reminds us:

“We are not simply in the world, we are of it. Rooted like trees. Alive in a complex web of belonging.”

How can being in nature help us connect and regulate our nervous system, helping us to return home to ourselves? Science has some interesting evidence.

Did you know these fun facts…

• Just 10 minutes walking barefoot on grass (known as “grounding” or earthing) can reduce inflammation, lower cortisol levels, enhance mood, and support better sleep by calming the parasympathetic nervous system. It even strengthens foot muscles and improves posture.
• Hugging trees (for 21 seconds) has been shown to reduce cortisol and blood pressure, and to elevate mood via the release of oxytocin (the “love hormone”), dopamine, and serotonin. In one study, forest therapy—including tree hugging—enhanced creativity and cognitive function.
• Planting seeds or harvesting fruits and veggies isn’t just grounding—it triggers dopamine and serotonin release, reducing anxiety and boosting reward pathways in the brain. Looking at greenery alone lowers blood pressure and quiets the mind.
• Forest bathing, strolling among trees, lowers cortisol, increases immune function, and reduces anxiety and blood pressure via exposure to aromatic phytoncides and nature immersion.

To me, walking in nature is an essential feature of being well. Making time can be a challenge, but we need not hike the Pacific Crest Trail for a month to get the benefits from the forest. In fact, it’s the micro-efforts we make to find time to be with nature that create soul connection. Palmer (2007) writes:

“The soul is like a wild animal—tough, resilient, savvy, self-sufficient and yet exceedingly shy. If we want to see a wild animal, the last thing we should do is go crashing through the woods, shouting for the creature to come out. But if we are willing to walk quietly into the woods and sit silently for an hour or two at the base of a tree, the creature we are waiting for may well emerge, and out of the corner of an eye we will catch a glimpse of the precious wildness we seek.”

This month, we invite you to approach your wellness with gentleness and curiosity. Sit under a tree. Feel your bare feet in the grass. Watch the light shift through the leaves. You don’t need to solve everything, just reconnect with the parts of you that already know how to grow.

References

Ober, C., Sinatra, S. T., & Zucker, M. (2012). Earthing: The most important health discovery ever? Basic Health Publications.

Palmer, P. J. (2007). Let your life speak: Listening for the voice of vocation. Jossey-Bass.

Richardson, M., Sheffield, D., Harvey, C., & Petronzi, D. (2023). Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) and nature therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 32(2), 312–327. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.13069

Simard, S. (2021). Finding the mother tree: Discovering the wisdom of the forest. Knopf.

Wang, D., Li, Y., Li, J., Zhang, Y., & Li, H. (2022). Effects of Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) on mental health: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 31(1), 199–215. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12920

Wohlleben, P. (2019). The heartbeat of trees: Embracing our ancient bond with forests and nature. Greystone Books.