"The savage is not the one that lives in the forest, the savage is the one that destroys it."

Did you know that there are trees on this planet older than the concept of organized religion? That means they have been around longer than Christianity or Islam!

Above is the Methuselah Grove, home to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in eastern California, which houses the oldest stand alone tree in the world. Image credit: Wikipedia

For those who are curious, the oldest stand alone tree that we know about is a species of Pinus Longaeva that is 5,062 years old, and the oldest clonal tree is Pando, which is estimated to be at least 80,000 years old!

Trees selflessly give us oxygen to survive, and numerous studies have shown that spending time in Nature alone alleviates stress and helps improve the immune system. In fact, in some countries like Japan, doctors prescribe spending time In Nature (known as Shinrin-Yoku) as a serious form of therapy.

The point here is that we have a special connection with Mother Nature, and I believe we are losing that connection and with it, ourselves. And although we may not be able to control this rapacious system of greed at large — at least not on the individual level — we can control our own behavior. So make time to spend some meaningful moments in Nature.

Unplug from technology and reconnect with something ancient, mystical and sacred.