Returning to Your Wild Wisdom Series: Earth ⛰️ Part 1

For my dad, whose humble wisdom and deeply rooted love taught me that some of life’s greatest healing happens one step at a time.

If I close my eyes and think about the element of Earth, I don’t only picture towering mountains, winding trails, quiet fields, gardens in bloom, the trees outside my window, stones gathered from special places, or the grounding feeling of the Earth beneath my bare feet.

I picture my dad.

Long before I became a holistic nurse, long before I studied nervous system regulation and the science behind the healing relationship between humans and nature, my dad was quietly teaching me the way of this wisdom.

Whenever someone in our family, or our very large extended family, a friend, or even a coworker was going through a difficult chapter in their life, he rarely tried to fix it with words. He didn’t rush to offer advice or explain away their pain. Instead, he would simply ask, “Want to go for a walk?”

Sometimes he would bring me along too. This is where I began learning how to respectfully hold space for others. And sometimes, as I grew older, I was the one having a hard time, and the walk was for me.

Most of those walks took place in Little Compton, Rhode Island along one of our favorite rocky beaches. There was no agenda and no expectations. Sometimes we talked. Sometimes we didn’t. We wandered slowly along the shoreline, listening to the rhythm of the waves while searching for beautiful stones that somehow always seemed to bring intense joy.

Collecting rocks from the Earth became part of the tradition on these therapeutic strolls. At the time, I thought we were simply bringing home souvenirs. Now I realize we were bringing home reminders. Reminders that healing doesn’t always happen through doing. Sometimes healing begins through simply being.

Every summer, our family also traveled to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Believe it or not, one of my favorite words to say as a little girl was “Kancamagus” Highway. There was something fun about it the challenge of saying it when I was just learning to talk, long before I understood just how magical of a place it is.

One of our favorite traditions each summer was riding the gondola to the top of Loon Mountain. My mom was too afraid and she stayed down below, exploring the shops or reading while she waited. Each year my dad, my brother and I would spend hours wandering the trails at the summit, breathing in the crisp mountain air, and taking in views that made every worry feel much smaller.

What I remember most about these walks wasn’t what my dad said. It was what he didn’t say.

He knew how to be present. If you wanted to talk, he listened. If you wanted silence, he honored that too. Though they sometimes included him talking quietly to himself along the way. A trait I inherited.

Looking back, I realize he offered people something we don’t receive very often in today’s world. He offered the lost art of quiet presence.

In a world of quick fixes and toxic positivity, my dad understood something the elders of so many generations and cultures before us have always known: presence is the medicine.

The Earth offers us that same gift. It never asks us to be more productive. It never asks us to explain ourselves. It simply welcomes us exactly as we are.

My connection to holistic nursing began long before I had the words to describe it. My dad was incredibly wise, and he already understood much of what I would later discover through science and my studies. I entered nursing with the intention of specializing in holistic nursing, and through that journey, I found the evidence behind what I had experienced throughout my life.

Across cultures and throughout history, many healing traditions have worked with the elements as symbols of both the natural world and our inner landscape. This week we begin with Earth, the element of stability, nourishment, strength, patience, resilience, and belonging.

Think about a mountain.

It doesn’t rush. It doesn’t compare itself to the mountains beside it. It simply stands.

Think about an old oak tree. Its strength isn’t found in what we see above the ground. Its strength comes from roots that reach deep into the Earth, drawing nourishment day after day, season after season.

The same is true for us. Before we can grow, we need roots. Before we can truly care for others, we must learn how to return to ourselves. That is the invitation of the Earth element.

Building Your Sacred Space

If you haven’t already, I invite you to visit last week’s Sneak Peek: Returning to Your Wisdom Series newsletter and begin creating your elemental altar. This altar will become a sacred space throughout our six-week journey, evolving as we explore each of the five elements. You are welcome to gather items that represent all five elements now or simply allow your altar to grow with each week’s invitation.

As you build your altar, I encourage you to spend a little extra time this week choosing objects that represent the Earth element. Perhaps a stone from a peaceful walk, a pinecone, fresh flowers, fresh herbs, a small plant, a crystal, or even a bowl filled with soil from your garden or seeds. There is no right or wrong way to create your altar. Simply allow it to reflect what helps you feel supported as we begin this journey together.

As you arrange each item, pause for a moment before placing it down. Ask yourself why you chose it. What memory or intention does it hold? What quality of the Earth does it remind you of? Strength? Peace? Patience? Steadiness?

When your altar feels complete enough, light a candle if you wish. Place both hands over your heart. Close your eyes. Take five slow breaths.

Reflection

As you connect with the steady, nurturing energy of the Earth, let these reflections guide your journey inward. You can journal with them or simply sit in quiet contemplation.

⛰️What would help me feel more grounded this week?

⛰️What part of my life is asking for stronger roots before I continue to grow?

⛰️What can I release to create more stability and peace?

Trust whatever comes up. Like a seed beneath the soil, not all growth is immediately visible. Sometimes the deepest transformation begins quietly, beneath the surface.

This week, you will receive the Earth element newsletter in three parts on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, followed by a guided meditation on Friday.

Sending So Much Love,

Amy

Share Amy Elizabeth 🦋 Holistic Nurse