You Are Nature
Rediscovering your innate belonging to nature can help you find the wisdom–and courage–you need to move into climate action.
It is easy to think we need to know more to take action on climate change. And when we do act, we might find ourselves bracing for the moment someone will expose that we don’t know it all.
The fear of not being “expert”-enough is real for many women and menstruators.
Being visible, making mistakes, and putting ourselves out there can expose us to criticism. And criticism can feel like a direct threat to our safety.
It’s an understandable linkage as for most of history and into the present day, the safety of women and people of other marginalized identities often has been dependent on being liked by people with more power. This undoubtedly can influence our choices today, both consciously and unconsciously.¹
But here’s the truth: you know so much more than you think, because your menstrual cycle is teaching you about nature and climate change everyday.
You are nature. And your menstrual cycle–which is a microcosm of larger planetary cycles–is a reminder of that. You understand what nature is going through, because the same patterns that exist in your body also exist in the natural world.
Simply by being in a body that has a menstrual cycle, you know–for example–that:
#1: Nature (which includes you) is slowly and continuously changing every day as it moves through its cycles. Your appetite, your energy, and your strengths change over your cycle–just like that of the natural world.
#2: Just because the effects of climate change may be increasingly common, this current reality is not just how nature now “is” or has to be. There was a time in your life when you had severe PMS, period cramps, migraines, or acne. You thought for a while that it was just an innate part of having a menstrual cycle. Then, you made a change–or your external conditions changed–and things got better. And so when you see biodiversity loss, glaciers melting, and drought, you know that even though these signs of imbalance are increasingly common right now, they are not inevitable or unchangeable.²
#3: There’s a ripple effect in nature when external factors disrupt an otherwise healthy cycle. Rising CO2 levels lead to warmer sea surface temperatures and sea level rise. These factors then can contribute to bigger hurricanes, which increase in intensity and frequency when CO2 levels keep rising.
This might be a familiar pattern to you: perhaps when you get stressed at work, you tend to get sick. Then that delays your ovulation and bleed a few weeks. And then maybe the stress of your bleed coming late combines with your work stress, so that your next cycle comes with new challenges. And so on. We’ve all been there. Our challenges–like nature’s–can compound over the course of our cycles, leading to additional issues.
When you start to see yourself as nature, you might find that you have the knowledge you need to speak up on climate.
In speaking about her organizing work to establish the legal Rights of Nature, activist Casey Camp-Horinak of the Ponca Nation said: “We are not protecting Nature. We are Nature protecting itself.”
This knowing that we are nature is an inherent part of the worldview of many Indigenous peoples. For those of us raised without this understanding, it is critical for us to adopt it if we are to restore the well-being of ourselves and our planet.
If fear of not knowing or criticism has held you back, take a moment to consider:
What shifts for you when you see yourself as nature itself? How does this transform any fears of criticism, visibility, or making “mistakes”?
What courage rises when you realize you’re part of the majority–all the trees, rivers, insects and other humans who stand with you in wanting life in all its diversity to flourish on our planet?
And then consider how to adopt this reframe into your life. Because underneath our pursuit of the policy, leadership, systems, and technology (i.e. all the things!) needed to create a just, sustainable future must be a worldview shift. A shift to knowing that we are wholly and completely inextricable from nature.
It’s time we remember that when we speak up for the well-being of our planet and its inhabitants, we are not speaking as its caretakers. We are speaking as nature itself.
1 Tara Mohr’s book Playing Big provides helpful context on why criticism can feel so intense for women.
2 We were introduced to the idea of “common but not normal” as relates to menstrual cycle challenges by Dr. Claudia Welch. Read her book Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life to learn more.
Photo Credit: Maksim-Goncharenok
Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the information provided should be construed as medical advice. If you have concerns related to your menstrual cycle, please consult a licensed health care provider.