How Reconnecting with Nature Saved My Life—And Why It Might Save Yours Too
In my recent conversation with wilderness guide Ned Weisner, I discovered how our disconnection from nature mirrors our disconnection from ourselves. His story—from multiple suicide attempts to becoming a guide who helps men reclaim their wildness—reveals a pathway back to authenticity that doesn't require abandoning your career or moving to a cabin.
Key Takeaways:
Nature connection serves as a powerful co-regulation tool for overwhelmed nervous systems
The practice of tracking teaches presence and intuitive decision-making in all areas of life
Vulnerability and receiving support are strengths, not weaknesses, in authentic masculinity
Small daily practices with nature can create profound shifts in mental health and relationships
Writing and storytelling help transform victim narratives into empowered creator stories
The Hidden Cost of Our Domestication
We've been domesticated. Through education systems, corporate structures, and social expectations, we've learned to live someone else's version of success. As Ned explains, "We often think of wildness as out there—the mountains, waterfalls, thunderstorms. But it's also this thing deep within us that so many of us have been domesticated away from."
This domestication shows up everywhere. In relationships where we explain instead of express. In careers that drain us despite external rewards. In bodies that feel numb or reactive. In the persistent question: "Is this it?"
The symptoms are varied but the root is the same: we've lost touch with our inner wildness—that authentic core that knows what it wants and isn't afraid to pursue it.
The Collective Impact
Our personal disconnection creates ripple effects. When leaders operate from disconnection, they reproduce the same patterns in their organizations. When men struggle with emotional regulation, it impacts their relationships with partners and children. When we're disconnected from our food sources, we lose appreciation for the energy that sustains us.
"If you go to the store and buy a piece of meat in plastic packaging versus going into the woods, praying for an animal, tracking and harvesting it yourself—the nourishment is completely different," Ned observes. It's not just about the meat; it's about the relationship, intention, and presence involved in the process.
Why Nature Works When Everything Else Doesn't
You've probably tried therapy, read the books, maybe even hired a coach. But something was still missing. Here's why nature-based approaches often succeed where traditional methods fall short:
Co-regulation: Your nervous system naturally syncs with the rhythms of the natural world. This isn't mystical thinking—it's measurable science. Time in nature demonstrably reduces cortisol levels and activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
Embodied learning: Nature forces you out of your head and into your body. You can't track an animal while lost in mental analysis. You must attune to subtle signs, trust your intuition, and stay present.
Perspective reset: Standing beneath ancient trees or beside flowing rivers reminds you that your problems, while real, exist within a much larger context. This isn't minimizing your struggles—it's providing the spaciousness needed to approach them differently.
Authentic challenge: Unlike manufactured corporate challenges, nature presents real, immediate feedback. You either read the tracks correctly or you don't. You either build a proper fire or you don't. This builds genuine confidence based on competence, not performance.
The Tracking Metaphor: Following Signs in Life and Business
Ned's story of learning to track animals offers powerful insights for navigating modern challenges. When tracking, "you don't know where you're going. You're following each track, each scent, each sign. You don't necessarily know your end destination."
This applies directly to business and relationships. As high-performers, we often want guaranteed outcomes: "If I do X, then Y will happen." But tracking teaches a different approach—follow the next right step without attachment to specific results.
Practical Applications:
In business: Instead of forcing predetermined outcomes, notice what's working and lean into it. Follow the energy and engagement rather than rigid strategic plans.
In relationships: Pay attention to emotional tracks—your partner's body language, energy shifts, moments of connection or distance. Respond to what you're actually seeing, not what you think should be happening.
In personal growth: When you lose the "track" of where you're going, the answer isn't to charge ahead frantically. Sit still, attune to your internal state, and listen for the next right step.
"When I've lost the track of an animal and I sit and meditate and listen deeply into my own inner wildness, I can oftentimes find the track again," Ned explains.
From Explaining to Expressing: The Vulnerability Revolution
High-performing men excel at explaining. We analyze, strategize, and intellectualize our way through challenges. But our relationships are starving for expression—the raw, unfiltered truth of our experience.
The difference is profound:
Explaining: "I've been stressed about the quarterly numbers and it's affecting my focus."
Expressing: "There's this tight knot in my chest every morning when I wake up. I'm terrified we're going to miss our targets and I'll have failed the team."
The second version lands because it's embodied. Your partner, colleagues, and friends have bodies too—they know what chest tightness feels like. They can connect with fear even if they don't share your specific circumstances.
This shift from explaining to expressing is what creates the intimacy you've been craving. You can't feel seen when you're only showing the polished, analyzed version of yourself.
Practical Exercise: Your Daily Nature Prescription
You don't need to move to the wilderness to begin. Here's a simple practice that can start shifting your nervous system and reconnecting you with your inner compass:
The 10-Minute Nature Sit (Do this daily for one week):
Find any natural element—a tree, patch of grass, even a houseplant
Sit quietly and focus on one small detail for 3 minutes (ant movements, leaf patterns, wind sounds)
Close your eyes and notice what you feel in your body for 2 minutes
Open your eyes and ask: "What is one thing my inner wisdom wants me to know right now?"
Listen without trying to figure out the answer for 3 minutes
Write down whatever comes up, even if it seems silly or obvious
Take one small action based on what you heard
Track your mood, energy, and decision-making quality over the week. Notice any shifts in how you show up in relationships or at work.
The goal isn't dramatic transformation—it's developing your capacity to attune to subtler signals both in nature and within yourself.
Rewriting Your Story: From Victim to Creator
One of the most powerful aspects of Ned's journey was learning to rewrite his own story. When crafting his memoir, he initially wrote about being forced out of a ranch where he worked. The first version positioned him as a victim of circumstances.
But through the writing process, he discovered a deeper truth: "I had quit riding horses five months prior for my own reasons." The objective facts didn't change, but the story transformed from one of victimhood to conscious choice.
This distinction matters because the stories we tell about our experiences shape our identity. When you frame setbacks as things that happened TO you, you remain powerless. When you identify your agency—even in difficult situations—you reclaim your creative power.
Questions for rewriting your story:
Where am I making myself the victim of circumstances I actually have some control over?
What choices did I make that contributed to my current situation?
How can I tell this story in a way that honors both the challenges and my agency?
What would change if I viewed this setback as redirection rather than rejection?
The Masculine Paradox: Strength Through Vulnerability
"For men, receiving is the harder part," Ned observes. We've been conditioned to see asking for help as weakness. But true strength—the kind that builds lasting relationships and sustainable success—requires the courage to be vulnerable.
This isn't about becoming soft or abandoning your drive. It's about expanding your definition of masculinity to include emotional intelligence, intuitive wisdom, and authentic connection.
Consider this: the most trusted leaders, the most respected partners, the most effective fathers—they all share the ability to be strong AND vulnerable. They can hold space for others' emotions while staying grounded in their own truth.
The research backs this up. Men who can express emotions appropriately have better relationships, lower stress levels, and often achieve greater professional success. Vulnerability, when expressed from a centered place, actually increases respect and trust.
Moving Forward: Your Next Right Step
You don't need to overhaul your entire life tomorrow. You need to take the next right step. For some, that might be scheduling time in nature. For others, it's having one honest conversation with your partner. For many, it's simply admitting you don't have it all figured out.
"Just take that first step," Ned advises. "On the other side of taking that first step is a journey beyond your wildest imaginations and a life that is waiting for you that is greater than you can even imagine."
The wildness within you—that authentic, purposeful, connected man—isn't lost. He's waiting for you to remember him. Nature, vulnerability, presence, and community are the pathways back.
Your life is already successful by external measures. Now it's time to make it meaningful by internal ones. The track starts wherever you are, with whatever step you're ready to take.
