LOG-IN TO THE PLANET.

There’s a great scene as part of a chase in the third Matrix movie, Matrix Revolutions. In order to escape, they fly their rocketship above the clouds, the ship hangs there in the atmosphere above what is left of the earth for just a second or two before plummeting back into the darkness and chaos below. Arguably, the most powerful scene across the whole trilogy even though it’s only a few seconds long. It’s so powerful because it’s the only moment of beauty. And it’s beautiful because the characters make a connection with nature.

Earth might not be ruled by machines just yet, but it’s certainly distracted by them.Pedestrian traffic marches on oblivious to it’s surroundings, head down checking the things people feel they need to check, while the big picture just passes on by. Drivers risk collisions, unable to keep their attention away from the screen in their hand for as long as it takes to drive to the dairy or work. And we’ve all seen those images of people focussed on posting an image of some magnificent thing they’ve encountered and photographed, (usually rather poorly), rather than actually deepening their encounter with the magnificent thing.

This essay isn’t here to beat-up on technology, the very same technology can assist us greatly when our agenda is to enjoy  the natural world, no doubt. But while glued to their machines, day in day out, plenty of humans forget they are actually part of that natural world. Which is exactly why for many of us making the connection is, well, a natural thing to do. And making this connection with nature is more than just looking at it. When we pay attention to it, when we’re logged-in to the earth, that’s when many of us are at our happiest.

As a surfer, I’ve come to realise that the great joy of the sport is not just riding the wave, but how we get to that point: We must be tuned into the ocean completely. We need to know the coming and going of the tide, the location and movement of the storm that has generated the swell, the size, timing and direction of the swell, the wind direction and the strength of that wind. Unless we’re lucky enough to be surfing a permanent reef or point break, we’ll also need to know the contours of the beach because that is what gives waves their shape. Where is the constantly moving sand today? Even then, you can get to the beach and everything has changed, because this is nature, and she’ll do what she wants.

Although the surf is my main point of reference for the natural world, I feel a kinship with anyone who’s logging-in to the planet as I do. Anyone who sails, dives, climbs, skis, or rides the earth and or her oceans. We have in common a need to know what’s going on, this is more than just thinking that the sky looks pretty in the morning. Not being informed regarding the mood of the particular piece of planet you’re engaging with that day risks a minor inconvenience in some pursuits, but for others, mis-information or ignorance can be fatal.

Timing and equipment are paramount. You have to take the right things to the right place at the right time. Of course, because we’re doing all this to facilitate pastimes that we enjoy, the rewards are immense.

Knowing our place in nature connects us to it, and brings us immeasurable pleasure and joy. ‘Us’ being human beings. Not just surfers, sailors and mountain climbers. Some psycholgists have been improving patient well-being by prescribing a course of  ‘Take note of three things in nature each day’. This might be noticing a bird singing or watching the movement of a tree in the breeze. Doing this each day for a week is known to lead to an increase in connectedness with nature, which in turn is linked to improvements in psychological health. In 2016, Britains Wildlife Trusts ran the ‘30 Days Wild’ campaign to encourage people to value nature more highly in their own life. Over 18,000 people participated over a two month period. The findings suggested that with nature playing a central role in their lives, people felt connected, being connected made them feel happier, and being happier made them healthier. A side effect of this, intentionally, was that people feel more inclined to value and protect nature as a result of their deeper connection. Everybody wins.

In Japan over the last few decades, it has become quite common to practice Shinrin-Yokuor ‘Forest Therapy’. The ‘medicine’ of simply being in the forest. It’s not hard to reach a conclusion when we think about why nature makes us feel good. This isn’t rocket science, our ancestors have connected to and worked with the natural world since the dawn of time. As a species, Homo-Sapiens wouldn’t have lasted long had this not been the case. It’s no surprise that indigenous peoples, even in todays world, often demonstrate a purer connection to the natural environment than so called ‘civilised’ populations. Playing the role of caretakers rather than owners of natural resources, and bestowing human qualities on features of the natural world such as rivers, mountains and lakes.

This has been true also of recreation. The Hawaiians invented surfing. They were the only people who used the ocean for recreation, others fished and bathed and sailed to and fro, but it was the Hawaiians who used it for fun. If you’ve ever seen the surf rolling in at Waikiki you’ll understand how naturally that must have come to them. Centuries later, in the late 1970’s at the dawn of the professional surfing era, a group of Australians sought to take ‘ownership’ of the sport from the Hawaiians. This was met with violence and very real threats to life as the Hawaiians fought to retain control over what is essentially part of their culture. Only the intervention of the legendary Eddie Aikau prevented a very different outcome for the brash young Australians. The point being, that you can’t ‘have’ it. It’s a natural thing. You can ride it, or sail it or climb it but it can never be yours alone and you can’t control it. That’s quite probably why the connection is so rewarding and makes us feel so alive and at home here on the earth. Nature just is. And we can just be too. We can harness it, but generally, we have to go with it. She’s the boss.

The wind and tides will decide the course we sail on a particular day, weather and terrain will dictate how close to a summit we can get in a given time period, what else might be living in the forest will help us choose where we set up camp and the local climate will decide what we are going to wear and the extras we need to take with us. That’s why, personally, I feel far less of a connection to nature when there’s an engine involved. It’s just not as pure. Sure, you’re on the ocean and you can feel the spray on your face, but you’re ploughing through the sea making a heck of a noise and generating more than just a little carbon monoxide. You’re in control, you’re dominating the situation and that’s not the point. You probably don’t even care what time high tide is. Rather than that level of control, bullying almost, I far prefer when we have to accept that we won’t be doing something the way we thought we were going to be doing it because the conditions are dictating that we revise our approach. Nature, being nature, throws you a little curve-ball to deal with every now and then and dealing with it just strengthens your connection.

You learn early on around decent sized waves that you’re not going to beat the ocean. If all the water that’s just come into the bay is leaving (as it has to do) it will be creating a rip, and if you’re in its way, you’re going with it. Don’t struggle, conserve your energy and re-group when it’s over. People who drown usually drown fighting against what’s happening to them. Panic kills. Just like stress. When we’re connected, we’re calm and in the moment. That’s all that matters to us, because in nature, we’re connected to the right thing. I’ve found ways to connect with her without necessarily chasing the surf or racing off into the wilderness too, as I’m sure we all have. Practising a little yoga outside, even at my inner city home, although relatively lacking in adrenalin, can provide a powerful connection indeed. Get out of the gym or the lounge, and actually find the sun and do your sun salutations facing that celestial body, and you’ll get the picture, I promise. In certain poses you find that you’re lining your body up using the sun as a guide. It helps you stand straighter. Check your symmetry and straighten your lines using the shadow you’re casting then simply just breathe and be there with the sun on your skin.

It’s hard not to feel connected. It’s hard not to feel human. And you don’t need a password. The internet will still be there tomorrow, today I’m going to log-in to the planet.