Dr. Carol Darza, psychologist and founder of Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment Center, speaks from Sequoia National Park about how nature—specifically trees—offers metaphors and practical tools for healing trauma. She links trees' scars and resilience to human recovery, emphasizes grounding (feeling roots/feet), mindful walking, and the importance of community support. The piece blends personal anecdote with short exercises and a closing message: "trauma equals disconnect, healing equals reconnect."
Chapters
Hi, I'm Dr. Carol Darza, author, psychologist and founder of Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment center in Los Angeles. Today I'm in Sequoia national park and as you will see here, and I'm going to be talking about the importance of nature today. I just wanted to really take this opportunity and do this quick video for you so that you can really hear me as I talk about the importance of nature and the good feelings that it gives everyone. So here's an example. This morning I woke up and I was already checking my emails and I had, of course, work things to do. And then I said, that's it, I'm done with work today. I'm taking one day off, closed everything. And I started walking and seen these amazing, amazing trees. I can't even actually describe them, how gorgeous they are. And now all I'm feeling is pure joy, tranquility and slowing down. I was able to put all the thoughts aside and just really enjoy this peaceful environment. I think nature is an amazing reminder to us about what really is beauty about. Because as I'm walking around, I'm seeing broken trees, burned trees, and, you know, lots of other things, fallen trees, and then the beautiful one, the ones that are dry and the ones that are with, you know, flowers and greenery and they're all beautiful. It smells amazing here, by the way. Smell as a. A very good factor for us to just sort of calm our nervous system down. And you can see everyone that's walking around has a big smile on their face. So if you read my book, the Trauma Map, or if you know anything about the Reconnects philosophy, you will note that I talk a lot about the importance of reconnecting with yourself and reconnecting with nature. And that's why we are here today. By the way, you'll see in the videos, this is one thing that I really learned today, how amazing it is that nature taught me more about the trauma healing, is that it might have a lot of burns and scars actually of. Because the trees just, you know, catch on fire many times throughout the years. They still are able to live and grow on top of the scars. So actually when you cut it, you can see the scars. And then of course, the people who understand the trees, they are able to tell you how many times this tree survived a fire. But they are still thriving. And that's what we believe in. Even if you survive a trauma, how can you thrive it and how can you still rebuild yourself? I want to remind you guys the importance of grounding and really Feeling your roots just like the roots of a tree. And that's the most important reminder. When I'm around the trees, I love to see how the big roots are just sort of spreading around. And then you can see the stronger the roots are, the. The stronger the tree is. And that is how it is for us as well. Of course, this is analogy, right? But when you ground, the important thing is to really just feel yourself feeling your feet on the ground. And it's. You can also even imagine like your roots going out. And that will just keep you really grounded and centered to yourself, especially following a trauma or stress when we are much more in our heads, that bringing your weight down to your feet and feeling yourself rooted will create a sense of equilibrium for you. Here's another important thing that I learned in my hike today, is that the support of the environment or the community, right? Well, humans are not the only ones that have supportive community. Actually trees as well, they support each other. So I was just looking at some pictures and then they were explaining on the way that the roots of a tree, because they can't go too deep here because of the rocks they're just sort of going across, which means all the trees are touching each other roots and supporting each other. So it's amazing how it makes them even stronger by the support of the other trees. And that's what we can do as human beings. We're not really meant to be alone. We are actually community people and we really need the support of others when we go through difficult times. In my other videos, when I talked about mindfulness, I talked about mindful walk. This is a very important skill. And of course, I'm very much reminded here. So when you're walking, if your mind is still at something else and you're not really paying attention to your environment, then that's just maybe an exercise. But a mindful walk is really just being in the here and now and smelling like I'm doing right now, feeling your feet on the ground, sensing the sunlight in your face, and hearing people. So, like right now there's actually airplane or you can just hear the birds. And when you just pay attention to one thing and you're really able to let go of all your feelings and all your thoughts, it'll center you back into yourself again. And this is how you can battle with trauma and daily stress. So remember that trauma hijacks your brain, so it'll kind of keep you in the past, or sometimes it'll actually keep you in the future by worrying about what's going to happen, right? When something bad happens to us, we're very much worried that something bad again is going to happen. So we're sort of stuck in between the past and the future. And that's where mindfulness and the walk and the nature comes in, is that it takes you right into here. So there's nothing to worry. Just this minute, I hope you'll be able to actually take a moment, maybe just go next to a tree or just take a little walk, even if you don't have this beautiful scenery that I have today, luckily. Right? But just take a moment of bringing your attention to here and as you walk, maybe feeling your feet, a movement of your arms, and just bring yourself and your thoughts and energy into the here and now. Whenever you get a chance, take a moment, maybe take your shoes off. Probably not here, because this is a forest, but take your shoes off in the grass or go to the beach and just really feel your feet on the ground. Just really, just push them down. And try to get rid of all your negative energies and all the worries and concerns and fears that you've been carrying and just release it to the soil. And sometimes it could even actually help you if you want to sit down and really get more grounded closer to the soil or to the beach or the grass. Like I said, any connection with nature will help you to calm your nervous system down. I wish I could do all my videos from this location, or I wish I could travel the world and do all my videos. That would be a great way. But okay, so in couple of days I'm back to my normal life. I share this because it doesn't mean that I will not be able to take what I achieved here into there. And that's the key thing. Because unless you're a monk and living in Tibetan or in a cave, of course it's easier to be calm and collected in that environment without stress. Right? But the idea is for you to practice these exercises on a regular basis so that your nervous system is always calming down. So when you are in front of the stress, you know how to deal with it. So I hope you enjoyed today and I'm looking forward to seeing you guys next time. And remember, trauma equals disconnect, healing equals reconnect. Stay connected and stay connected with the trees. Sam.
