By: Marie Edery
Source: The Daily Guardian https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/2026/05/15/e-paper-today-delhi-16-may-2026/
Dated: May 16th, 2026

Nature provides us with the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. And yet, nature expects nothing in return. What if, for once, I choose to give back what nature so generously gives me? These times of ecological upheaval call for genuine moral, ethical, and ecological responsibility. Because giving back to nature is not an isolated act of activism. It is a gesture of gratitude. A responsibility. A promise of balance.

We often live cut off from the awareness of all that nature does for us. Yet its benefits are omnipresent and fundamental. Its ecosystems feed us: from farmland to forests, rivers to oceans, nature is the source of every bite we take. It purifies the air, filters water, stores carbon, and regulates temperatures. Without it, there would be no pollination of crops, no climate regulation, and no drinking water.

Beneath our feet, soil life shapes the world. The carbon cycle, microscopic biodiversity, and the balance of ecosystems play out in the shadows — yet without them, life collapses. Simply being in contact with nature improves our mental health. We have all seen how a walk in the forest can reduce stress, improve concentration, and nourish our overall well-being. And finally, nature inspires: it has nourished our stories, our art, our myths, and our spirituality since the dawn of humanity. Through nature, the beauty of the world resonates within us.

How can we give back to nature?

Whether they are aware of it or not, whether they want to or not, human beings create, through their lifestyle, a series of invisible consequences that destroy the very things on which their lives depend.

Since human beings are the cause, simple logic dictates that only human beings can repair it. As conscious beings, we have the capacity to become responsible actors in climate change and biodiversity. Becoming aware of the impact of our actions is the first step towards change.

Everyone can take action. Reducing consumption, eating locally, limiting car journeys, sorting waste. These actions matter. Acting for nature is not limited to ecological actions: it is also an inner journey. Ecopsychology invites us to reconnect emotionally with living things. To feel, to listen, to vibrate with our surroundings. Walking in the forest without a phone, cultivating a garden, celebrating the seasons: these simple acts become rituals of gratitude.

But initiating real behavioural change can only happen when we are aware that we have an interdependent relationship with the elements, with ourselves, and with the human family. Encouraging and facilitating such awareness is a shared responsibility and task.

A change in awareness, recognising that I am a spiritual being whose every thought and action directly impacts my physical and human environment, is a vital step. I am capable of creating thoughts that have an impact on my environment, of radiating peace and love, for example, and of directing these thoughts towards nature.

Giving back to nature is not a sacrifice; it is an opportunity. By protecting it, I am protecting what is most precious — our humanity, our capacity for wonder, love, and coexistence. Everyone is capable of respecting resources and giving back to the Earth and humanity. In spiritual awareness, a precious energy is born, made up of appreciation and gratitude. Instead of just taking, we can help Earth regain its balance through an attitude of sharing.

This ancestral contract with living beings requires commitment, lucidity, and tenderness. It is not a question of saving the planet as one would save an object, but of relearning how to live with it, with respect, balance, and gratitude.

Marie Edery is a trainer and coach,
and a Rajyoga teacher based in Paris, France.