Living in Eastern Washington, I feel a strong connection to the land, the beauty of the sky and the alien environment of the Palouse hills. The one-ness and bond I feel toward the earth and sky there is like finding a piece of yourself that’s been missing your whole life. It’s called tenalach.
Tenalach: (n.) The relationship one has to the land, the air, the water. A deep connection that makes you one with nature.
This word is originally used in the hills and mountains of Ireland. It makes sense; when you live an environment that’s peaceful and tranquil, it’s hard not to feel a sense of responsibility and a one-ness with the nature around you.
Tenalach is the dynamic push and pull between humans and their environment, the exchange of energy and oxygen between you and the plants you grow.
It’s cultivating the connection you have to your environment in such a beautiful and meaningful way that you can’t remember where you begin and where the world ends.
Elizabeth Adan 