The Systemic Power of Nature
How a Morning in Nature Opens New Perspectives for Leaders, Changemakers, and Everyone Contributing to Sustainable Transitions
A Different Way of Knowing
On September 19, we gathered at the De Lievelinge campsite for a morning of constellations focused on the systemic power of nature. The sun was shining, the forest whispered, the birds sang—and this was more than just a backdrop. Nature was not merely present; it played an active role in the exploration.
For some participants, working with systemic constellations was new; for others, more familiar territory. No PowerPoint, no strategy plans—just a physical experience of what is at play in complex questions. It may sound abstract, but it yielded surprisingly concrete insights.
Participants brought questions that touch us all:
How can I contribute to a food chain that serves both people and nature?
How can nature be given a voice at decision-making tables?
How can I live and feel my true nature?
By literally placing these questions “in the field”—with floor markers, representatives, and symbols—it became visible how forces interact. Not in spreadsheets, but in a living constellation.
And what an insights
This morning moved me deeply and clarified how nature, humans, and systems are interwoven. As we explored the systemic power of nature together, I sensed a powerful interaction between individual questions and the universal and collective forces that touch us at a profound level. It was an extraordinary learning experience that supports my growth in guiding organizational constellations.
The strongest insight I took away was that nature is not an object for us to bring in or protect. Nature exists autonomously, greater and older than we are. This realization brought both calm and humility: my contribution is not about “including” nature in human plans, but about creating space for it to reveal itself.
When we introduced health as an element in the constellation on food transition, movement suddenly emerged. I was struck by how health proved to be a universal language—both tangible and emotional. Health connects head and heart, policy and experience. It narrowed the gap between groups who could or could not engage in the transition. I learned that this can be a key in conversations that would otherwise stall.
The group of people who do not naturally join the major changes of our time also left a strong impression. Their silence and hesitation made me feel how important it is to acknowledge every voice, especially those of doubt or resistance. Often, there is a longing to be seen and recognized for preserving what is valuable.
Again and again, nature invited us to slow down. I experienced how transformation and transitions are not about working harder or planning more, but about listening more deeply. Only in stillness, when we follow nature’s own rhythm, can the new emerge and the next step become visible.
What became clear in the constellation carries a message for all of us: change does not require more action, but a different quality of observation and presence.
Systemic principles revealed
The morning made several fundamental principles of systemic work tangible:
Order – Every element has its own place and hierarchy. Only when health was introduced could a more natural order arise, allowing people, nature, and policy to truly see one another.
Acknowledging What Is – Nature does not need to be “fixed.” Recognizing its autonomous presence brought calm and movement.
Balance of Giving and Receiving – Government and changemakers who initially wanted to steer discovered that true connection arose only when they listened instead of giving.
Inclusion of the Excluded – The group of people unable to join the transition gained meaning only when they were explicitly given a place in the field.
Time Dynamics – Nature called for slowing down. Change is not linear but unfolds in its own time once the right conditions are present.
These principles became beautifully visible in the exercises and constellations. Once you notice them, you cannot “unsee” them—you begin to recognize their presence in organizations, policies, and personal questions.
The power of connection
These insights emerged thanks to the collaboration between Martje Fraaije and myself. Although we only met in early 2025, we immediately felt a natural connection. We share the belief that it is both possible and essential to make nature a full-fledged participant in transitions and systems. We both believe that change begins with acknowledging the larger whole and daring to prioritize experimentation and intuition.
Together we create a space where head and heart, reason and emotion, policy and earth meet. This allows participants to feel both safe and challenged, and ensures that insights do not remain abstract but become practically applicable. This first collaboration certainly invites more.
Systemic constellations literally set questions in motion. Instead of merely talking about change, you experience how elements relate to one another. Patterns become visible that remain hidden in ordinary conversations.
The body often senses tension or potential before the mind does.
Representatives feel emotions or dynamics that cannot be “thought up.”
Nature itself—a forest, a patch of ground, a breeze—amplifies the ability to slow down and listen.
Anyone working on complex issues—from food transition to organizational development—can benefit from this. Leaders, policymakers, changemakers, and citizens discover in a short time:
where movement is possible,
what role they themselves play,
and the power of acknowledging something greater than ourselves.
Experience is what it’s all about. A morning of constellations like this is not a conference, but a field of encounter and insight. No prior experience is needed—only a willingness to look and feel. The reward is great: clarity, new connections, and a renewed trust that nature itself provides direction, if we take the time to listen. To be continued.