My mom used to say: “Get out and get some fresh air.” She would basically kick me out of the house. I never thought about it at the time, but she knew something about the natural world that we are realizing more and more.
The natural world can heal us! *
Misty morning on a hot July day
Feeling stressed?
Get out there and use the natural world to unwind!
You never know what you will find
Can we learn to do less and get more done while being healthier?
Try this:
Take a walk in the woods or a park when you are frustrated, or even when you aren’t.
Forest stream and lush green
Leave technology behind or turn it off if you have it with you.
Just walk and take in the sights, sounds and smells.
Fungus on rotten wood
Smell the milkweed flower’s perfume
Stop and sit while looking closely at a leaf or a bug. Taking in the beauty of them and how they just are and are not worried. They do their thing without regard for the craziness of the world.
Fallen birch leaf
Millipedes on a rock
Walk whenever you can. In the rain, in the snow, when it is windy and stormy, at night, on a nice day.
Tracks in snow
Drive to an expansive view where you can see a huge swath of the natural world. Take it in slowly. How does that natural system work in such an intricate way and continue minute after minute, hour after hour, day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year?
An expansive view
Think about where you came from. No, I don’t mean your mother’s womb.
Think about why you are here. What is your purpose in being here?
If the natural system around you continues on -- in all its intricate details, day and night, summer and winter, year after year, through drought and storm; the water cycle continues and the plants keep photosynthesizing and you are a part of that -- how does that make you feel?
Blue jay mystery
What if your daily walk or weekly walk in the local park or woods replaced the medicine you take daily to deal with high blood pressure, stress, anxiety, pain, headaches, a tired feeling, an inability to sleep? Would it be worth it?
Columbine
Can we learn to do less and get more done while being healthier?
Try it and see.
*This blog is based on an article in Greater Good Magazine: How nature helps us heal
