Some people say they don't like the 'outdoors'- camping, hiking, beach walks, swimming in a lake. This makes me wonder: how do some humans adapt so fully to their modern city habitat as to not crave the very thing we are most connected to- the Earth? It's dawned on me that people haven't so much adapted, which implies change and growth, but rather they've checked out, disconnected, lost a sense of what they are, of the interconnectedness of all life forms.
Does this surprise me? No.
The way we eat, work, vacation, socialize, exercise and live all point in the same direction. We're in the age of distraction and disconnection. So we must ask: how can we connect?
The answer: nature.
Nature- the trees and grass, beaches and lakes, city gardens, birds flying overhead, the colour of the autumn leaves. All of nature holds the secret of life. Nature lives and thrives- it does not question or see an alternate path. It is present and whole, lacking nothing. It is timeless and alive- no less alive than you or I. The same energy that creates a tree from a seed, is the same energy that brings life from a sperm and egg to a human. We all have a destiny- the pine-cone that becomes a tree, the egg that becomes an ostrich, or a hummingbird, the seed that blows with the wind to become a bright yellow dandelion. Who are we to think that our life force is different than the life force of a precious flower. We are one.
Does this surprise me? No.
The way we eat, work, vacation, socialize, exercise and live all point in the same direction. We're in the age of distraction and disconnection. So we must ask: how can we connect?
The answer: nature.
Nature- the trees and grass, beaches and lakes, city gardens, birds flying overhead, the colour of the autumn leaves. All of nature holds the secret of life. Nature lives and thrives- it does not question or see an alternate path. It is present and whole, lacking nothing. It is timeless and alive- no less alive than you or I. The same energy that creates a tree from a seed, is the same energy that brings life from a sperm and egg to a human. We all have a destiny- the pine-cone that becomes a tree, the egg that becomes an ostrich, or a hummingbird, the seed that blows with the wind to become a bright yellow dandelion. Who are we to think that our life force is different than the life force of a precious flower. We are one.
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To sit by a tree and join it in its wholeness and presence is to be connected. To watch the sun set over the water is to know beauty. To listen to the language of sun basking seals is to know life. Nature holds the secrets, even if we have yet to realize them. Your energy is aligning with a deeper essence when you connect to all life. So much so that your body reacts and responds with increased health and vitality when in nature.
Nature is known to:
So I ask you, imagine a world where we each took time in our day to sit and look out at the water, to stop at the flowering bush just to share in its timeless presence, to walk with our bare feet on the grass. This nature will fill you up and help you heal. It will show you patience and attention if you let it. It will honour you as you honour it. We are nature and nature is us.
I've recently taken up David Suzuki's 30x30 Challenge. How about you? How about taking the next 30 days to spend 30 minutes a day in nature. Take pictures, revel in the beauty, share your experience with others and spread the love that nature gives.
Nature is known to:
- reduce anxiety and depression
- decrease stress
- increase immunity
- reduce symptoms of ADD
- contribute to faster recovery and less pain medication for the sick
- increase creativity, problem solving and curiosity
- increase disease fighting white blood cells
So I ask you, imagine a world where we each took time in our day to sit and look out at the water, to stop at the flowering bush just to share in its timeless presence, to walk with our bare feet on the grass. This nature will fill you up and help you heal. It will show you patience and attention if you let it. It will honour you as you honour it. We are nature and nature is us.
I've recently taken up David Suzuki's 30x30 Challenge. How about you? How about taking the next 30 days to spend 30 minutes a day in nature. Take pictures, revel in the beauty, share your experience with others and spread the love that nature gives.