Time With Nature
Shannon King, Charity Director
Do you ever think about how the animals instinctually migrate or how some forms of ocean life spawn on the night of a full moon at certain times of the year? Animals are so connected to the Earth in a natural way. They don’t even need to think about it. I think about that often and then I think about humans. I can’t help but feel like in the beginning we were just as connected. Sometimes I feel so disconnected. I think we all do at times. I think about how amazing it would be to have all my senses working at their full potential the way that they were intended to function. How alive would my body feel if the air I was breathing was pure and the food I was eating was pristine?
I can’t help but feel that although we have technologically advanced in amazing ways that we have slid very far from the beings that we originally were. Today we live in urban centers in synthetic, square buildings with straight walls and pointy corners. The glass filters out the natural sun and the overhead lights are electronic and harsh. We’re surrounded by constant electrical current. Wires in the walls, computers in front of us all day, phones in our pockets and Wi-Fi signals going through our bodies constantly. We wear rubber soled shoes and walk on concrete sidewalks that don’t allow us to connect directly with the Earth. The rate of anxiety and depression continues to rise and we become increasingly disconnected from each other. We’ve become so busy that we aren’t enjoying the life that we’re trying to build. No wonder most people are unhappy and stressed out.
It is very important, now more than ever, to take time to get out of this craziness and let your body and mind decompress. Connect with the natural world. We need to instill the importance of this time out to our children so they can take this into their even busier and crazier adulthoods.
Get outside and spend time in nature. Plant some flowers and let your hands sink into the soil. Go out for a long walk or even better find a trail in your area to hike. Go to the beach and stick your feet in the sand and let the waves wash over you. Get away the TV, microwave and refrigerator. Get away from the Wi-Fi, your phone, iPad or multitude of video game consoles… for a little while.
When we spend time in nature we naturally relax. We stop worrying about every little thing. Our minds naturally calm down. The humming of everything synthetic stops and you can hear the natural world around you. The wind rustles the leaves on the trees, birds chirp and call to one another. You may hear the amazing sound of water flowing in a nearby creek or the waves crashing onto shore. You can’t help but take a deep breath and smile. Your blood pressure goes down and your muscles relax.
One of the best things you can do is take your shoes off and walk directly on the ground. You can get the same benefits from resting up against a tree. Remember when we were kids and we would lay down in the grass? Go do it! We are electrical beings. our brains send signals through our nerves. Our cells are made of water and minerals which are both great conductors of electricity. Our bodies pick up positive electrons in the form of free radicals that can build up in the body. The Earth naturally carries a negative charge and will happily accept those extra electrons leaving you feeling grounded. If you would like to know more about this please look up Earthing.
You can grab a lawn chair and sit in the shade under the tree in your yard. Take even five minutes to feel the Earth under your bare feet, watch the leaves move in the breeze or the birds. You will feel instant relaxation.
Do you like a campfire? I love being outside at night. It’s such an expansive feeling. A fire is beautiful as the flames dance about. I find tending the fire to be extremely satisfying. Enjoy the coolness of the evening and don’t forget to look up at the stars!!
Please take time to be in nature. We might not be able to become the tuned in humans that we were at the dawn of creation but we can reconnect with nature in a way that is beneficial to our physical and mental health now. The more you spend time at the park, on the trail, in the mountains, or even in your own back yard the more relaxed, healthy, and happier you are going to be.
