Healing through Nature

When was the last time you were in a place where you could look up at the sky and see the stars without interference from city buildings or lights?

When did you last walk barefooted on the earth?

When did you last sleep in a place where you were away from electricity, Wi-Fi and cellular signals?

If you are like most of us, it has probably been too long…

For hundreds of thousands of years humans lived every moment of their life directly linked to nature. They were intimately connected to the sun, earth, water, and fire and our species evolved within the natural rhythms of the sun, moon, and seasons.

Within only a couple of generations we have become completely separated from our natural environment.

We are surrounded by concrete, plastic, recycled air and energy interference through our modern technological advances.

We move from our climate-controlled homes into our air-conditioned vehicles to get to our little office cubicles. We can go days and weeks without intentionally engaging in our natural environment.

Even when we are outside, we wear rubber soles on our feet that don’t allow the healing energy from the earth to reach us.

Is it any wonder that we have become anxious, depressed and in poor health?

If we took a fish out of water and asked it to thrive on land, it wouldn’t take long for the fish to die. We have been plucked out of our natural environment and thrown into a concrete jungle. We have not had enough time to evolve so that we can thrive within our new environment.

In Japan there is a practice promoted by health officials that is called shinrin-yoku or “Forest Bathing.” Forest Bathing involves an intentional retreat into nature for health benefits.

It has been shown to have immediate positive effects on blood pressure, stress, energy levels, immune system and mood.

Being in nature allows us to connect to our source more naturally.

A few minutes staring up at a starry sky will make you keenly aware of just how small we are within this infinite universe. This helps us form new perspectives on what is important. It puts things back in their proper context.

We need to become more intentional about getting into nature.

Even getting outside for a walk or standing in your backyard barefooted can help to rebalance your energy.

Filling your house with plants and taking up gardening is another easy way to daily connect with nature, at least on a small scale…

I regularly and intentionally embrace nature as an act of self-care.

Being in nature restores the natural rhythms of my body, mind, spirit and emotions.

When you are outside in nature, take some time to pause, reflect and affirm the following truths so that when you return to your inside responsibilities you can continue to carry the nurturing and healing properties of nature with you.