Bringing Nature Back into Your Life

‘Nature is one of the most underutilized treasures in life. It has the power to unburden hearts and reconnect to that inner place of peace.

                        —Janice Anderson   

Sunshine, forest paths, beaches, gurgling streams, fresh air, silence: all parts of nature that can elevate our mood, calm our senses, refresh our minds, and heal our bodies. That we take the time to enjoy it, even when it lies just outside our door, is to our detriment. City-dwellers often need to seek it elsewhere, outside their city, but the opportunity to sit under a tree and simply breathe, or perhaps read for a while is theirs for the taking, if they just will do so. Even those of us fortunate enough to live in the suburbs or in the country, with natural resources close by, often take it for granted, or say, ‘what a lovely sunset,’ and move on with the ‘necessities’ in our lives. As Ms. Anderson points out in the quote that began this piece, nature is our underutilized tool for easing our stress and allowing us to see what is really important. But how to do so with so many things vying for our attention? Bills to be paid, papers and reports to be written, kids to pick up, and events to attend? When? How?

It is said that life moves fast, and that time flies, and that can be true. But if we remember that life is lived one second at a time, and that many, if not most of us are able to have some control over our schedules and activities, we can carve out that time to bring nature back into our lives. If, on the morning drive to work, a beautiful sunrise illuminates the landscape, creating a lovely play of light and shadow amidst the trees, or the buildings, simply taking the time to think about it, how it lights up the landscape and gives us warmth on our faces, and allowing a few seconds or minutes to focus on the sunrise  and on the beauty created is the beginning of bringing nature’s healing power back into our lives. No, the morning commute has not changed, but the way we are living it and thinking about it has. And that makes all the difference.

Planning time with Nature is the next step into unlocking its power to ‘unburden hearts and reconnect’ with our dreams, desires, and to let go of old behavior that no longer serves us. Spending a half-hour in the park by the water, even if, as in New York, you can still see skyscrapers and hear traffic, is miraculously invigorating. Through the peace of personal meditation on the grass, the water, the sky, and of our role in whatever comprises our personal universe allows that reconnection. Old thoughts, new dreams, ideas and adventures begin to take shape when we connect with our innermost thoughts and allow them the space to grow…even if only for a very short time. This reconnection, through the beauty and peace of Nature, is just the beginning of starting to live our dreams, to begin taking action on something we’ve longed to do, and to see that it is possible. What ‘good old dreams’ and long-forgotten projects need to be re-examined in your life, and what steps can you take to reconnect with them? Let nature clear your head and help you find the peace you need to begin living your best life yet…