Connecting with Nature helps synchronize your rhythms to the Universal Heartbeat. – Doreen Virtue
Everything we need to survive is given to us by the natural world: food, water, medicine, supplies and resources for shelter and living. But in addition to meeting our basic needs, nature has other benefits that help us to truly thrive and enjoy life. Studies are showing that time in nature decreases stress, increases happiness, relieves fatigue, increases creativity, and may promote compassion and kindness.
Before electricity, before all of the devices we now have to keep us occupied, people were in tune with nature and her natural cycles and rhythms. The moon, the seasons, daylight and darkness… each had its own value and purpose, intimately intertwined with the lives of the people depending on it. Everything that happened during the day – or year – was linked to Mother Earth and her natural cycles.
Being in nature, to this day, causes us to “unplug” and that’s never a bad thing. Electronic devices are – believe it or not – one of the leading causes of stress in our society. Going off the grid can help you unwind and calm. Leaving the stress of modern day behind, replacing electronics with trees and water, helps us to focus on something more pure. We begin to center our mind, relax our body and drop into the present moment. Being mindful and present has overwhelming benefit, and unplugging gives us the downtime we need to recharge.
The fresh air improves blood pressure and oxygenation, and encourages breathing – another aspect of mindfulness that promotes well-being. But the air isn’t the only part of being outdoors that improves our health and happiness. A bacteria in soil boosts serotonin levels, and acts as a natural antidepressant and anti-inflammatory.
Physical activity performed in nature has an added boost; leading to increased production of your brain’s feel-good hormones (think: happy hormones)!
The first step in connecting your body-mind with nature is realizing that you are nature. An integral part of it, your body is made up of all of the same energy, minerals and elements that make up Planet Earth. It is said that everything outside of you is a reflection of what is inside. Though we are one and the same with nature, it is still easy to fall out of alignment with that connection and feel separate from it, divided even within ourselves, from our own inner guidance and wisdom.
Some ideas for re-connecting with nature and your true essence: acknowledge the connection, star gaze, go barefoot, listen to your self and get outside.
“We have calcium in our bones, iron in our veins, carbon in our souls, and nitrogen in our brains. 93 percent stardust, with souls made of flames, we are all just stars that have people names.” – Nikita Gill
Connecting with nature can, and will, bring you back into harmony with all of Creation… including back in touch with yourself. The benefits are profound and vital for our overall wellbeing.
