The Power Of Nature

I am excited to talk to you guys about one of my favorite things... Nature! We are nearing the end of April in Maine and I've been observing how life is coming back into the environment. When I take a drive I can see that my surroundings are becoming greener, colorful buds are popping out of the trees, and the air is getting warmer! When I was a kid I used to roll my eyes whenever I heard adults talking about the weather. Back then I didn't care what it looked like outside as long as I got to have fun. Now as I get older I can see the importance of how the weather affects people.

In the winter time where I live, being out in nature becomes a bit limited. Yes I can still go outside and do fun activities, but there's mounds of snow on top of everything. Not to mention it's cold which makes me want to go back inside and drink hot coco. Now that it is spring and the snow is gone, I am very happy to see the beautiful plants that have been covered for months. I can feel my mood change for the better when I step outside into the warm sunshine with chirping birds and flowers, rather than being somewhere that can't inhabit a lot of life due to the environment. Take a second to think about how that can affect your mood and overall well being.

I don't want this blog to be mostly opinion based because there is real science about the power of nature and how it affects the mind and body. One of the most important things we need in life is food. Real fruits, veggies, and herbs that come from the Earth. Without it we wouldn't be as healthy and our quality of life wouldn't be great. Try making it a priority to put things into your body that come from the dirt and sun and see how you feel afterwards. Thinking about how mother nature can provide us with food that nourishes our bodies and keeps us healthy makes me feel very grateful. I think a lot of people under estimate how powerful our connection to nature really is. Based on what societal structure you have been living by, you may spend most of your time indoors and behind a screen, while not even thinking about all of the beauty that is just outside your door. One thing I strongly encourage everyone, especially at this time of season, is to get outside and sit in nature. If you want to take it up another level, try walking outside barefoot. When you walk in the grass barefoot it's been proven to have a lot of benefits for your physical and mental health. From what I have researched and experienced for myself, it can help with stress, combat inflammation, increase your body's immunity, and more. This is caused by the grass stimulating nerve endings in the souls of your feet which promotes better circulation.

Another part of nature that can dramatically improve your health is being in the sun when you first wake up in the morning. Going outside in the fresh air and standing in the sun is a really good way to manage your sleep for later on that day. Our body produces a natural melatonin which is enhanced when sunlight hits our retinas in the early morning hours. It doesn't just help with sleep, standing out in nature, especially when its sunny, will increase your energy for the day. I am the type of person who automatically gets thrown into a good mood when I wake up and see the sun.

A few years ago a teacher asked me a question that has left me thinking ever since. He asked me, "Do you believe that people are a part of nature?" To which I responded, "We are nature." I have been relating humans to nature ever since. Every time the seasons change, we change with it. You may need to do some reflecting in order to realize it, but it is true. Evolution is a good way to see a connection because we have seen plants and animals evolve, so why would we be any different? One of the coolest things I have seen that showed a humans resemblance to nature is a thumb print and a tree stump. obviously the patterns on the thumb and tree are there for different reasons, but they look the same. Or if you look at the veins on a leaf and the veins on the inside of your wrist, they are identical looking. It can be a really fun and grounding activity to take a look around and see what resemblances you can find in your environment and your own body, it's honestly fascinating.

Hopefully after reading this blog you are starting to see the importance of nature or learned a little bit more about the benefits. I encourage you to try some of the practices I mentioned and see how it improves your health!