"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” –Einstein
Nature is my religion. That is what I often tell people. Anytime I am out in nature, whether it be hiking through a forest, walking along the beach, or laying on the grass looking up at the sky, I am always immediately overcome with feelings of calm, peace, and acceptance.
I have gone on a hike every weekend for the past month and half or so. Usually it is in one of the many parks and nature preserves nearby, but still far enough that I am removed from urban life for a while. I find that these weekly outings are incredibly beneficial for my wellbeing. Not only do they provide me with beautiful scenery, fresh air, and quietness, but I am also in the company of good friends, which make these trips all the more pleasant and rejuvenating.
Though I enjoy experiencing the wonders of nature with others, it is also important to experience nature by yourself sometimes. The universal connection we share with all living beings and the grandeur and beauty of life are often best absorbed when you are completely alone in a natural setting (of course, we are hardly ever “alone” in nature since we are surrounded by so much life). I strongly encourage you to take a walk in nature by yourself every once in a while, even for just a few minutes. It is impossible not to feel revitalized when doing so. Journeys into nature help to quiet the mind. If you allow them to, these outings will bestow you with a sense of serenity that is rarely achieved elsewhere, especially in our hectic urban lives.
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” –Emerson
How often, when walking around outside, do we actually use our sense of touch to physically feel our natural world? If you can, try to experience nature in the most “natural” way possible. This does not necessarily mean stripping off your clothes and running around naked (though you are certainly welcome to try that, too!) but giving yourself the opportunity to experience the outdoors the way nature intended us to. Take off your shoes and walk barefoot for a while. Lose the hat and sunglasses and allow the sun’s rays to penetrate your skin for a few minutes. You may suddenly feel very vulnerable, but these sensations will make you realize how disconnected with are from nature a lot of the time. Allow yourself to touch the various textures of the outdoors (bark, stones, grass, dirt, leaves, etc.). Lay on the ground and feel the reassuring support of the strong earth beneath you.
We have a lot to learn from nature. Let mother earth support you and guide you through times of hardship, pain, and suffering. If only we would let it, nature would provide us with all we really need to live happy, peaceful, and healthy lives.
"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As long as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles." -Anne Frank
"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As long as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles." -Anne Frank
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