Now that spring has fully arrived it is more pleasant to spend time in nature.
Why do we feel better when we are in nature? There are so many facets to it:
- The body needs to move regularly to function properly.
- Humans have a natural sense of something called ‘biophilia’ (E.O.Wilson). It’s an innate love for the landscapes in which humans have lived for most of our existence, and for the natural web of life that surrounds us and makes our existence possible. Almost all animals get distressed if they are deprived of the kinds of landscape that they evolved to live in.
- Faced with a natural landscape, you have a sense that you and your concerns are very small, and the world is very big – and that sensation can shrink the ego to a manageable size. And this helps you see the deeper and wider ways in which you are connected to everything around you. After all we are not separate from nature, even though it often feels like it. Being in nature helps to view ourselves as part of something much greater where everything is interconnected or interdependent in some way.
- We can calm down and slow down while mindfully observing nature. Really listening to the bird song, looking at flowers closely and smelling them, feeling the pleasant presence of the trees, their cool shade, the sound of the leaves. In order to strengthen our connection to nature, it is important to activate all one’s senses and become fully present. I always leave my phone at home when I go for a walk, just to really not be pulled back into my normal fast paced life while out in nature.
- We can literally charge our bodies’ batteries by taking in the electromagnetic waves of the sun, breathing in the ionic salty air at the sea side and exposing ourselves to the charge of the earth by going bare feet or using shoes with leather soles.
We are so lucky here in Wellington with our natural environment. Let’s use it fully for our well being and for deepening our connection with nature!
Wellington Botanical Gardens
brooklynwellness.nz 