A Natural You

Please share your experience and thoughts with me below. Thanks!Please share your experience and thoughts with me below. Thanks!Please share your experience and thoughts with me below. Thanks!For as long as I can remember I have surrounded myself in nature. Since I was young, I’ve been drawn to outside picnics, mountain hikes and wildflower meadows.

Sleeping under the stars at our family lakeside cabin, I most enjoy waking just as the birds begin to sing. Opening my eyes, I watch the day break as colors change from deep blues to soft purples across the glassy lake. I smell the fresh, cool mountain air and feel the breeze on my face as I watch the sun rise over the water from our cozy bed.

It’s easy to get off course in the artificial environment of concrete, air conditioning and indoor lighting and begin to loose connection with the natural rhythm of our true self. When we get caught in the frenzy of deadlines, busy schedules and “keeping up with the Joneses”, we stop listening to the natural evolution that is intrinsic to each of us. We begin to feel separate and forget we are a part of the collective consciousness or energy field.

Studies show that detaching ourselves from our natural environment is actually wounding our mental health. Science reveals that prolong separation from nature can produce feelings of depression, anxiety and alienation. Being in nature actually boosts our immune system and lowers our blood pressure and heart rate. Just getting outside for just 20 minutes every day significantly reduces stress.

I believe we all have a natural connection to Mother Nature. Indigenous people intuitively knew this and have lived harmoniously with what they called Spirit. Nature grounds and feeds us the way technology cannot.

The truth is, we are all connected to each other and to Mother Earth. If we do not nurture this connection, I believe we as a species are in big trouble.

Some ways you can do this is by:

• Following your natural body needs and rhythms when eating and sleeping.
• Listening to your intuition when making a choice.
• Feeling your authentic emotions.
• Taking the path in life of least resistance or going with the flow.

Another way you can reconnect with nature is with the elements of earth, fire, water and wind.

You can do this outside by:

• Feeling the sun’s warmth on your skin
• Swimming in the sea, mountain lake or river
• Going bare foot on the grass
• Feeling the wind in your hair
• Sitting in a garden
• Walking on soil such as a trail or along the beach.
• Camping and picnics
• Watching the sun/moon rise or set

You can do this inside by bringing the earth’s elements into your home.

• Ground yourself with the earth’s elements by bringing in stones, crystals, and terra cotta tiles or pots.
• Natural sunlight is an essential source for all of us. Skylights or windows, especially high ones in the winter connect you with the sun’s natural rhythm.
• Bring in the water element with fountains, seashells and sand.
• Opening your windows allows air to circulate through the house, moving and freshening the energy of your home.
• Potted plants and cut flowers
• Photos, art or any objects representing nature.
• Earth tones such as browns, yellows and golds, reds and oranges, blues and greens
• Recordings of water, birds or other natural sounds.

Take action now:

What are some ways you connect with Mother Nature? Take inventory inside and out and see if you can incorporate more of the earth’s elements into your life. Consciously choose to take a walk, sit by water or in a garden. Just getting out of your office for 10 big breaths outside in the fresh air can actually make you more productive and reconnected.

Please share your experience and thoughts with me below. Thanks!