“There are moments when all anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature.” -Henry David Thoreau
Some of my earliest memories are building pretend homes in the woods behind our house in Everett, WA, with the girls next door. We would have a front door, a living room with logs for couches, a kitchen, and always gathered moss for beds. We could spend all day out there in the summers. I vividly remember laying in those moss beds and looking up through the canopies of the tree’s watching the clouds float by and identifying shapes. I felt so happy and at peace.
Another favorite childhood memory is sitting by myself on a dock at Lake Meridian, where I grew up. I would deeply connect with my surroundings and put myself in what I now call my personal space in “The Being Zone®” where I would reflect on quotes about nature and life’s meaning and write my thoughts and poems. I would tune into my surroundings of the lake, trees, and wildlife that surrounded me. That was one of my first introductions to feeling the calming energy of a place and bringing that energy into myself. It was also the first step, I now know, on my path to my understanding of how powerful the earth is for healing minds, bodies, and souls. I now guide my clients to spend time outdoors with their bare feet on the grass or on the beach sitting in the sand or encourage them to lean against a tree.
I intuitively knew how powerful it is to be in nature and to connect with the power of the earth. I am happy to be able to look back and see how I naturally built these types of experiences into the lives of my children. When children grow up in the city or even the suburbs today, there is less opportunity to spend time in nature, truly connecting. There are many examples of kids who aren’t even comfortable spending time outside. I have seen many kids addicted to the TV or Video Games. It breaks my heart to see these kids get cranky when interrupted. Everything revolves around their gaming. Their anger or frustrated response just increases their stress as well as their disconnectedness from others.
We own property on San Juan Island, and I would spend entire summer on the property with my boys, their friends, and cousins where we would just get back to nature. We didn’t have gaming or internet. We had one small TV and a collection of classic movies on tape for rainy days or late or night.
During the days, the boys spent their time doing what young kids should do, exploring the woods, building tree forts, wandering the beach, discovering an ecosystem of sea life. They would fish or catch shrimp off the dock, catch a crab or miniature flounders when walking through the eelgrass. They trudged through the long grass surrounding our place, seeking snakes and other creatures to capture. They would build structures with driftwood. We would sit out under the stars until late into the night identifying constellations, observing falling stars and satellites moving in different patterns.
I saw something happen to the boys by the first week of our summer. After leaving behind the pressures of school and competitive sports, the boys would relax into a calm state. They would become very present and happy inside. They would walk around humming or singing a tune and not even realize it. They spent time together playing but also learned to just as happy having alone time. I believe this valuable time spent just BEING was a beautiful way for them to connect with themselves and the earth. They became one with their environment. I think they’re more grounded and at peace in our world as a result of these experiences. I know I am. All of us value time in the woods, on the beach or in boats today!
I believe when we spend time in nature, we become very grounded but also it sparks our creativity and connection with source. In a forest or on a beach, I find myself getting very present and in tune with my surroundings which is a very peaceful place to be. I find I become more energetic, alive yet calm after taking a hike in the woods even after a crazy busy day.
Thoreau said, “We become explorers, never knowing what we will find. The richness and diversity of life in the forest is incredible. When we leave the well-marked roads and enter into a place of natural geometry with spiraling trails, rippling roots and tangled branches do we learn to live from our wits and instinct. We are less certain. But we are more alive. We awaken to something deeper.”
Joseph Campbell said, “The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.”
I believe everyone has a story to tell about an experience in nature that has helped shape who you are and how you live. What is your story?
