There is healing in the trees for tired minds and for our overburdened spirits, there is strength in the hills, if only we will lift up our eyes. Remember that nature is your great restorer.
-Calvin Coolidge
I am alone in an open field under a tall oak tree. The verdant field has an abundance of wild flowers sprinkled about. My senses are heightened as I lay back in the grass.
While I love people and crave connection with them, I also greatly value time to be alone and reflect. I could reflect anywhere, but I choose to come to nature, where I can slow down and feel closer to the earth.
Any worry I may have had falls away. I disconnect with technology to reconnect with nature. A feeling of gratefulness overcomes me.
I rest my hands behind my head and cross one foot over the other. I close my eyes and listen to sounds, giving way to a certain level of meditation.
After a while, a warm breeze drifts past, making me more aware of my body. I open my eyes. My surroundings have a renewed vibrancy to them.
I think of how small I am in this universe. Life is busy and sometimes it is easy to get caught up in daily obstacles. Taking a moment to consider how lucky you are can be very powerful in helping achieve a positive mindset.
So, does the connection I just described increase my overall happiness? Can being in nature restore our minds like Calvin Coolidge stated?
According to a recent study published in the Journal Spirituality in Clinical Practice, being grateful may lead to a healthier heart and reduced cardiac risk. The study found a link between a grateful outlook and better heart health markers. Both mental and physical health is improved.
Indeed, nature calms me down. Even when I am going for an active hike, I feel more serene after. The combination of feeling grateful while being in nature, then, could improve overall health. Perhaps, doctor’s should start prescribing exercise in nature.
A Psychology Today article, “Does Nature Make Us Happy?” reports “…our connections with nature could just be the best medicine for people of all ages—improving our health, happiness, and well-being.” The article details John Zelenski and Elizabeth Nisbet’s experiments. They found:
- Our emotional connectedness to the natural world is distinct from other psychological connections in our lives.
- Nature relatedness often predicts happiness regardless of other psychological factors.
- Psychological connections with nature have the capacity to facilitate sustainable attitudes, and may be an important tool in preserving our environment.
Furthermore, emotional affinity toward nature has even led to the development of a new field, Ecopsychology, which combines “the efforts of ecologists, psychologists, spiritualists, philosophers, and others” to explore “the synergistic relation between personal health and well-being and the health and well-being of our home, the Earth.”
Overall, a link between nature connectedness and better health has been observed and is being studied. Gratitude also contributes to improved psychological and cardiac health. So, get outside and start exploring! It just might help your heart, both physically and spiritually.
To what degree do you feel connected to nature?
Travels With Alison 