You should sit in nature for 20 minutes a day….unless you’re busy, then you should sit for an hour
This is on old Zen Proverb. And I couldn’t agree more. When I worked at the UWMC, I read about a study in which participants were observed and their blood pressures monitored. The participants were either in a room that looked out over buildings and concrete, or in a room looking out to the canal and the beautiful old trees in the back of the hospital. What they found was, the participants who had natural views had lower blood pressures than those with a concrete view. And that postoperative time was shorter. (UW Urban Forestry and Human Benefits)
We humans, are not separate from Nature, we are Nature, along with every other carbon-based, living things on this beautiful planet. Animals, plants, trees, etc. We are all part of this web, and truly, what we do to the web, we do to ourselves. We are unfortunately learning this lesson now. When we distance ourselves from the Natural world, we tend to not want to believe that we influence it with our actions. But when we immerse ourselves in it, we want to protect it. Because that connection is made, when we understand we are all part of one web. This was illustrated by reintroducing wolves into Yellowstone. Balance was restored to the ecology, so much magic happened. Until those who don’t know better, felt the wolves should be killed and bounties placed on them. Some humans are just idiots. Nature has her own wisdom and if we don’t disturb it, it thrives.
I feel this is especially more important now that we are so dependent and addicted to technology. Being unplugged is even more important to our wellbeing. Mental and physical. We need to have the experiential moments of listening to birds, smelling the forest, walking on the soft ground, hearing the water babble, and so much more. Do you know why you feel so much better when walking in the forest? Trees emit essential oils called phytoncides that we inhale as we walk through the forest. These oils help boost our immune systems by boosting the number and activity of our Natural Killer cells. The Japanese have a term for this, they call it Forest Bathing. But many studies from around the world have proven the benefits of it. Including, but not limited to: reducing stress, improving mood, increasing the ability to focus- helping kids with ADHD, improving sleep, and so much more. And it is my belief, that the further we get from this, the more unstable we become. Urban parks can provide the same benefit as going into the forest.
It is in these times in Nature, that we can quiet the craziness of our worlds, and be able to reflect. And ponder, and listen, and observe. The Natural world has a lot to teach us. I spent time at a retreat with four Peruvian Shaman back in November 2018. These men, and others, live high in the Andes and observe the changes in their Natural world, and can actually predict what changes are coming to Earth, Pachamama as they call Her. They rarely leave their environment and they have an amazing connection to the Natural world. At the end of our retreat, they each gave their predictions by reading coca leaves. Their predictions made no sense at the time, but now, since COVID has hit, I realized this is what they were warning us about. They had also predicted the wild weather patterns that we hadn’t yet experienced, but are now. They notice when subtle changes happen in their environment, bigger changes are happening to the rest of the world. And they pray about it, perform ceremonies to help remedy the imbalances of this world. It is nice to have Allies trying to remedy, rather than have corporations, lobbyists, etc, working on wreaking havoc on it.
There are many great teachers in the Natural world. And I guess the main point of this issue is, that by not separating ourselves from the Natural world, we can maintain better health, mental and physical. We can learn to get in touch with our deeper selves, and be elevated. Have a mutual respect and want to protect what we have. For we are a part of it all, not separate. Truly, what we do to the web, we do to ourselves. Nature would thrive without humans, but humans will never thrive without Nature.
It is in Nature that we can really learn to get in touch with our heart. This will be the focus of the next blog entry.
