Nature and Health

We Are Connected

The connection between our human lives and nature is undeniable, from the air we breathe to the food we put into our mouths at every meal.  And yet in the busy reality of modern, urban life, it is all too easy to forget this link.

There have been books written about nature, health, and healing, and I have given several short interviews over the years about the subject.

But the most important thing about nature and health is something I can summarize very simply.  And here it is:

Go.  Outside.

How To Access Nature - A Step-by-Step Guide

That's actually pretty much it.  Go outside.

Are you outside yet?  If you're reading this line, you probably aren't outside at the moment.  OK, well you might be on your phone reading this, that's true.  Which leads me to my second very important point about nature and health:  Once you have made it outside, be outside.  That's right: Be. Outside.

Why?  Well, you might have made it outside.  If so, good job!  But if you're outside, and you talk and think about all sorts of indoor things, why bother being outside?  Because in that case, while your body may be outside, your mind is still inside.  Why not bring them both outside together and see what happens?

"But that's so boring," you say.  Here are some hints.  Why not notice the trees, the birds, the wind the plants, the sky, the ground, the earth?  Even if it's just for a few minutes, before you begin your inside conversation.  It's OK - I talk about inside stuff all of the time, even outside.  But I also take some moments on most days to just be present with myself and the earth who made me.

Here's a final tip for those who are particularly keen.  What if you found a place outside that was a place you really like, and then you went to the same place most days?  Wouldn't that be a great thing?  It would ground you in yourself and that place, and that little patch of earth could be a witness to and a comfort to your life.

Not outside yet?  OK.  Here's a very well done and funny video about going outside.  Feel free to watch it, but once you do, make a promise to me and yourself that your next move will be to go outside, OK?

Additional Reading