Commune with Nature

We Are Nature

‘A kiss of the sun for pardon… A song of the birds for mirth… One is nearer God’s heart in a garden than anywhere else on Earth.’
—Dorothy Frances Gurney

The Healing Power of Nature
Through regularly connecting with the natural world we gain a stronger sense of our own magnificence. Wandering on a forest path, or strolling along an ocean beach… Sitting in a quiet garden admiring the flowers or hiking a mountain trail… all contribute to nourishing our spirit. Being in nature, we have the opportunity to reconnect to our true essence if we are quiet and feel with our hearts and not our minds. A whole new world opens up before us when we connect with the natural world energetically.
When we look with the innocent eyes of a child, we see what is really there instead of what our imagination observes based on past experiences and encounters.
Children do not automatically identify and label everything... This tree, that flower, or those birds or other creatures.
Have you ever watched a baby just staring unblinkingly as if in complete awe at what is seen? There is no mental image, comparison, or judgement happening… Only pure seeing for the first time. If we could cultivate this characteristic as adult humans then a whole new world would open up for us.
My wife and I are fortunate to live within walking and biking distance to a vast wilderness preserve thick with mature trees and lush vegetation. Within minutes of entering, any existing stress or tension begins to melt away. Often we sit and meditate and afterwards feel a deep sense of relaxation and regeneration.
The healing and nourishing benefits from a leisurely stroll in a natural environment such as a forest, lakeside, or ocean beach are a powerful antidote to the stress of normal, everyday life. If you do not have the luxury of living close to a wilderness area or ocean beach and are living in a city perhaps you can visit the municipal park or pedestrian mall which normally provide some quiet, natural areas. Our busy minds can relax easily in these surroundings.

‘Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say, Innocence with Nature herself.’
—Henry David Thoreau