Nature In Your Living Space?
Can I stress enough the importance of returning to it?
NATURE!
When I turned 18 I kissed my childhood goodbye and moved to the city. Chicago and a year later, NYC. And I loved it. It was high vibing. It was a place of learning. Of socializing. Of exploring the human mind. That of others, and myself. But it was severely lacking. Lacking in something the human body needs, so so much. And it took me years to 'get it'.
I remember traveling to Westchester County in New York for the day to visit my boyfriend's family (who would later become my in-laws!) There was always this immediate wave of relaxation that would come over me. I would breathe deeper, smile more, and overthink less, without having to remind myself to do it by the way. Weird, right?! The trees were so tall, and abundant. The kudzu spreading, albeit invasively, over what felt like everything, including the cement parkway and anything else manmade, made me feel so good and alive. Marveling at the hills, and rock cliffs, the flowering trees and bushes while we drove from the train station to the house and all around while visiting...it really triggered something in me that I just didn't get living amongst the tall buildings, even when I made sure to visit Central Park on the regular.
Fast forward to today: I now recognize and validate it: we truly are a part of this thing. (And in the same sense, too far apart from it!) It feels so good and energizing because we are made of the same stuff. And it's automatically our home, no matter where in the world we choose to live or visit. When we surround ourselves with it, we can live more fully, healthier, think more clearly, and better align ourselves with our purpose here. Whatever that may be for the individual.
And that's shortly after we moved to the suburbs ourselves, I gave in. I admitted the fact that I needed it, every day, everywhere, and all the time. And driving around it was no longer good enough. I needed it in my living space. And around my house. I began to make it the centerpiece of my art studies. I put it on my bookshelves, my walls, and anywhere else I could think of. We even moved into a forest to get closer to it. And then we got really serious. We moved onto what will soon become a farm on 12 little acres in the country. Pretty soon I may be camping in the middle of it all on the regular - call me crazy!
But it turns out I'm actually not crazy. There are studies upon studies on this very thing. Being in nature really is as regenerating as we think. But possibly even more shocking, simply looking at nature, even when you're not IN nature, is almost as beneficial as the real thing.
My vote is: GO FOR BOTH.
Guess that's why I'm selling it to you. After all, it's health we're all after today, isn't it?
STUDIES & RESOURCES:
(The studies below are nowhere near an exhaustive list. Always continue your own research and read the papers within each paper below.)
*Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: A Systematic Review of Indoor Experiments
*Not Just Scenery: Viewing Nature Pictures Improves Executive Attention In Older Adults
*Effects of Exposure to Immersive Videos and Photo Slideshows of Forest and Urban Environments
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These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. I am not a doctor. I am simply sharing my opinions and studies as a clinical herbalist, researcher, and fellow human being on health topics and methods. Always take my opinions, thoughts, and advice with a grain of salt. Try them on for size but always by your own consent. Remember: your health is your own.
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