By Shawn Axten, PT, CST-D
Perhaps redundant, it is truly in our nature to be connected and when surrounded by nature connecting with it
comes pretty naturally. You see, the only catch is creating space and a moment to walk outside. Turn off the flat-screen, laptop, iPad, phone, video games, and walk out the door; inspiration waits.
My mother was a master gardener. When I was a child, she gave each of my siblings and me a large colander and sent us to the back yard to “pick” dinner. Kohlrabi was my favorite! We would carefully collect green beans, zucchini, beets, carrots, onions, potatoes, and pea pods. Mom would steam, stir-fry, or create a salad from the colorful garden. I can still taste my Mom’s battered and pan fried freshly-picked paddy pan blossoms in bold yellow, creating the most delectable naturally sweet crepes imaginable. Dinning “al fresco” on the patio each summer evening was the best part. The warm air filled with aromas of cut grass, blossoming lilac, and hydrangea. The sapphire sky and vivid green trees provided a relaxing atmosphere that both stimulated our appetites and helped to make dinner more satisfying.
In the springtime, Mom would awaken us early on a Saturday morning. The car was already packed with picnic baskets and coolers, a tattered old bed spread, and a jug of water. Rubbing our sleepy eyes, our anticipation grew as we embarked on a surprise trip outdoors. We drove lazily and landed unexpectedly at an unknown field, wooded entry, hiking trail or hillside view atop German Town Road from which we enjoyed a delectable picnic lunch.
With a sigh I realize those moments and outdoor adventures are few and far between in my adult life. I often find myself staring admiringly at the beautiful sunny day through the glass, but default to dinner inside to avoid the extra work. I miss the sensory rush drawing in the natural radiance around me and releasing the stress of the day.
A concerned citizen recently told me she believed children these days are suffering from NDD (rather than ADD): Nature Deficit Disorder. “Holy Moly,” I thought, “it’s true! One camping trip for the summer doesn’t cut it!” Science has shown us that day dreaming while our eyes meander over the cloudscape, or gazing at a tree brings down blood pressure. The sound of a brook or waterfall not only relaxes us, but the moving water refreshes us with negative ions which bind free radicals preventing damage within our bodies.
Make the effort to step outside, if even momentarily to breathe deep the IN-spiration of nature. That peaceful welcome can help to reset our sympathetic nervous system responsible for flight or flight. It lowers our constant “readiness state” prevents the cumulative effects of the day which can leave us exhausted.
Do this experiment. Ask your body’s inner wisdom, “Where can my body use attention?” Then allow your attention to flow to your tight areas, fuzzy head, tired eyes, stiff back, or wherever you are drawn. Now, step outside, Imagine your breath drawing the fresh oxygen right to the worn feeling body parts. As you exhale, feel the density, pressure, fatigue or strain melting and evaporating into the air. Thank your body for all its hard work and thank your natural surroundings for its refreshing oxygen, peace and beauty. Desire for a cup of coffee, chocolate chip cookie, or ibuprofen may just evaporate into the air as well. Let nature draw us out so we can glance inward and give our body the attention it are needs.