Before you tell me It is a waste of time, a distraction, or one more thing to do – listen up!
Nature has a gift for us. Nature is the repository of wellness, and it will allow us to re-regulate when we reconnect.
I learned this practice from one of my mentors, Zach Bush, MD.
I have a spot in my back yard where I love to do this, and am giving it a go in all different places.
Try this for yourself and see!
Go Outside
Find a tree.
You don’t have to be in a forest. This can be a tree in your back yard, a park, or an urban green space.
Position yourself under the tree. You can lay down, sit, or even stand beneath it.
Gaze up at the tree
Cast your gaze through the branches.
Focus your vision, breathe deeply, and immerse yourself in simply looking.
Center your vision on the branches, leaves or needles, and light between them.
Simply gaze at them. Notice the patterns.
You may notice it is a sort of organized chaos.
You may notice your body start to relax.
You may notice that you start to reorient beyond yourself and the tree.
You may notice that you are within the web of body, Earth, and Universe.
Allow yourself to enjoy this for at least five minutes.
What’s Happening
When you no longer try to organize what you see or analyze patterns, your vision relaxes.
When your vision relaxes, the entire nervous system relaxes.
Then all the sensory organs of the whole body are able to be activated.
Do you feel alive? Do you feel good in your skin?
When this happens we can go back to fully feeling the body.
This is in stark contrast to simply surviving within it.
We have flipped nervous system functioning back to rest and digest, resulting in the whole body beginning to re-regulate.
We have an ally in Nature
Simply step outside and linger!
There is no greater ally we have right now than just outside of our doorstep.
By doing this practice, we can remind our bodies that they are still connected in the web of life.
We can allow the mind to re-integrate itself into the wisdom of Nature.
Nature is the most advanced technology we have ever experienced!
It will reorient you in the best way.
