Just last week on June 5th, nations around the globe joined together to recognize “World Environment Day.” A day dedicated to encouraging each person to get “with nature,” recognizing the interconnectedness between humans, plants, animals and the environment. And an opportunity to reconnect with the healing aspects of our world. And the concept is not new. Many ancient healing arts have a connection to getting out into the Great Outdoors and with Nature. If it’s not the direct link with herbal medicines that are sourced from Nature, it’s the connection with the flow of the seasons, or the innate relationship between the Divine and our own life force in maintaining and healing the body. But somehow, in the Digital Age, we can get disconnected from getting out into the Great Outdoors. In doing so, we lose the number one self-care technique people talk about, and it turns out that science supports, in being able to make our lives better in many ways. The good news is that we can reconnect with getting out into the Great Outdoors with relative ease! And, by doing so, we reduce distress, increase resilience, and widen our positive capacities of the body, mind, emotions, and spirit.
Getting Out Into the Great Outdoors: Commuting to Work, and Socially
Living in the greater Washington DC region, it can seem tough in the city environment but we are blessed with many parks small and large available to us, including the National Mall. Here, Google Maps or Apple Maps on your smartphone can come in very handy. Simply search for “parks” in the app and it will surface the nearest parks to you at home or at the office.
If you’re able to, walk, bike, or take public transit to work and pick a path that meanders slightly through the greenest areas along your path to the office. On the other hand, if driving is necessary to get to work, you can choose a coffee break to take a brisk stroll through a park near your office, or take your lunch out to a bench in a nearby park.
Further, you can invite coworkers to walk with you and join you for a picnic in the park once in a while. Especially in the summer months, the sun stays late enough into the afternoon that you can invite friends (or make new friends on Meetup) for coffee or tea from your local café to carry to a public garden or park. Getting out socially is as important to our well-being as being alone with Nature, and research states it will improve your outlook too as it’ll make you nicer.
For greatest effect, make sure to take notice of the greenery that surrounds you. Or better yet, take a moment to place your back up against a tree, pausing to feel the tree’s bark. Then feel yourself sitting on the ground, connected with nature. Go ahead and take a few deep cleansing breaths in and out. Feeling the sun on your face and appreciating all that our environment has to offer, even if it is for a few minutes.
Getting Out Into the Great Outdoors: Day Trip, or a Weekend With Nature
If you have more than an hour, then take advantage of some of the amazing day trips in our region. The National Parks Service is over 100 years old, having been established in 1916 as an agency of the United States Department of the Interior. Here in the Metro DC area, we have over a dozen national parks, state parks, and even more memorials, to take a day trip any fair weather weekend day. (In Virginia, take note of the fee-free days for the Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive in your calendar.) If you do take a trip out to a national park, remember to read up on the National Park Service’s guides on being prepared. If you decide to take a night under the stars in any of the national parks, also be sure to check out their handy guide for camping.
As an interesting footnote to history, Stephen Mather was a borax magnate, the instigating force behind the National Park Service, and its first director (serving three presidents until suffering a stroke in 1929). In 1903, Mather was ousted from the borax company he helped make great because of struggles with a bipolar disorder episode. It’s with a fortuitous twist that his wife Jane took him on a trip through Europe to see Nature, and it’s with this trip that his renewed connection to it became a lifelong pursuit of protecting and preserving it. In a way, Nature helped Mather and in turn, his stewardship has provided to everyone the great national parks, monuments, and other historic places for so many present and future generations to enjoy!
While getting out into the Great Outdoors may at first seem time-consuming, it’s actually quite simple with a little forethought, and it benefits you enough to make it worth the effort! Then we would love to hear from you. How did you spend your time with Nature? How did you connect with the Great Outdoors?