How Nature Heals Us

Without Mother Nature’s abundance we would not have food to eat, clothes to wear, or a house to live in.  Everything that pertains to our comforts is provided by Mother Earth.  But we rarely express our gratitude to her generosity, because we think we can take whatever is available on this earth to use and discard as we wish.

Imagine this…  All the best scientists went to God and said “Your time is up.  We don’t need you anymore.  We can create everything without you.” God was curious.  He said, “Show me.” The scientists took out a small tube, mixed a few things, and lo and behold out came a small plant.  They repeated the same process and this time they created a bird.  Next, an animal was created and at last the moment the scientists were waiting for – they created a human being.  Seeing this God said “Ahh this is brilliant.  What did you use to create all this?”  The scientist proudly held up the mixture “oh just some soil and few other things.” To that God gently replied “First, create your soil and then show me.”  We live in our own bubble without acknowledging the deep connection with Mother Nature, without whom we cannot take a single step in life.

To become aware of that connection, we must get out of our minds and all the entrapments such as phones, computers etc, step outside and spend time with Mother Nature.  Taking a walk in the park, sitting by a river, sitting under a tree, tending to your garden are all activities that will bring to our awareness and understanding how deeply we are connected to Nature.

Being in Nature brings harmony and healing within our system.  Just spending 20 minutes feeling the wind, the water, the sun, and the soil beneath our feet can strengthen our bodies, and by consequence, our mind.  People who spend more time outdoors fall sick less often, are more joyful, have more energy and live healthily.  This overall wellbeing created by spending time outdoors extends our lifespan, enabling us to accomplish more in our life.

Ayurveda, the ancient medical practice which originated in India, and now growing in popularity around the world, prescribes syncing our system to the sun and the earth’s seasons.  To treat any illness, the Ayurvedic doctors direct the patients to align their sleep cycles with the sun, alter their diet to include seasonal fruits and vegetables to harmonize the body’s digestive system to regional seasons.

Siddha medicine, another ancient medical practice from South India recognizes that the five elements – earth, water, air, fire and space – are fundamental basis of our creation.  This system uses herbs and certain metals to cleanse these five elements in our system. How well organized the five elements are in our system decides how firm, stable and organically strong the body is.

The Japanese practice of “forest bathing” prescribes immersing in nature, simply to soak and experience it as part of ourselves. Recent studies show that spending time in nature can lower blood pressure, inflammation, boost cardiovascular health, reduce body pains, enhance mobility, improve sleep, alleviate depression and anxiety and much more, which the current medical establishment has begun to acknowledge and accept.

So, nature is not a separate entity to be ignored if we want to live a happy, successful life. Doing so would be detrimental to our very life and existence.  Therefore, it is essential to bring the inherent connection with Nature into our daily life to live a long, healthy and enriched life.  Don’t wait, the time is NOW, just do it.