Being in Nature

I love being outside. I love walking barefoot through grass and sand. I love absorbing the healing elements of the sun. I love the feel of the wind on my skin and I love breathing in the variety of scents in nature. I feel alive when I’m outside. I keep my windows open as long as possible throughout the year. I'd much rather have fresh air circulating in my home than recycled air conditioning (though, Florida summers are brutal and I sacrifice fresh air in order to stay sane and cool during the summer months).  

I’ve always loved nature but it took me a while to really appreciate it, to be in it.  It isn’t easy truly being in nature. You have to let yourself go. You have to let the busyness of life become a distant memory.  Being in nature isn’t just hiking a trail or sitting on the beach. It is immersing yourself in your surroundings. Quieting yourself so that you take in everything around you. All of your senses work together and you become cognizant of details such as the scent of jasmine, the sound of doves cooing, the warm/cool feel of the breeze, the distant sound of the ocean and the taste of salt in the air.

Letting go is difficult for me. I think too much and I always have things swirling around in my head. Do others feel this way? I try to embrace the plethora of thoughts in my mind and then let them go but it takes work. Deep breathing helps and so does prayer. Being in nature forces me to let go. It’s the only way I can really appreciate the beauty that God created. For me, being in nature is the easiest way to connect with God and put things into perspective.  

Guana Tolomato Matanzas Reserve
Beautiful Sunset

"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order."

- John Burroughs