What Nature Teaches Me About Healing
There is nothing like the smell of fresh air—whether it’s standing at the beach with a warm summer breeze blowing through your hair or taking a leisurely walk down a winding path at a local park. Being in nature has a way of calming my often anxious, overstimulated self.
I live with anxiety on a mostly daily basis and experience the occasional panic attack. Most of the time, simply taking a deep breath helps. But on the rare occasions when breathing exercises aren’t enough, stepping outside into nature is almost always helpful. Toward the end of my marriage and during my divorce, I often found comfort in walking down to the wharf and gazing out at the calm waters of the bay.
Another nature-based practice I find especially grounding—and healing—is exactly that: grounding. If you’re unfamiliar with it, grounding simply means placing your bare feet on the earth. Feeling the solid ground beneath you. Letting it release built-up tension and quiet your thoughts. It helps me feel more connected, calmer, and more present. Weather permitting, of course—unless you enjoy cold feet. I, for one, do not.
Sometimes, healing doesn’t require answers or solutions. Sometimes it’s as simple as stepping outside, breathing deeply, and letting nature do what it does best—remind us to slow down.
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