Rooted in Happiness

The allureof the natural environment is contagious. It holds the key to healing, which takes a variety of beautiful forms. Allowing ourselves to partake in the splendor that is nature gives our minds and bodies the medicine they so desperately need. 

According to Kirsten Weir of the American Psychological Association, “Gregory Bratman, an assistant professor at the University of Washington, and colleagues shared evidence that contact with nature is associated with increases in happiness, subjective well-being, positive affect, positive social interactions and a sense of meaning and purpose in life, as well as decreases in mental distress.” There is no limit to the power nature holds. 

Life is too often overwhelmed with things that are not beneficial to our happiness. From sunrise to sunset our days are filled with papers to write, meetings to attend and screens that hold the majority of our attention. Taking days off from work or school to soak in the sunshine or listen to brooks babbling gives our brains the break we need to function with more clarity. Nature refreshes a cluttered head, removing stress and replacing it with the sounds of birds chirping and views of beautiful blue skies. This serves as fuel, preparing us to face any stressors ahead. 

Nature also makes pain more bearable. Earl E. Bakken with The Center of Spirituality and Healing at The University of Minnesota explains that in ,  “a now classic study of patients who underwent gallbladder surgery; half had a view of trees and half had a view of a wall. According to the physician who conducted the study, Robert Ulrich, the patients with the view of trees tolerated pain better…and spent less time in a hospital.” Experiencing pleasant, open scenery increases the amount of good feelings one takes in, leaving little room for negative sensations. 

When we see a bright and green forest, or the snow swirling in the wind, that beauty becomes a part of us. Every scene we look upon, every activity we partake in influences our actions and well being. When we take a minute to quite literally stop and smell the roses, we allow ourselves to absorb the sweet scent and rich color the natural world supplies.

The finest company is the company that is unconditionally there for you. In times of trouble, nature does not fight or judge, it simply exists in all its beauty and allows us to surrender into its nurturing embrace. When we race down a freshly powdered hill on a slick snowboard, take a slow and steady walk in the sunshine or stretch our feet out in green grass, we immerse ourselves in the medicine mother nature provides at our fingertips. 

When life is getting us down, we can choose to step away from our screens, step away from work and responsibility, if only for a moment and allow ourselves to be nourished in the presence of nature.