The Healing Medicine of Nature

There are so many reasons that nature is important and healing. We all know this, and some of us more than others take the time to connect with it and bring it into our lives. What is the difference in those of us that can feel the calling of nature on a deep level and respond to it with our actions, and those of us that can’t feel or connect with it?

I believe that nature is super important and healing for all beings, even if we are don’t consider ourselves “outdoor” people. I understand some of us more than others like to be indoors and hibernate most of the time, I really like this too. And other people are on the other extreme, outside in nature all the time or doing extreme things in nature like 100 mile bike rides or hiking up mountains.

For me, I fall somewhere in between. I grew up with parents who were always taking us hiking and camping and things. As a child I was usually pretty resistant and whiny about these things…a little princess who didn’t like to get dirty and would rather have been inside with a book.

Of course there was always a deep part of me that responded to nature though, I loved my backyard and treehouse as a kid, and it was a magical and special place. I loved the beach and I loved water and I loved trees. I just didn’t like being pushed too hard or told what to do or doing hard things.

So while my soul knew it was important, and resonated with nature in its own slow, gentle and peaceful way, I somehow became thought of as the one in the family that didn’t like nature. They didn’t really understand that I really did, and I didn’t have the words to explain my feelings about it for a long time.

So I played the role of the princess. The one that didn’t like hiking or camping or things like that. I got stuck in that role even though I didn’t like it anymore and had grown out of it. It’s no one’s fault, I didn’t explain to them that I loved nature in my own way, and they didn’t slow down and ask me ever if my feelings had changed.

I had started becoming more in touch with nature as I moved to a beautiful part of the world with forest trails and lake beaches within 5 minutes of my house. I felt so good when I was in the forest or by the lake so I kept doing it.

After my parents passing I feel even freer to be all the way out of the role I played growing up. I am a princess, but a nature loving princess! I wear makeup and heels most of the time because I love it, but I also really love the woods and water. I really love the feeling of peace and connection I get from being surrounded by nature.

It is very important to me to have a beautiful, cozy and serene environment. Part of this for me is also bringing nature into my home, inside and outside. I have a lot of houseplants as well as flowers inside my home. Starting in spring I always get very obsessed with plants and flowers outside as well. I have a lovely little cozy sanctuary in my backyard with plants, flowers, comfy seating and a fire pit.

All of this helps me feel good. It helps calibrate my energy to the vibration of nature. It helps me feel at home and grounded in my body. It calms me and reminds me that we are all one and connected to everything.

Nature reminds me of the resilience of the human spirit. Trees don’t stop growing because they have had a bad day or are feeling depressed. A river doesn’t stop running in order to ruminate over a bad choice it made in the past. Nature continues to move forward, towards expansion, evolution and growth always. Just like people. If we are in alignment, we are always moving forward and evolving towards our potential.

Nature reminds me of harmony and perfection. When walking through the forest like I did this morning, I see ferns growing next to a tree with beautiful moss on it. I see how all the plants get along, support each other and look so beautiful and perfect hanging out together. I see the perfection in the imperfection.

Nature in the spring is especially beautiful to me. The brilliant green of a new bud blooming on a tree. The resilience of a new plant growing out of an old decaying tree and stretching towards the sun. The excitement and possibility is beautiful and contagious.

I had the insight a couple weeks ago on a little nature walk that being in nature for me is a form of maintenance. Just like my car would stop running if it didn’t have gas in it, or if I never got the oil changed. I stop running as effectively in my life if I don’t maintain my own internal nature system by surrounding myself with nature on a regular basis.

I do things all the time to maintain myself: getting my hair colored and cut, dental visits and brushing my teeth, even making sure I eat and drink water. For me I am realizing that connecting with nature is as vitally important as the other ways I maintain my wellness.

I have found some simple ways to incorporate nature into my own maintenance schedule that are helpful for me:

Bringing the outdoors indoors:

Bringing houseplants and flowers into my home and office is a way that I can surround myself and feel the harmony of nature.

Having some bits of the natural world around inside especially when it’s more difficult to be outside helps me to feel the connection on days when it’s too cold or rainy or I’m just too busy to be outside for an extended time.

Getting outside:

In the summer this can mean sitting outside in my backyard, staring at plants and flowers or meditating back there.

For me, because I live so close to many amazing short nature hikes, it also means once or twice a week getting outside for a more extended time. Taking a hike, and just taking some time to go sit and stare at the lake. These things help me calibrate my energy and feel great.

Taking a mindful walk:

There is a Japanese technique called Shirin-yoku, the medicine of being in the forest. It was developed in the 1980’s and is an important part of preventative health care and healing in Japan.

It means basically to absorb nature with all of the senses. Smelling the lovely scent of trees and flowers and dirt. Drinking in the sounds of birds and other animals in the forest. Paying deep attention to how beautiful and magnificent the forest is. Feeling the trees and plants. Being open to all the energy that nature provides.

You can do this in the forest, on a walk around your neighborhood, or even driving on the way to work. Really being present and absorbing the nature in your environment as much as you can.

We don’t really need research to prove that nature is healing for us, we can just feel it. There is however growing research that proves that nature promotes lower cortisol, pulse rate, and blood pressure while increasing the calmness of parasympathetic nerve activity. It has also proven to significantly decrease hostility and depression of people who regularly spend time in nature. Communing with nature decreases stress and improves health and overall wellbeing.

I hope you have some nature in your life that you love, or can find some soon. Your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health will all benefit from you connecting with where you came from. We came from nature and are nature, we need to be reminding our cells of this consistently in order to stay in balance.

Shana Olmstead, Intuitive Consultant

I see my life purpose as helping people to awaken to the truth of their divine nature, the powerful spiritual beings that they are. I have assisted hundreds of clients in my therapy practice to wake up to the understanding that we are all made of source energy, and are here to increase our consciousness and joy to help the evolution everyone on the planet. I am so excited and inspired to continue helping people through their own awakening! Contact me to schedule an appointment in person in Kirkland, Washington  or for a phone or video consultation wherever you are located.