GET OUTSIDE! I can’t say this loud enough. Nature is proven to heal the spirit. In this time of uncertainty, one very special place we can go for social distancing is outside! The fresh air will you do you good, I promise! To quote the famous photographer of nature, John Muir, “Into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”
As a youngster, I was outside every chance my mother would let me. We lived across the street from a forest. I, along with the neighborhood kids had no less than seven different forts built throughout this forest, each one hosting a different adventure. One by the pond where the we would catch turtles and tad poles, one by the vines we would swing on, one by the big tree we could climb way too high for an adults comfort, but did anyways. Often my parents would have to come up with containers/homes to hold my newest reptile pet of whatever animal fell in the path of my grummy little hands. Weather didn’t matter, we dressed for the occasion. Winter, spring, summer and fall, we were always in that forest.
As an adult, the love of nature has not left me. I hike as often as my busy schedule allows. It is such a stress reliever to get out into the woods for a long hike with my trusty pup Pasco. I have also accomplished to install a love for hiking in my young nephews as well. When I visit them, I feel such a relief to see them put down whatever device they are gaming on to say “Hey Aunt Jenny, are we going for a hike today?” Of course we are guys, get your shoes on and let’s head out!
Nature is a proven mood booster, soul finder, and overall health energizer. It can improve your memory, fight depression and even lower blood pressure. Peel yourself and your family away from those screens, exchange blue light for sunlight. I encourage you to take your family for a hike, look at the trees, listen to the sounds, and smell the air. You won’t be sorry.
Until Next Time,
Jen Fields,
-Assistant Director at The Learning Experience South Lyon
Commentaires