Wellness is a Practice
This morning I heard an acquaintance say “Wellness is a practice, not a pill.” I loved how he summed up the importance of taking care of one’s self. Taking care of one’s self requires paying attention to health, mood and staying connected to what is around each of us.
Nature is a powerful tool to stay connected to self. We are part of nature. We forget in the era of internet, office buildings and working in doors. Our bodies need nature. Research has shown that healing is augmented by being in nature or even looking at nature photographs. The most recent study demonstrated that spending 10 minutes in nature just before taking an exam improved students exam scores.
There are many ways to connect to nature, starting with going outside. However, there is a myriad of ways if one just pitches one’s awareness to it. Try growing plants indoors, working with an animal ally, or exploring the energy of nature and energy medicine. Noticing is all it takes. The body and soul will soak it up. A client of mine exploring this came back to me exclaiming about all the trees near her home in New York City; she had not really paid attention to them as an adult until she began to really look for nature in everything.
Enjoy the journey!
Dr. Ann Marie Chiasson
