This week: At One With Nature Edited by: NaNoKit  
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What wildlife lives in your area? What is your favourite natural site?
The natural world can be a source of strength and rejuvenation.
This week's Spiritual Newsletter, then, is all about the benefits of the outdoors.
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Just under a year ago I moved to my current house, situated on the side of a hill. I wasn’t happy where I lived before. What was once a nice, quiet valley home became a source of endless frustration because of antisocial neighbours. I knew, then, that moving here would make a difference. I didn’t know how much of a change it would be.
When I look up from writing this newsletter, I have a lovely view of the hill across the valley. There are fields with sheep and horses, and small woods where – when I am fortunate – I can see some red deer darting across. Above the hill soars a family of buzzards. When it’s quiet, I can hear their calls.
I often walk my cats along the path to the private wood to the right of my house. We have permission to visit there, and the cats adore it. They’re harness-and-lead trained, so no threat to the local wildlife – and there’s plenty of it. The trees are home to a variety of birds. This time of the year the squirrels are dashing up and down collecting nuts. There are roe deer, foxes, and not that long ago, when my husband went for a quick walk with the cats at night, they spotted a badger.
At dusk I watch the bats fly by and listen to the hoots and screeches of the owls. There’s little light pollution up here, and I love gazing at the stars. When I sit on my doorstep, watching over the valley, I feel fortunate. It’s beautiful. It brings me peace.
Whenever I feel stressed, I find that being in nature helps. It may not solve what is wrong, but it helps me to find the mental calm to handle the situation. It makes sense, of course – we are one with nature, and surrounding ourselves with the natural world helps to ground us.
Our society is fast-paced, filled with pressures and targets. There is always something to do. How many of us bring our work home, at least mentally, when we ought to be relaxing? Not that it’s that easy to relax after work or school because there’s still homework, housework, cooking, kids, sorting the shopping and finances, and so on, and so forth. When you go for a stroll in nature, there are no expectations. You can let go of it all and simply be. When you sit still and listen to the breeze rustling the leaves of the trees, and the chatter of the birds, that built-up tension slowly releases and everything feels more achievable.
Not that I am idealising the natural world. I am not fond of camping. I like having solid walls around me, and a shower, and a real bed. My husband would probably be quite happy living in a yurt, but I like my basic comforts. I’ve done my share of survival camps, and believe that there is no place like home.
We are fortunate that we can have that balance of home comfort and access to the wild. We don’t need to struggle to survive. We have access to warmth, and clean water, and can buy our food at markets and in shops. Or, most of us can. It is something to be thankful for. We can enjoy the outdoors. Live in harmony with it. Use it as a source of strength and rejuvenation.
Which is easier said than done when you live in a city. Many cities have beautiful parks, but also areas with hardly any green in sight. If you live in such a place, it may help to try grow some plants on your balcony, and on your windowsill. You can even grow some of your own food. I’ve successfully grown tomatoes, peppers and chillies indoors. Outdoors I have grown potatoes, strawberries and my own fresh herbs. It may not sound like much, but watching your plants grow, and adding bits of home-grown food to your diet can be fulfilling. Besides, the more people who grow plants outdoors, the better it is for insects like bees, and other wildlife.
I fully believe that this connection with the world around us is good for the soul. It fulfils a need inside of us. I guess it’s because we are a part of nature, and alienating ourselves from it too much, too often, is damaging to our health and wellbeing. We’ve been given a world filled with wonder. Who hasn’t been struck by its beauty? Who doesn’t love watching a bird of prey, or a cute fluffy squirrel dangling from a branch?
I do feel better now. It’s a lesson that I will not forget.
NaNoKit
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Spiritual: August 30, 2023 Issue [#12150]
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