How to Reconnect with Nature Now! 5 easy steps for a better 2023!
1. What does it mean to reconnect with nature?
Wondering why and how to reconnect with nature easily and beneficially?
We, humans, are complex and complicated. We live on a beautiful planet, full of wonderful places and adventure. Great mountains, lakes, seas, oceans, forests and woodlands wait for us to go to them and explore them and have a unique experience!
We see these magical places on documentaries on tv and we feel that they are so hard to access. “One day, when i can afford it”, “maybe after i have paid for my mortgage”, “i don’t have enough time to do that” are some of the things we say to ourselves for comfort. And then we turn the tv off, go to bed and wake up to go to get on with our responsibilities. The day is full of obligations that we usually do for others and over a period of time, we get exhausted, overworked and stress is all we know. Self-love on the weekends or late evenings, are comforting and vital for de-stressing. But often, it only feels like a quick pick-me up, an easy solution to cope.
2. Why is it important to reconnect with nature?
Even in the biggest cities of the world, where chaos dominates every individual’s life, there are parks they can easily access. New York has Central Park and London has Hyde Park. In the fast paced daily grind we find ourselves in, with an endless noise and information, we get sensory overload. The clutter in our minds stands in the way of what we ought to be doing. We ought to be human.
Take a moment to think why you are here. Take a moment to think, if you didn’t come on this earth as a human, but if you were instead a tree or a grain of sand, would you be worried? Would you be bored? And if your answer is yes, you are wrong. Trees, animals, pebbles, the energy around us don’t question anything. They just are and they just exist. We like to tell ourselves we are the smartest species on this earth, our brains are bigger and better than those of animals. But what if we are wrong?
Not only are we disconnected from mother nature, we are disconnected from our own human nature. What does being human mean to you?
I was watching Disney’s Alice in Wonderland and there is a song called the caucus race, which i find resonates to today’s life. The lyrics go as follows
“All: Forward, backward, inward, outward
Come and join the chase!
Nothing could be drier
Than a jolly caucus-race!
Backward, forward, outward, inward
Bottom to the top,
Never a beginning,
There can never be a stop!
Dodo: To skipping, hopping, tripping, clopping
Fancy free and gay,
I started it tomorrow,
but I’ll finish yesterday!
All: Round and round and round we go
And dance forevermore,
Once we were behind
But now we find we are be-
All: Forward, backward, inward, outward
Here we go again
No one ever loses
And no one can ever win”
3. How to reconnect with nature in 2023?
We all find ourselves in this endless race, where no one ever loses and no one can ever win. So why go running, chasing after time when we simply don’t even have time? This happens unconsciously because we are used to living like this now. More than ever before, we see humans suffer with anxiety, depression, disassociation, feeling lost.
Now is the time to realise this and to take a moment and tell ourselves, now that is enough. To pause and take a look around, to remind ourselves, where we actually are.
1st step: Go outdoors
Whether you live in a big city or a small town, take the time to go back to where you came from, your roots. Go to your nearest forest, park, nature reserve. Away from the noise, to the welcoming arms of the trees branches. The quiet speaks louder than words.
Decide if you need to be alone, or with company. Sometimes, solitude is the best remedy and sometimes, having someone who truly listens to you and understands you, who can be quiet around you, is the best company. You can share these moments of mindfulness and bliss together.
The beauty of this is that every one can do it. You don’t need to be a master of meditation to meditate. Meditation is the act of taking your sweet time, like time does not matter, your obligations are left behind you and all there is right here, right now, is the incredible creation of life itself and you are part of it.
You will remember what really matters and smile.
2nd Step: Take the time to see what you have!
We need to take the time to see what we already have, what is accessible to us, instead of always looking for the ‘ideal’ escape that could be two flights away. We need to visit the parks we have close to us. Our souls need feeding, to be more connected to our roots. Our minds need a break. Our heart needs love and we learn divine love from our Pachamama.
"If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear as it is, infinite" - William Blake
We came here to live our life to the fullest, to enjoy every day.
Take a moment to ask yourself, is the way i live my life right now, fulfilling me? Am I happy? Is there one small thing that could make my day today and make me happy? What can I do to make myself smile today?
3rd Step: Practice Mindfulness
In Cyprus, we are blessed to be surrounded by the Mediterranean sea. Within only two hours and even less, we can go to the beautiful mountains, forests and enchanting waterfalls in Troodos. The roadtrip towards the mountains is exciting in itself. I love going to waterfalls and sit there for hours. I like practicing this very simple mindfulness trick:
By the water, your thoughts will become fish, you watch them swim away. The fish that is good to eat, you can catch and the poisonous ones can swim away. Imagine your thoughts as fish, the good thoughts you can keep, let the bad thoughts drift away.
4th Step: Feel the energy around you
As all living things have a spirit, plants and trees have their own. Each plant, beyond it’s physical body has a spirit that has soaked up the powerful energy of the sun and we can connect to their spirit. Every living thing has something to share with us, to teach us.
Take a moment to get close to a tree or a plant and try to form a connection with it. Observe its colours, shapes, familiarize yourself with how rough or soft the texture of its branches feel. Place your hand on the tree or plant, close your eyes and focus on how that feels. Notice what feelings come up, as you feel the plants energy connect with yours through your fingertips.
5th Step: Sun Gazing
Sun gazing is a meditation practice any one can do, by gazing at the sun. Practice by looking directly at the sun, during sunrise and sunset, to connect and soak in the Sun’s powerful energy.
By watching the sun come up, or go down, you watch time go by and you are fully present in the here and now. This can give a sense of new beginnings and a completed ending to your day. Practicing this boosts energy levels, reduces stress, and helps you feel more grounded, centered, and positive.