Get In Sync With Nature Intentional

Those who know me on a personal level know I ain’t about that dirt life! I’m not gardening & getting dirt under my nails. I don’t like to sweat. I’m not ok with having a dirty house. Shoot, I don’t want people to really touch me, especially if I don’t know you. You don’t have to give me a hug; I’m perfectly fine with a wave or head nod.

Even though I can’t stand dirt, I love nature. My favorite place in my house is the back porch. I can sit on a beach for hours just watching the waves. As long as it’s not too cold or hot & there aren’t any snakes or too many mosquitos, I’m cool with a hike. There’s something hella peaceful about being in nature. It just puts you in a serene mood. I can block almost anything out when I’m observing all the things around me.

Get Into This Nature Thing

Finding your peace is more than essential to living a healthy, happy life. I’m big on not allowing others to disturb my peace. Like I’ve said before: friend, family, or foe; anyone can go! Going back to the elements can help you reconnect to the peace you need & deserve. It definitely does something to my soul when I get a chance to sit outside & just take in my surroundings through most of my senses.

Being in nature gives you time to slow down. Not much moves in fast forward outdoors. Yeah, birds may fly quickly away or a squirrel can go bounding past you, but for the most part, things in nature are chill. Nothing appears to have a care in the world. Everything just moves in a leisurely manner about their way.

When you’re able to focus on how carefree animals are, it can put things in perspective for you. Look at how much more we have than them. Most of them have to make their shelter, while we’re able to find something & (unfortunately) pay for it. They search for food while we go to the grocery store or hit up DoorDash. For the most part, we don’t have to worry about predators, while many animals have to be on alert frequently. In other words, we have it good, & we need to appreciate all that we have!

Being in nature can be healing as well. I don’t mean physically healing; I mean mentally & spiritually. Looking around & realizing how powerful One had to be to create such beauty is healing in itself. It makes you grateful for being able to experience life as a whole. When you inhale fresh air, you’re breathing life in. When you exhale, you’re releasing some of the bad held inside. Getting some vitamin D from the sun boosts your immune system. There are so many ways nature can bring you back to life, & they’re all free-99.

It also reinforces our spiritual foundation. When I get to experience God’s green Earth, I feel reconnected to all that He’s blessed me with. Traveling around the world & seeing the beauty outside of NC makes me want to see & experience more. The Caribbean…I don’t even have to express how pretty those islands are. And the positive vibe their people have is unmatched! I’ve thought about packing up & moving every time I’ve visited a different one. Such a blessing to be in the land of the living still!

Meditation, Anyone?

A great way to become one with nature is by meditating outside. Whenever I get a chance & the weather is decent, I’ll just sit & listen. You can hear so much when you block out everything in your head. Just sit still, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, & take in the environment through your senses.

When I can’t get outside, my favorite background sound on my meditation app Calm is the thunderstorm sound. It’s so soothing to me. I guess that’s why when people ask if I hear the storms overnight I never do 🤷🏽‍♀️. Rock me to sleep, honey! The Calm app has so many other sounds to use as well, from waves & rain to a fire crackling. I try to use it at least once a day to disconnect & decompress for a few minutes.

Meditation has so many benefits! It’s definitely a stress reliever. As stressed as I feel on a regular basis, it has been a blessing for me. I take on way too much despite knowing it makes me feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. I’m a control freak; sue me! That release helps so much though, even if it’s simply a 60-second session. It allows me to take a breather & calm down some so I can handle whatever I’m dealing with.

Meditating also gives me clarity. I’m an over-thinker, so I think about all of the possibilities that may result from a decision I make. I’d rather be proactive & think about the positive & negative outcomes than to be reactive & feel like I wasted time & energy on an impulsive decision. My thoughts can stop flying through my mind temporarily, promoting an ability to unravel some of my many ideas & make better decisions.

You also are forced to focus on the present when you meditate. The practice suggests that you concentrate on what’s going on at that time. You have to try to disconnect from your thoughts of what has already occurred & what might occur in the future. It gives you a chance to take a break from the hustle & bustle going on…even if it’s just for a few minutes.

Taking time to meditate also promotes happiness. When you have time to clear your mind & realize how insignificant many things are in life, it helps you to count your blessings. You have the opportunity to release your stressors & worries for a short period of time, & let the feel good vibes in.

There’s so much more to life than our everyday messes, & we need to focus more on the haves than the have-nots. This series on spiritual self-care has really pushed me to reflect on the more important things in life: the simple things that are free. Take some time out to disconnect & smell the roses (figuratively &/or literally)! Be blessed, my people!