Once I realized why my blood pressure became lower when I visited the botanical gardens, it became apparent there is a reason for this: nature. In time, I might just be able to throw that bottle of blood pressure pills away. Soothing, colorful sounds of nature. Of course, genetics always plays a big role in our physical condition as well as our childhood and experiences. We become who we are due to both of these things and our personality and quirks arrive as well, but nature becomes part of the big picture. It is a little like liquid Valium in a bottle. 

Never underestimate how important nature is in our lives. We forget it is responsible for the food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink, not to mention what it does for our mind and happiness. Connecting with nature improves our immune system, helps creativity and definitely reduces stress and anxiety. I personally create art best when I am outdoors. I get a wonderful experience from the smells and colors of nature. Leaves are always dancing in the wind, sometimes they dance as a couple or single, however the wind is blowing. When you study plants in a garden, try to think about the energy and comfort it takes in the act of getting plants into the ground. Weeding may sound arduous, but the act itself takes away negative thoughts and stress when we concentrate on the project and we don’t even know we are in la la land just by weeding. That is the beauty part of nature. Working in any garden gives us a sense of accomplishment and calming, totally a mindfulness experience. When we dig in the dirt while planting, serotonin levels in our bodies are stimulated and that relaxing vibe just automatically appears. Children must know a secret that adults don’t know while they always love digging in the dirt. 

Connecting with nature, or “forest bathing”, enhances well-being and reduces stress. I don’t even need an alarm clock while the birds near my window perform their daily orchestra at 5 am sharp. Not a minute before or later.  If you can spend just two hours a week in nature, surrounded around the green, there is a feeling of health and well-being. You don’t have to hike a trail, just find a bench and take a look. 

Hospital patients are said to love open outside areas where they can be connected with nature. Nature helps us cope with pain. I can attest to the fact that nature helped me go through the painful task of needing chemotherapy. At the Cancer Center, there were small patios everywhere for patients like me to relax after treatments and I spent many hours there no matter how cold or hot the weather was. We feel healing and our immune system is elevated. We are born of nature and when we die our bodies return to earth. Nature is a force no one can escape.

A lack of time in the natural world, connected to our cell phones, promotes depression and isolation. Humans were not meant to be connected to a screen. All the years I spent working in an office, my lunch hours were always spent outdoors. Even if I worked in a cement universe, I grabbed a bench and stared at the trees, listened to whatever sounds were happening and watched little birds hopping around. I could feel my pulse go down. It is very unhealthy not to go outside, “nature deficit disorder” is a thing. We need the sunlight, the Vitamin D, so our bones do not become weak. Getting outside and into nature will reduce stress. You can concentrate and connect to the natural world. Try to slow down and pay attention to details. It is amazing how much we are connected to nature and everything in the outside world.