What if being outside didn't equate surviving?
+ might include a freebee
What if being outside didn't equate surviving?
What if it meant resourcing?
What if instead of being scary and overwhelming, it actually felt like home and safety?
I see a whole lot of invitations and talk around 'surviving in the outdoors', or activities that are around protecting yourself; or knowing how to handle being out there. But what if you went out there just to be? What if nature was your therapy? What if by stepping out, you were to thrive instead of survive?
There are benefits and major empowerment when learning skills to survive, feed, and shelter yourself. AND, there's equal empowerment and benefits to our nervous system and mental health when we actually look at doing the opposite.
I'm sharing these thoughts because here's the thing: The more I spend time outside with people of all ages, the more I see the impacts and benefits there are with encouraging body awareness; emotional awareness; and connection to land, animals and other humans. We are constantly put in situations - in our everyday life - where our body goes into an active state of resilience, movement, problem solving and protection. Some, in fact, are not only still trying to manage/calm the fear, anxieties and that sympathetic nervous system following what the world has been through the last few years; but are still trying to put one foot ahead of the other, each day, to ‘survive’ in this economical crisis.
The last thing they want to do is go outside and feel like it's a place they need to learn how to survive in. That's overwhelming, exhausting and completely counter intuitive to what they need. What we all need. You should want go out there knowing that there's a form of resourcing, calm, grounding; there to care for you and your whole body, mind, spirit. It should feel like home, safety, and belonging. Let the trees, plants, grass, soil, birds, sun, shadows embrace you in this gigantic soft, warm and loving blanket. Hear their whispers in your heart, saying: "You are home. Breathe. Release. Let go."
To experience grounding guidance alongside the natural world, take a look at this free resource I have created:
FREE Nature Connections - Your Personal Guide
It's a self-paced, step-by-step, Forest Bathing personal guide, filled with simple & intuitive ways for you to deepen your connection with nature & self. Plus, you can follow along using the audio as well.
When stepping outside, how does that make you feel?
Do you feel safety & belonging? Or do you feel overwhelmed and unregulated?
I feel a sense of calmness. Like everything I wad stressing out about all of a sudden washes out of my body. I habe started to just lie on the ground, close my eyes and breath. It's the only time in my day where my mind isn't wandering into a million different directions!