How often do you get out into nature? Do you know what the benefits of being in nature are? Nature is healing, inspiring, peaceful, grounding, and it does not judge, nature just is. Nature is beauty. By experiencing it and spending time interacting with nature we can harvest so many benefits as well as feeling happier and healthier. It allows us to recharge our batteries, stop draining our brain, relax and stress less and it give us a sense to get away from it all. It has smells, sounds, textures, tastes and visual stimulation. The benefits are far reaching for our physical bodies, our psychological wellbeing, our emotional state and our spirit. In today’s society, we are moving away from the benefits that nature gives us. We are not exploring nature, immersing ourselves in nature or being in the vicinity of nature. We are building our houses on smaller blocks with no grass, we live in cities and do our activities there, we are on our devices constantly, so we are unaware of our surroundings. We work indoors under the fluorescent lights, the computer screens are in front of us, we go home to television screens. Have you seen how people buy active wear to go to the gym which is inside, we wear our active wear to the shops which are in great big enclosed shopping centres, we go for a massage indoors, we attend events inside big closed arenas. We are searching constantly for something to boost ourselves but it is all indoors. There is an increase in stress, depression, drug addicts, of people self-medicating, anger, fear, high blood pressure, muscle tension because we are disconnected from nature. Nature is therapeutic. Being grounded when out in nature means that you are present in your body and connected and you allow yourself to be centred and strong. This is key to being in control of you, no matter what is happening in your life. You can be calm in a crisis, reduce stress in busy times, centre yourself for the world we live in and you can draw inspiration from nature’s energy. Research shows that adults can be more positive with life, be more satisfied, content and vibrant when connecting to nature. It also shows that children can become more confident when taken into nature, they can take more risks, unleash their creative spirit, play and be healthier. I found in my darkest times I was living inside most of the time. I rarely went out, but when I did, I loved it. I felt in tune with myself for that short period of time, I felt centred. I did not continue the practice because I was too focused on myself and my dramas instead of letting nature start my healing. For me when I started becoming physically healthier I was running outside, taking part in outside activities, enjoying times of adventure with family and friends in the outdoors. This was when I was happiest and felt most fulfilled. I felt alive so I incorporated it into my life. Now it is a rare day that I do not get outside in some shape or form, even if to spend 5 minutes with the sun warming my face on my back deck. If it is raining I enjoy watching it, I love the smell of wet grass, if it is storming I adore watching the lightning and hearing the thunder. Connecting with nature and using all our 5 senses – auditory (what we hear), visual (what we see), kinaesthetic (feel), gustatory (taste), olfactory (smell) connects us back to us and we can open our heart and mind to be happier, healthier and be living the balanced life that we desire. Gardeners can be happier because they are experiencing an activity that is meditative and eases stress and tension. The activity of being in your garden can take care of your mood and feelings and is great exercise and uses the senses. We see the plants and soil, we hear the birds in the garden or the wind in the trees, we taste our produce if it is a vegetable or herb garden, we touch the leaves and dirt, we can smell the earthiness of a garden. There is also a lack of Vitamin D in our population because people are not getting enough of it by being outside in nature. Their immune systems are not healthy. To get your body functioning better we must get outside, experience nature at its best and get the healing benefits that nature can give us. Our sleep patterns can be poor if we spend too much time indoors away from natural light. Being exposed to too much artificial light will alter our sleeping patterns so that we feel drained and unable to deal with the day ahead. If you are feeling down or low in energy it can be a huge boost to get outside for your psychological wellbeing. I love the mood boost I get when outside in nature.