Feel Nearer to Nature

'Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you'. - Frank Lloyd Wright

You and I are part of nature but sometimes it seems difficult to believe that this is so. Going to work in a car, grabbing a quick meal, watching TV, all this seems far removed from wild animals, plants, the ocean and large expanses of sky. Its easy to feel cut off from all the other forms of life on the Earth.

Doesn't living like this seem like a form of starvation of the spirit?

Watching a sunset, or a flock of birds, or listening to the wind; really simple things that don't cost the earth.

Even the scientists are saying that nature is good for you!

'Connecting with nature can improve your health and wellbeing, say researchers in this week's British Medical Journal. The theory is known as ecotherapy; restoring health through contact with nature'.

Sometimes all it takes is to look, or stop and listen and be amazed by the beauty of nature all around you. So with this in mind here follow:

7 Simple Steps To Help You Feel Nearer To Nature That You Can Use Right Now

1)Look up at the sky

In the day observe the changing cloud patterns and let your imagination run wild with the shapes and with what they mean to you. Find out the names of all the different types of clouds and why they are formed. Look up Cloud Formations on the Web.

At night observe the stars, find out about the constellations and lift your consciousness into the infinite sky.

2) Look down at the Earth

Do you know what type of soil you live on? Is it fertile or infertile? Clay or sandy or rocky? Have a look and see.

What sort of plants grow wild on the soil near you? Even between the cracks in the pavements? Find out what they are called.

3) Observe all the beings that cross your path in a day

Watch out for insects, mammals, birds.

Anything that crosses your path. Take a notebook to jot down how many you see. Then find out their names.

4) Pick up a piece of nature from the ground (a pebble,a leaf, a twig or feather etc)

Bring it home and be creative. You could make a picture with it, put it somewhere nice, shine a light on it, the possibilities are endless.

5) Observe the phases of the moon

Do you know which phase you are in right now?

The moon waxes and wanes in a 29 1/2 day cycle. Go onto the Web and find out more about it so that you will know exactly where you are in relation the the moon at any time.

6) Find a tree near you and sit near it (preferably touching it but that might be difficult to do).

Still your mind and slow your breathing, imagine that you can feel the life flowing within the tree. Go on (!) talk to the tree and wait for an answer. Be patient, trees don't rush around like us remember.

7) Grow your own sprouts indoors 

These are easy to grow, cheap and highly nutritious. Go onto the Web and look up Sprouting Seeds for detailed information on types of seeds and how to go about sprouting them. The very act of growing something from seed, harvesting and eating it gets you in touch with nature in a very practical way.

I hope that you will enjoy implementing some of the above ideas. Respectfully have fun getting nearer to nature and when you have the chance.......

'Keep close to Nature's heart....and break clear away, once in awhile and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean'- John Muir 

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About the Author: Gillian studied dance in London and Leeds, she now lives in West Cork, Ireland. She communicates her love of nature through music, dance and film. She is also an avid cyclist and gardener. You can see her work at http://www.gillianknebel.com