Nature is the Art of God.
--Sir Thomas Browne
The most relaxing activities may be the ones in which we do absolutely nothing. And if we can do nothing amid the sounds of nature - birds chirping, water bubbling in a brook, the wind rustling in the trees - so much the better. During these moments, away from the noise and chaos of our fast-paced, stress-filled lives, we commune most directly with nature and with the sense of something 'bigger' than us. Without distraction, our bodies can totally relax; there is no danger, no need to be ready to respond to anything. All we have to do is be.
If we live in the city, we can take refuge in its parks, a quiet room, or the library. We can listen to the sounds of nature on records or cassette tapes. The point is to slow down, to smell and taste the rain, to hear the chirping of crickets and the rustling of leaves and our own thoughts. When we remember nature, we remember - our bodies remember - that we are a part of nature, part of something
greater than ourselves.
2 comments:
This is a wonderful message. It took me years to learn to do nothing and just be. And the outdoors is my favorite place to do it. But I am learning to do it anywhere. I guess it's almost like meditation?
"If we live in the city, we can take refuge in its parks...
When we remember nature, we remember - our bodies remember - that we are a part of nature, part of something
greater than ourselves."
Yup, being a city boy that's what I do. Sit in the park, feed the squirrels and commune with nature!
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