Connecting to Nature

by Kara Maia Spencer, Maia Healing Arts

When I was pregnant with my son, I dreamed of green forests,  ocean waves, and being immersed in wild nature. I was living an urban life in Seattle at the time, and due to my dreams calling me to nature, I felt a strong urge to move to a more rural home. Thus, soon after my baby was born, we moved to Vermont, where I lived on a farm, surrounded by miles of woods, farmland, and orchards, which we explored every day, for the first two years of my son's life.

I wanted my son to grow up recognizing the sounds of animals before he learned the sounds of sirens and traffic. Memories of my childhood are rich with remembrances of exploring the woods behind my parent's home, and I wanted my son to have his favorites rocks, trees, and natural hideouts, just as I did. Yet, I also missed the social support network and culture of the city, thus we did end up moving back to Seattle when my son was two.

As my son grew older, I recognized that he becomes more agitated and distracted when over stimulated by crowds, traffic, and artificial environments. Now that he is of school age, we live in Eugene, Oregon, where we can bike to culture, art, and music, and walk to streams, woods, and nature. It is amazing how aware he is when immersed in a natural environment. Walking through the woods, my son can leap from stone to stone, climb trees, dodge blackberries, and carry on fast-paced conversations without missing a beat. Whereas, when over stimulated by techno-distractions he sometimes acts like he is deaf, and becomes challenging to reign in.

Immersion in nature is important for all humans, connecting with nature aids healing and relaxation. Still today, people flock to healing waters and ocean shores for recuperation from illnesses. When I was pregnant with my son, I would walk along the shores of the Puget Sound, contemplating the inner ocean inside my womb. Yet, it is not a solution for people to all move to rural homes, and many urbanites would never want to. I believe the greening of our cities, is essential for healthy human communities.

Thus, I like to support projects that work to cultivate nature in urban communities, such as community gardens, pesticide-free parks, community supported agriculture, and organic food boxes. In many communities, there are playgroups and mother's groups popping up, in which moms go hiking together while pregnant or carrying babies on their backs. Spending time in nature when pregnant is relaxing, and in recognizing the abundant intelligence of nature to procreate women can foster trust and patience with the cycles of pregnancy, birthing, and mothering.

Newborns need time in nature as well. Small doses of sunlight protect newborns from jaundice, and hearing the wind, smelling the flowers, and breathing the clean air of forests is important for children to grow connected to the earth they live upon. Older children can help with gardening, and it is amazing what vegetables kids will eat if they grow it themselves (with a little adult assistance, of course).

Take time to enjoy nature with your family today. Wherever you are, you can invite nature into your life, through gardening, walking in nature, or observing wildlife. Remember that we are mammals, and we too are creatures of the Earth. Our lives cycle as the seasons, and we can find solace and peace in nature.

Comments

[Helena]

Amen!