nature…
“Lose yourself in nature, and find peace.”
I like to get out in nature; I found her in my youth, and never felt alone when I was wandering the hills around my home. My love for nature has only grown over the years, and honoring her brings clarity to how I live my life. This sense of appreciation is what we will be channeling this week, month and hopefully – for the rest of our lives:-)
A fun example of how nature continually intrigues me can be seen in this hydrangea photo. We have this medium sized hydrangea bush in our yard, but all the leaves and flowers fell off well over a month ago. Except for this one fist-sized bloom that is holding tight to its’ stem, the entire bush is made of twigs. I am truly going to miss this Dr. Seuss flower when it finally drops to the ground, but I will remember its’ triumph!
“Lose yourself in nature, and find peace.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
On some level, all our yearnings and scarcity in life are due to our separation from nature. Consumption is nature’s demise and without proper balance, our ecosystem can collapse and cause the decline of all affected species. We, as consumers have an important role to play, not only for our own bodies, but for our own planet.
Nature has everything to do with good nutrition as it offers all we need to survive. The vegetables, fruit, rice, water, berries, nuts and wildlife we have at the offering is literally all we need… somewhere along the way, a bunch of manufacturing plants and added chemicals came in because us humans thought we could improve on what is already a miracle. It feels good to remember that food is and should be simple; whole foods speak the same language our bodies understand…truly!
It is time to fall in love with nature again, to really appreciate how lucky we are to call this planet our home. Then take just one step further, and bring that same love into your house… and watch that one intention grow over time. I am so happy to be sharing this journey with you guys; please only enjoy your choices, and remember that life should be joyful, not painful.
BREATHE
Make a date to walk or hike a beautiful piece of nature this week, whether the beach, a park or simply your lovely neighborhood. While you are out there, take the time to focus in on your breath periodically, look around and take in your surroundings. There is so much beauty in nature, and it taps into our inner sanctity when we show the respect it deserves.
LOVE
Plant 1-3 herbs in small container(s) you can keep indoors through the winter. The herbs I most use are: rosemary, basil, mint, cilantro, thyme, and sage. We mostly keep our herbs outside, but the winter months are hard on them; mint and rosemary are the hardy plants, cilantro and basil are the most tender and definitely indoors in the winter.
NOURISH
Visit your local farmer’s market. Although more fun in the warmer months, this could be your one day out in a string of rainy days, so get out there and find inspiration from your local farmers. I often wander with all my senses open, just waiting for that one BAM! I have to have those mustard leaves, or the local honey or the sprouted bean mixture. Then put those ingredients to work for a meal that weekend; you will notice that meal tastes better than the rest! If no local markets, substitute with your favorite produce market and go home with something new to try:-)
