Must-reads
- Shinrin-Yoku: The Art and Science of Forest-Bathing by Qing Li
- The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben
- The Inner Life of Animals: Love, Grief, and Compassion — Surprising Observations of a Hidden World by Peter Wohlleben
- The Weather Detective: Rediscovering Nature’s Secret Signs by Peter Wohlleben
- Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake
- The Bird Way A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think by Jennifer Ackerman
There is something magical about nature, both a local city park, or a tall mountain range, that raises feelings of spirituality such as belonging, understanding, wonder and calmness. A simple walk, or even a bath, in the forest does wonders to the spirit. The activity and the environment both reduce stress levels.
There’s much to learn about nature’s function, relationships and intricacies. You can dive as deep into this topic as you’d like, as nature expands whenever you take a closer look. What seems like a field of grass to us actually consists of many different grasses, even more non-grass plants and even more non-plant life. Everything has its role in the niche that it’s grown into. I take joy in observing a bee feed on nectar and pollinating flowers in return. Forms of life can share functions: even we as humans can pollinate flowers by hand.
By exploring the vast variety nature offers in terms of species and relationships between them you place the human species in perspective. Yes, we can domesticate and dominate, but we’re also bound to our place in the complex web of interactions. Even though we’re large compared to the plants and wildlife in our garden, we are small compared to trees. We have an undeniably great influence on nature, yet are only a fraction of all activity on Earth.
None of this knowledge is necessary to enjoy the spiritual benefit of being in nature. It is enough to simply be there and breathe. You can additionally add observing to the experience. See which structures exist stationary and which objects move. Listen to the sound of nature’s forces and the cries of wildlife. Feel the textures of the rocks and grass you’re trotting on. It’s humbling how you can spend so much money and time training on an activity to become better at it and enjoy it more, but this activity of being in nature is so purely free and indiscriminately accessible to everyone.