Nature’s Rx

“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” 

John Muir

Cornered by grief and perhaps fenced in by ego, it can be hard to extricate ourselves from the heaviness of our thoughts.  I began my week with my heart steeped in sorrow.  By leaning into my feelings and Mother Nature, I ended my week with my heart awash in gratitude.

When my heart is hurting, I can……

Sit outside in solitude to create space around me to grieve freely
Walk in the woods to untangle my thoughts
Wade in the creek to cleanse my soul
Hug a tree to feel safe and included
Step barefoot in the grass to ground me in gratitude
Raise my face to the sun to welcome warmth and light
Rest in the rain to recharge and regroup
Talk with a friend to give voice to my feelings
Listen to nature’s songs to soothe my anxiety
Gaze at the stars to sit silently in humility and awe
Grow something from seed to cultivate my compassion
Inhale deeply to center my awareness
Sift soil through my hands to affirm my sacred bond to nature

Nature provides us with a vast variety of landscapes in which to immerse and restore ourselves. Her remedies are limitless. A daily dose of the outdoors saturates our senses, encourages emotions like compassion, gratitude, humility, and awe, clarifies our thoughts, centers our awareness, and calms our anxiety. Nature’s countless concoctions connect us wholly to ourselves and our well-being.

Published by Sarah Croscutt

I am the owner and facilitator of From the Outside, LLC, a program that connects people to the natural world, themselves, and each other through plant and nature-based activity, promoting self-awareness, healing, wholeness, and community. In addition, I am an environmental writer with essays included in several anthologies published by Plants and Poetry Journal and Wild Roof Journal (online). I would love to connect here or on Instagram @sarahc_outside.

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