Spending time in nature has many benefits for our body, mind, and spirit.
If you are struggling with stress, fatigue, trauma, depression or negative mood swings mother nature is the purest form medicine. A leisurely walk at your local or national park can make a profound difference for your physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. A Stanford-led study finds quantifiable evidence that walking in nature could lead to a lower risk of depression http://news.stanford.edu/2015/06/30/hiking-mental-health-063015/
The more good things we do for our mind and body, the more our body and mind naturally gravitate towards good food and loving connections. I would be remiss if I didn’t say, incorporating good fat may support you with sustainable energy for your adventures in lieu of high carb foods or snacks that will eventually leave you feeling fatigued, bloated and more unhappy. Incorporating healthy fat can minimize the cravings for high carb processed foods.
It’s intuitive. The National Parks Service states 2,660,339 people visited the national parks alone. This is a special kind of experience that can’t be bought, you have to be there to experience the smell of the woods and wild flowers and the visual beauty of the outdoors and the joy of walking with your dog or loved ones.
It really doesn’t matter what level of shape you are in.
If you are an elite athlete or just starting your journey of reclaiming your life, health and mind quiet contemplative time with nature gives you a deeper sense of self and supports an active healthy lifestyle. Making the time for these quiet rejuvenating breaks from the daily responsibilities is a real blessing. Quite time in nature helps put life’s challenges into perspective. We personalize so many challenges as being ourselves, rather than they are just a situation we are working through that ultimately is helping us grow and strengthen. Being in the simplicity of nature helps us see the simplicity of life. We begin to shift our attention and energy towards the good simple things we intuitively know are right and good for yourself. We chase the illusions of what we think we need to survive or look good. Mother nature helps us to feel better and see our own goodness. The perfect mirror for our own goodness.
You Don’t Have to Go Far
Lakeshore Park, Novi MI
One of my favorite parks is Lakeshore park, literally 5 minutes from my home in Novi.
I love hiking on the nature trails in the woods with my dog/child Fergie. It’s her favorite place too. There is a mix of terrain from wetlands to groves of pine trees and old trees. You may see an occasional owl or some of the parks beautiful deer and beautiful birds from Pileated wood peckers to the stunning bluebird.
The park has two play structures, one for the little ones. It’s affordable, it’s free to Novi residents and only $5 for non-residents. All you need is a few healthy snacks and a jug of water and you are ready to go.
How to Find Your Park
Below are a few links to search for the closest local and national parks.
Trail Map
Find Your Local Park here: https://findyourpark.com/
National Park Finder Search: https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm
Look forward to seeing you on the trail
To Your Exquisite Health,
Terry
