People often ask me where I get my inspiration for my columns, and while there are many sources, most often it is nature.
I wander along the St Michaels nature trail several times a day. It offers a quiet place to reflect. But my favorite time is the pre-dawn darkness, in the stillness when I can listen to the hoot of an owl, the trilling of a racoon, and the rhythm of the cicadas.
For those who get refreshed by waterscapes, the Eastern Shore is the place to be. Some love the power and vastness of the pulsing, booming ocean and the sting of salt air on the coast. While others prefer the phalanx of rivers and creeks that softly weave through the forests and lands in the midshore.
Being in nature is linked to a positive outlook, a greater sense of happiness, and overall improved sense of well-being. Nature encourages us to be present and focus on the sensory details of our surroundings, fostering a sense of grounding. It closes the “worry folder” in our brain.
“Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you…while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” John Muir
Nature is not just inspirational; it is also healing. Medicine has traditionally relied on the healing power of nature, Hippocrates said “Nature itself is the best physician.”
Thoreau also instinctively knew about the healing power of nature. “All nature is doing her best each moment to make us well—she exists for no other end. Do not resist her.”
But it took a while for scientists to confirm what our bodies already knew. Nature is a place to go to heal and rebuild. Scientific research has proven that being in nature just 30 minutes a day lowers stress, blood pressure, and heart rate. It also improves the immune system, even reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease. Walking in nature increases our creativity, problem solving ability, memory, and may mitigate some symptoms of early Alzheimer’s.
Environmental psychologists demonstrated that watching nature with a sense of awe brings out the better angels of our nature. We are less entitled, less selfish, more generous, and more empathic when we connect to the natural world.
Nature is especially beneficial for those who are experiencing grief. Being in nature lowers heart rate and blood pressure associated with grief and anxiety. It also lowers cortisol, a key stress hormone, which helps in calming the mind and body. Spending time outdoors, even without vigorous exercise, can help regulate the sleep cycle, which is significantly interrupted by grief. Nature provides a refuge from the immediate emotional turmoil of grief, allowing for a connection to a calmer, quieter world and a greater sense of peace. A walk in nature interrupts the grief cycle by reducing rumination, allowing us to temporarily break the cycles of negative or grief-related thoughts.
Nature also offers symptomatic relief from depression, anxiety, and attention disorders.
But how does a simple walk among green landscapes, water, and trees change our bodies and our brains? It has been suggested that the air near moving water, forests, and mountains contains high levels of negative ions which may be responsible for body and brain changes. Brain activity changes after exposure to nature.
Scientists have discovered that inhaling aromatic compounds from plants and trees (called phytoncides) increases our body’s production of natural killer (NK) cells, a vital immune system weapon against viruses and nefarious cells.
Science is limited by what it can measure. Humans are limited by our five senses. Nature has no such constraints. History has taught us that what we know is not all that there is. It is logical to believe that there are energies that we cannot measure, spectrums we cannot see, and vibrations we cannot hear. Nature has invisible rhythms that do not need to be measured or dissected, just experienced.
I believe that Rachel Carson had a deep understanding of nature’s benefits. “There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”
So, it is easy to be so inspired by nature, not just for me but for so many others.
Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.
