July 2011

Daydreaming Under the Dogwood

During the Spring, one of my favorite things to was to lie down on the lawn under the dogwood trees and look up at the sky through those brilliant white blossoms.  Keta loves it too.  She lies next to me, and we both would daydream.

What a gift it is to slow down and allow yourself to do nothing but be with nature:  The sounds of the birds chirping; they chirp more when I am outside.  The bees zooming around in the background with their humming voice.  The breeze of fresh clean air.  And the sun; how warm and magnificent.

Why is it that we seldom do simple pleasurable things such as this, something that costs no money?

When I was a child, I did all sorts of things in nature reminiscent of these wonderful moments under the Dogwood tree.  Here are a few of my fondest memories in nature:  Sitting on the front porch during a storm, watching the thunder and lightning move through the sky – thrilling.  Having a picnic in the woods, near a trickling stream.  Finding a charmed part of the forest that appeared to be home to fairies, then going there often to fantasize and talk to the fairies.  And yes, lying on my back in the grass, watching the clouds move through the sky, seeing them materialize into ongoing shapes, forms, and pictures.

If these activities are good enough to occupy a child’s mind, emotions and spirit for long periods of time, why do many of us feel they are foolish, a waste of time, or not socially cool as adults?  Instead, we choose to sit at a sidewalk café and have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine on a beautiful day.  Or it’s more appealing to go shopping or pay to see a concert than be in nature.  Although I also enjoy all of these activities, I cherish my time with Mother Nature.  If you have not tried being in nature without your phone or radio, I invite you to experience just how renewing and freeing it can be.

What do I do when I am lying on my back under those dogwood trees?  Sometimes I just listen to the birds.  Sometimes I talk to the trees.  Sometimes I ask earth to ground me and I feel her support under my body rise up and comfort me.  Sometimes I daydream, and sometimes I have deep moments of meditative awareness, knowing, and receive messages.  But, I always feel such delightful freedom!  “I have allowed myself the treat of doing nothing but being with nature for 20, 30, or 40 minutes!“  And when I do not have that much time, I steal a break under those tress for even 5 or 10 minutes.

I want to share that there are more benefits to being directly on the earth than just the renewal of ones being – mind, spirit, and emotions.  There are health benefits as well.  The earth’s surface is charged with free electrons.  The surface charge is ‘ground’.  When grounded, any object including animals and humans, becomes charged at the speed of light with the earth’s free electrons.  For centuries, we lived connected with the earth, but recently most live separate from this connection.  The connection is needed to synchronize biological clocks, hormonal cycles, and physiological rhythms.

Being disconnected from the earth can cause mineralization problems with areas such as bones and teeth, along with immune system problems.  The benefits of spending a little time on earth in our bare feet, or working with our hands in the earth with an activity such as gardening are wide reaching.  Wounds heal 3 times faster.  Cortical levels in the body normalize, quieting the brain and synchronizing brain waves.  This contact also releases the build-up of bioelectrical stress, addresses free radicals, inflammation, and autoimmune symptoms.  Unbelievably, there is more.  Contact directly with the earth regulates sleep and hormones.  When we connect directly to the earth with our body, we pick up healthy electrons and signals from the earth, removing mental and physical stress from our body and supporting our immune system.

Have I caught your interest yet?  Spending time in nature is renewing, freeing, healthy for your body, and costs no money.  Try it you will like it, and so will your body!

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