The Nature Fix

You can live or you can do what makes you feel alive.

Do you remember the last time you were in awe of nature? When’s the last time you took a hike? Or felt the earth graciously tickle your core? The healing power of nature isn’t a new trending topic. However, the outburst of Covid-19 has shed a spotlight on it recently.

I’ve been putting try new things, fresh air, and exploring the outdoors on my weekly to-do list for the last 2 years.

In retrospect, I didn’t grow up camping or going to national parks during summer vacation. The beach popped my cherry. It was really the only place my family would go in terms of outdoor recreation. We had our traditional family BBQs, traveled down south to visit extended family, and maybe on a good year, we’d go on a cruise. That’s all folks! There was no skiing or kayaking or better yet just venturing to somewhere new.

I didn’t realize this until I got to college. Never underestimate the power of exposure. I’ve learned some of my greatest lessons, just observing. But moving to the west coast change the game and opened up a whole new world! The first week I arrived, I did literally every touristy thing you could possibly think of. Then little by little, I pushed myself outside my comfort zone and ventured out into the wild.

I feel so alive when exploring new territory. I try not to let fear or racism get in the way. Although I’m not going to lie, it’s held me back from a couple of places.

Research reveals that spending time outdoors can reduce stress. Whether you’re hiking or cycling in the neighborhood, what you see, hear, and experience can ease anxiety, but also how your nervous, endocrine, and immune systems work. In the early 1980s, the Forest Agency of Japan began advising patients to take strolls in the woods. The practice was called forest bathing. Yoshifumi Miyazaki, a forest therapy expert concluded that “people who spent 40 minutes walking in a cedar forest had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is involved in blood pressure and immune system function, compared with when they spent 40 minutes walking in a lab. Spending time in the forest induces a state of physiologic relaxation.”

Brittney Lewis

tRAVELING Artist + Outdoor Enthusiast

ByBrijé is where I share weekend travel guides, trip inspiration and my creative endeavors. I’m currently wandering along the west coast painting colorful landscapes. Come along as I share the magic of the outdoors.

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