Walking on a beach, or anywhere in Nature, can be an exercise in meditation. It doesn’t take special preparation except to be in the moment–which isn’t necessarily easy. For many of us, just finding a few minutes of quiet can be difficult.
I’ve only recently downsized to a place where I frequently visit the beach pictured here. Each time I walk the path over the dunes to the beach, my breath almost stops when I first set eyes on the ocean. I don’t think that feeling will ever go away.
A few years ago, when I had an incredibly stressful job with an urban health system, I sought calm from nature in a different way. On days when stress was draining my energy, I’d take a quick walk to a memorial garden on the hospital campus. There I would sit on a bench with my back to the buildings and concentrate on the trees, the sky, the squirrels, and the birds. Knowing that I was sitting in a place dedicated to the memory of loved ones helped me find a sense of peace. It didn’t take long to reset and return to the office with more patience and enthusiasm for what had been maddening only 30 minutes before.
Time in Nature can be like a safety valve, relieving everyday pressures, even if it is only for 10 minutes on a bench.
I’d love to hear ways readers turn to Nature and find their own sense of peace!
—R.A. Kroft
R.A. Kroft writes about her day-to-day journey in living a smaller, more sustainable life and other topics that interest her.
This Site Was Inspired By An Interest in Protecting the Environment:
We had the privilege and joy of learning from Dr. Charlie Stine who instilled a love for the natural world through incredible field trips with the Johns Hopkins Odyssey Certificate program in Environmental Studies. At the time, the program was endorsed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Sadly, after Dr. Stine retired, the program was phased out. We hope that we honor his legacy by shining a bright light on environmental issues and sharing good news about the success of various conservation programs when possible.