I recently spent another few glorious days in nature at Body & Soul Music Festival….sleeping on the ground, outside all day long – cooking, working, walking and feeling thoroughly surrounded by the natural elements.

It was healing to my soul and just what I needed, again.

Now that I am home (I live in a forest!) and back to another reality, I am thinking about exactly what it is that allows me to rest so deeply when I spend more time outside than usual…. Could it be;

• Extreme connection to nature
• Being on my own
• Sunshine and vitamin D
• Sense of belonging and acceptance

Or is it something else entirely?

What if it’s all of the above as each of these elements are relevant, however, I can feel this way at home…so, there is another unobserved connection taking place here and I think it has to do with my central nervous system.

In order to practice and feel grounded in any way – we need to come to terms with and learn how to understand something about how our nervous systems have drastically altered living our modern day lives.

We spend all day in a totally wired building – with artificial lights, computers, phones and things that beep, buzz and flash – pulling our attention towards another substitute of a contrived reality constantly.

But what is more, we also spend our time off of the ground – on floors, in rooms and behind walls that create synthetic boundaries to the natural world. We are separated, isolated and encapsulated in the most confining way possible - we think this is normal and what’s worse, necessary.

It seems as if we have traded distraction, the illusion of comfort and a patriarchal work ethic that tends to damage our health in the short term and to be utterly soul destroying in the long term.

Perhaps we require this extended time every so often in order to reset our nervous systems – to come back into that aligning balance that only nature understands…..

Because, getting back to ourselves is as close as stepping outside, staying outside and finding our groove in nature. There is an entire breathing, beating, moving, noisy and alive world of natural forces that we absolutely require for our health and well-being.

There is also a specific type of earthing and method to the groundedness that comes with being in nature for an extended period of time – such as we once lived our entire lives.

Perhaps it’s time to find your sweet spot in nature – get outside and enjoy the sun, the full moon, walk amongst the trees, lie in a meadow…..but don't leave early or easily. Our party is only just beginning....

April