Thriving After Sexual Abuse by Denise Bossarte

Author:Denise Bossarte [Denise Bossarte]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Denise Bossarte
Published: 2021-12-25T00:00:00+00:00

How I Connect to Nature

I don’t have to make big plans to go on a camping trip or vacation to exotic places. I don’t have to set up an elaborate travel schedule or have to spend a lot of money. I don’t even have to take time off of work. I only need to make a bit of time for myself to get out and away from my routine. A half-hour or an hour or two is enough time to recharge and re-energize.

It doesn’t matter where I find that slice of nature. If it’s a small grassy space or empty field near where I live, that’s a good start. It can be a city park with open grassy areas and a few trees. It can be a botanical or botanic garden, an arboretum, a state park, or a national park. Even going to the local zoo can get me out and feeling connected to nature.

I often take my camera with me or use the camera on my cell phone to capture the beautiful moments I experience while out on my walks. This helps me to slow down mentally and allows me to open up, with curiosity, to what I might find as I am moving through the space.

Sometimes I want to be by myself and uninterrupted by other people. Those are times I look for places where there will be fewer people around, like the arboretum. Often, I go as soon as the gardens or parks open so I will be there before the crowds arrive. The added benefit is that the morning energy is fantastic, and the light is wonderful for photographing!

If I am at a place with few people, I let myself wander aimlessly, without an agenda, exploring the space and seeing what I find along the way. If it’s a planned space, I grab a map ahead of time to help me see what is there to explore. I leverage a map app on my phone to help me find my way back to my car in case I wander beyond where I recognize the way back.

Sometimes I don’t feel like being by myself. I want to be out with people but not interact with them. Then I will choose a place where I can expect people to be, like the gardens or parks on a weekend afternoon. I can still do my wandering approach to explore the space, but now I can also add some people-watching.

Regardless of whether I am being alone in a space or in a space filled with people, I will take time to sit and absorb the sounds, sights, and smells as they arise. Many of the gardens and parks I visit have benches. I can sit in the sun or shade, my choice, and absorb what is happening around me.

I love listening to the birds singing, or the breezes moving the leaves in the trees in quiet places. Or dogs barking, people calling to each other, the sounds of their play in crowded spaces.

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