The natural world is full of metaphors. From the circle of life, to canyons carved away by running water, mountain ranges created by tectonic plates colliding, nature teaches us to surrender, to let go and trust in the slower pacing of the natural world. Metaphor is a powerful way to contact the parts of ourselves we might not have the words for but that inform our inner experience. The expanse of the outdoors and nature’s inherent quality of acceptance create opportunities for deep healing, nature holds all we want to release.

So many times we find ourselves caught up in anxious and worried thoughts. Often, we are thinking about events that happened in the past, involving feelings of regret or resentment, fearing for what might happen in the future, later today, tomorrow, 5 years down the road. These thoughts replay, keeping us in the past or the future, and we are unable to enjoy life fully. Nature helps us wake up our senses, insists on us taking in the colors, sounds, smells, textures that are right in front of us. Being in our senses helps us to fully inhabit the present moment, bringing our attention to what it means to be fully alive.

Research studies show that nature therapy decreases rumination, improves mood and eases anxiety, stress, and depression. Terry Tempest Williams writes, “To be whole. To be complete. Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from.” Terry Tempest Williams speaks to how nature helps us connect to our authentic “human-ness,” to the deeply authentic parts of ourselves, and increases our capacity to connect with the greater world, giving us a sense of belonging, improved self confidence and a broader sense of community.