Nature: Seeking Peace and Calm – Yesterday, I walked along the edge of the garden; still a calming force after many years of observing. There is a quiet sense of calm nature offers so completely. In this often chaotic life it is easy to lose sight of nature and miss the intricacies of its’ healing force.

I was walking the dog. A task I too often treat like a chore instead of a ritual depending on the day. Today it was cool and breezy. The air was fresh from days of rain and everything was very green.

There are three elements in truly enjoying nature for me: Sound, Smell and Sight. 

First, you must completely surrender to silence and eliminate the constant buzz of sound and racing thought.

Silence is not just about sound but that voice in your mind that reminds you of things to do, responsibilities and time constraints.  Today, I used prayer to disrupt the thought and I felt a presence I often overlook.

I listened to mockingbirds and robins with melodic songs balanced with the mournful cries of mourning doves. I watched the light accent the green grass and the fiery blooms of Amaryllis in a neighbor’s front garden.

The next aspect of enjoying nature is the subtle fragrance of flowers that can be very soothing. I noticed Magnolia blooms mingling with jasmine. It is easy to just ignore the senses we take for granted every day.

Fully realizing fragrance can be a soothing and mind altering experience. I am planning on bringing some hanging baskets of lavender and rosemary in an attempt at enjoying their calming properties.

For just the time of walking around a block, I completely immersed in nature, something that is very difficult both with a busy life but even more profound in a state of depression.

Depression keeps you in a state of absence, the only feeling and moods that even distract the feeling are chaos and frustration. Instead of experiencing nature and calm-we feel only the disruption of a state of numb that manifest as agitation.

Suffering from situational depression, the garden was my only escape, my only calm. The frightening aspect of chemical depression is the inability to feel anything, to be present, to react to that which would normally soothe.

This recent state has been very difficult for me to overcome. The problem is feeling in between lives and states of being. There is a mix of situational as my son grows up and I have to find a new purpose and direction, unfortunately there is an aspect of the chemically induced state as well.

Later in the afternoon, I watch the last rays of sun highlight the colors and richness of blooms in my garden. Again, I feel that state of calm and peace, often it is something we need to work at, to strive for getting out of our daily treadmill and find something that has always been available.

My strength and healing comes from nature-others might find it in other places. How do you find peace? What is your source of renewal? I would love to see your comments.