Why do we go to Nature?
It’s an ancient tradition used by Saints, sinners, gurus and CEO’s. Time out. Jesus spent 40 days and 40 nights in the desert where, through his test, confirmed his confidence in his life’s purpose. According to Buddhist texts, the Buddha meditated for 49 days under a Banyan tree, now known as the Bodhi tree, and attained Enlightenment. Business leaders regularly take “Executive Retreat” to “slow down in order to speed up business.” Many times a company's success can be traced them back to a retreat. A sabbatical is defined as “a period of paid leave, generally 1 year for every 7 years worked, granted to a university teacher or other worker for study or travel.” This is when they are re-energized to the work they do and even create something, like a book, that will increase their value to the company. And yes, even the sinners take retreat. During the late 1800’s Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid’s “Wild Bunch,” a group of outlaws during the wild west times, would head into the mountains of Wyoming to a place that became knows as “Hole In The Wall” in order to escape law enforcement chasing after them and to rest for long periods of time.
You get the point. Taking time out has a long tradition and is known to be important in the renewal of self for the good of the whole. Taking time for quiet contemplation is not just a "feel good" event, it is a requirement for a healthy mind and nourished soul. Taking retreat, like meditation, offers the body, mind and spirit an extended experience of self care and reflection.
By taking time to Retreat, you are allowing yourself
to "unwind" from the stress of daily life giving you
the ability to gain a new perspective on the events
taking place in your life.
This allows you to take control of your life, which may often feel like it's spinning out of control. By regaining your life, you find you will be more resilient with the "to-do's" of life and a higher self esteem to face the challenges with tolerance for those you need to deal with on a daily basis.
To take a retreat is to renew yourself and there is no better way than in nature. In Japan there is the practice of “tree bathing” or shinrin-yoku. Simply being in nature changes your internal system by reducing stress, fear and anger while increasing feelings of gratification and joy. “Earthing,” is a practice of connecting into the electrical energy of the earth by walking or standing barefoot directly on the Earth’s ground, transferring the Earth’s electrical energy to the person touching the Earth. There are many benefits reported from this practice, including:
Reduces chronic pain.
Reduces inflammation.
Protects the body against electromagnetic fields (EMFs)
Normalize the body's biological rhythms.
Improves Sleep.
Lower stress.
Improves and stabilizes blood pressure.
Even the Journal of Environmental and Public Health reported in 2012;
“Mounting evidence suggests that the Earth's negative potential can create
a stable internal bio-electrical environment for the normal functioning of
all body systems. Moreover, oscillations of the intensity of the Earth's potential
may be important for setting the biological clocks regulating
diurnal body rhythms, such as cortisol secretion.”
Getting back to nature is truly Divine. It gives you the opportunity to step out of yourself and the world-at-large in order to collect yourself, renew your spirit, “smell the roses,” get inspired and listen to that inner voice often so clouded by the noise of humanity. Perhaps it’s time to remember who you are and connect with the greatest mother of all … Mother Earth. She will nurture you and restore your soul so you can breathe free again.
For more information on a current retreat with Don Reed Simmons, please go to:
