Nature As Medicine

Nature is my soul medicine. It is a place where I find myself so often drawn; whether it's after a long day at the office or early on a morning when the sun breaks through the trees and calls. A quiet sanctuary to recharge, refocus, and sit in quiet contemplation. When you listen intently, you will often find the answers you are seeking.

Through the very challenging times of 2020 - 2023, I found that my world had become smaller. Smaller in the sense that I was grateful for the "things" they couldn't take from us. Treasures in my own backyard that I didn't have to fly somewhere to relish in. A crisp moonlit night; stars speckling the sky; colorful leaves cascading through the air creating a ring of colors at the base of many trees. A bird welcoming the new day; a bee gathering nectar from sweet lavender. Sunlight on my face at the beginning of my day while I shared a quiet walk with my sweet dog. May nature help remind you that we all have so many things to be grateful for - it is all in what we choose to focus upon. 

In gratitude,
Lisa Hillenbrand

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Hope you enjoy the following writings of Zach Bush, MD. 

When was the last time you sat beneath a tree and allowed yourself to receive her wisdom? 

Scratch a meeting off of your calendar and replace it with a meeting, a communion, with a tree. Instead of watching a tv show tonight, take your family outside to watch and witness the intricate beauty of a pine, a willow, an oak, an elm or spruce tree. 

The magnolia tree, standing tall in the meadow, never wonders who it is, whether it's worthwhile, or if it's doing a good job in this life. It just is. Take a moment to walk through the woods, a park or your backyard and there you will find not a single entity confused about who they are or what their worth is to the larger system around it. 

We often talk about nature - always in observation rather than in conversation with her. When was the last time you talked to a tree, asked questions, listened to what she has to share - the wind through her leaves, the delicate droplets of a recent rain landing upon your forehead, the enormous and emerging roots to rest upon or leapfrog over. What is her story? How does asking and listening to her story help you make sense of your own state of being? What does her unshakable confidence in who she is, her purpose in the ecosystem, and unwavering consistency to show up day after day, rain or shine inspire within you? 

Imagine the degree to which our care for this earth, and every tree, would expand if we lived in relationship with her, like a member of our own family, instead of external to her? 

The human brain has somehow developed a pattern of thinking that it's separate from nature. It is this very belief that has led us to thinking ourselves as separate from one another. The idea of separation spirals the thinking mind into more separation, fear, worry and scarcity. 

But all it takes is placing your hand on the cracked, aged bark of a tree to remember that nature is constantly beckoning you to come back to her. 

Her call is the most important one you'll answer today.