April 9, 2025

Hello Followers,

HAPPY HUMP DAY!

To find peace, one must create a space for it in one’s heart and mind.

To find peace, one must create a space for it in one’s heart and mind.

Nature helps us clear our minds and create the peaceful space we need to grow and thrive.

Today we will explore nature, which relieves fatigue and increases creativity.

In today’s world we live with technology designed items that constantly pull for our attention.

But many scientists believe our brains were not made for this kind of information, and that it can lead to mental fatigue, being overwhelmed, and burnout, thus requiring attention restoration to get back to a normal, healthy state.

When you use your cell phone to talk, text, shoot photos, or whatever else you can do with your cell phone, you are tapping the prefrontal cortex and causing reductions in cognitive resources.

In a 2012 study, it showed that hikers on a four-day backpacking trip could solve significantly more puzzles requiring creativity when compared to a control group of people waiting to take the same hike, in fact, 47 percent more.

Although other factors may account for results, for example, exercise or the team spirit of being out together, prior studies have suggested that nature itself may play an important role.

One in Psychological Science found that the impact of nature on attention restoration is what accounted for improved scores on cognitive tests for the study participants.

This circumstance may be due to differences in brain activation when viewing natural scenes versus more built-up scenes even for those who normally live in an urban environment.

In a recent study conducted by Peter Aspinall at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, his colleagues plus other participants had their brains monitored continuously using mobile electroencephalogram (EEG) while they walked through an urban green space.

Their brain EEG readings indicated lower frustration, engagement, and higher meditation levels while in the green area, and higher engagement levels when moving out of the green area.

This lower engagement may be what allows for attention restoration, encouraging a more open, meditative mindset.

It is this kind of brain activity sometimes referred to as the brain default network that is tied to creative thinking.

If you have been using your brain to multitask as most of us do most of the day, and then you set that aside and go on a walk, without all the gadgets, you have let the prefrontal cortex recover.

And that is when we see these bursts in creativity, problem-solving, and feelings of well-being.

GROUNDING

Today as we continue our series on grounding, Dan and I will explore the ninth practice for you to try with us.

Tatami Time: Tatami Time refers to the practice of lying down on the ground and fully relaxing to reset your nervous system, inspired by the Japanese tatami mats used in traditional Japanese homes.

Lay on a natural surface and enjoy activities like sky-gazing, daydreaming, meditating, or simply breathing and being present with nature.

For some time now, I have found profound joy and health benefits from being in nature. It almost makes me feel like a kid again and I forget about the stress and worry of life.

In nature, I often find myself contemplating the lessons to be learned from the beauty of the earth, the seasons, and the rhythms of nature.

This experience is the inspiration for this meditation.

This is for you if you are seeking inner peace, a deeper connection with nature, and a sense of grounding ness.

Through this practice, you can tap into the timeless wisdom of nature, embracing its lessons of resilience, patience, and interconnectedness.

Until Thursday, nature is the art of God.

The earth is a masterpiece, and every aspect of it holds a message of peace and harmony.