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Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. I am not a medical professional. I am simply sharing my personal journey through brain rewiring.
If you prefer listening, click below for the audio version of this article.
The Instant Peace of Nature
My patio is one of my favorite places to just sit. I recognize a defined shift within myself with that single step through the sliding glass door that takes me from my kitchen to my patio. It feels like a sigh. Like an ahhhhhhh.
Whoosh! As soon as I take a breath. As soon as I hear the birds. As soon as I feel the outdoor air against my skin. As soon as I let my gaze target in on a falling leaf, a yellow day lily, a singing bird, a floating cloud, or squirrels chasing each other up and down the trees. . . Whoosh. I simply feel lighter. I feel a spark of peace. And I recognize the power of nature in my brain rewiring journey.
Being Intentional With Nature
I’ve always liked being outdoors. From my earliest memories, my feet in the summer rarely saw shoes. Even now, decades later, if I choose to look at the bottoms of my feet at the end of the day I’d see that I still prefer to be barefoot.
But I recently recognized that there is a difference between enjoying the outdoors and intentionally recognizing the gift of peace that it provides. I have recently recognized the benefits of intentionally putting day-to-day aside for just 15 minutes in order to connect with my surroundings–intentionally.
From a 7-Day Goal to a 30-Day Challenge
It was a 7-day ‘Sit With Nature’ goal that inspired an upcoming 30-Day ‘Sit With Nature Challenge‘ I have planned for September. Through those seven days, I recognized that the peace I’d feel for that 15 minutes would extend into the minutes or even hours that followed. And I recognized that each day seemed to build onto that momentum, even if it was ever-so-slightly at times.
With that experience in my pocket, a 30-Day Challenge feels exciting for me. I look forward to making this daily intention my number one goal for each week in September. My hope is to make this a group challenge. The more who join in and participate in sharing their experience, the more we can inspire and lift one another.
I’ll be honest. Setting goals is a struggle for me. This is why I now prefer to set ‘intentions.’ I created a brain rewiring journal around this, helping me to physically write and revisit the weekly intentions I set for myself and altering them from week to week based on my experience with them. It is helping me build my intentionality muscle as I incorporate modalities that rewire my brain for peace and well being.
A Journal and Support to Help Me Stay on Track
My Brain Rewiring Journal: Daily and Weekly Goals, is available on Amazon. (It’s available on all Amazons. If you’re not in the U.S., go to your Amazon and do a search.)
NEW GROUP
UPDATE: That 30-Day challenge is over, but it inspired me to create a new Facebook group: Sit With Nature Daily. Each month includes a 10-day challenge in order to create momentum and to keep that momentum going.
Group description: This is a place to encourage and inspire each other to take 10-20 minutes a day to connect with nature. Studies show that spending time in nature has benefits on mind and body. Let’s share ideas, pictures, and experiences as we lift ourselves and each other into greater inner peace, focus, and well-being.
Click on the link and join Sit With Nature Daily.
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