When we think of “nature,” we think about plants and animals that are wild, untouched by humans. Yet, these untouched treasures are only one part of the natural world. Nature is all around us. Even if we live in the biggest cities on the planet, there are little pockets of non-human living things everywhere.
Most city-dwellers have very little contact with nature. They don’t spend much time outside, and when they do, they rarely notice and connect with the natural world around them. They’re too busy moving from one place to another, engaged with their mobile devices.
We’ve become an indoor species living in a humans-only environment. 55% of the human population around the globe lives in urban areas, with more than 80% of Americans residing in cities. The United Nations projects that by 2050, 68% – more than two-thirds of the world’s population – will live in an urban environment.
“Shin to bul ee – body and soil are one.” ~ ancient Korean proverb
This is not our natural existence. Until recent history, humans lived outside, integrated with other species, both plant and animal. Modern man has become detached from nature and detached from ourselves. We’ve lost many of the health benefits – physical, mental, and spiritual – derived from having a connection with nature, and we’ve lost connection with the deep wisdom that rests within our true selves, both individually and as a species.
The more civilized humans have become, the more we crave connection with nature. We’re just beginning to understand how critical it is to our health and well-being and for a thriving society, especially in the new world of the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you live in a city, you can still connect with nature. No matter how large the city, you can find life springing up in the most unexpected places. Nature is often hidden in plain sight, yet most of the time, we don’t notice it. We’re on autopilot, focused on getting from one place to another, focused on what happened in the past, focused on what might happen in the future.
A focused, conscious walk to connect with nature is a moving meditation. It brings you into the present moment and allows you to feel in an integrated way that you are an important part of life on this Earth, that your life matters. You come to understand that you are not separate from but are actually part of the whole.
Come into the present moment. Release the past and future and begin to notice what’s around you. When we can move about with conscious awareness and intention and be present in the now, which is when life takes place, we can begin to appreciate nature all around us and be grateful for our own nature, the deep knowing that’s inside us. Our inner wisdom tells us that we are one with the natural world.
That mindfulness about our connection to nature can have a powerful, positive effect on our wellness and help us feel whole again. It’s the piece that has been missing.
Connection to the natural world:
- Strengthens the immune system
- Lowers blood pressure
- Alleviates anxiety and depression
- Promotes a sense of calm and well-being
- Elevates mood and alleviates depression
- Promotes connection to self, to others, and to the spiritual world
- Energizes mind and body
- Stimulates creativity and innovation
- Promotes deep relaxation
- Improves physical and mental balance
- Improves sleep
- Boosts metabolism
- Prevents chronic disease
- Lowers stress hormones
- Sharpens cognition
- Provides a sense of well-being
- Increases happiness, joy, and satisfaction
- Boosts vitality
- Fights obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and asthma
- Reduces inflammation
One way to practice this immersion into urban nature is to walk around your neighborhood with a specific focus. You might make a list of plants and animals (besides humans) you could see along the way.
- Weeds growing out of cracks in the sidewalk
- Different species of trees
- Flowers cultivated in gardens
- Diversity of birds
- Small mammals, such as squirrels and chipmunks
- Medium-sized mammals, such as coyotes, foxes, racoons, and opossums
- Larger mammals like deer, bear, and mountain lions (yes, they do live in cities)
- Snails, snakes, lizards
- Insects, such as butterflies and bees on flowers
As you walk, breathe in the fresh air. Notice if it’s cool or warm. Trees filter the air and make the environment cooler with the fresh oxygen they provide. Stop and enjoy the view, savor the moments. Is there a hum in the air, a buzz of bees, chirps or coos of birds? Absorb the sights, sounds, and aromas of this environment, the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the trees, the fragrance of trees and other vegetation. Notice how the nature changes depending on the time of day and the season.
You could theme your walk. Make it a flowerpot tour, or a birdwatching tour, or a tour that focuses on native species growing where lawns once were.
“The more successfully a city mingles everyday diversity of uses and users in its everyday streets, the more successfully, casually (and economically) its people thereby enliven and support well-located parks that can thus give back grace and delight to their neighborhoods instead of vacuity.” ~ Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities
Take a walk in a park near you and compare the flora and fauna you see there to the ones you discovered in your neighborhood. Visit a wildlife refuge in your city. Most cities have at least one. Or visit a botanical garden, if you’re fortunate to have one in your area. Notice the flora and fauna in these locations. How do they compare to what you saw in your neighborhood or the nearby park?
Bring a small piece of nature home with you, but don’t pick anyone’s flowers! Collect fallen leaves and identify the tree they came from or gather some rocks that you feel connected to. Take pictures. Bring a journal and make notes.
“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” ~ William Shakespeare
If you’re not able to get outside, you can reframe your connection to nature by gazing at it out your window. This way of connecting with the natural world can create a sense of hope to those who are homebound. Bring your awareness to what is in the “frame” and maybe take pictures and notes about the details. What do you see? If your window is open, is there a fragrance from some of the plants? How does your picture change during different times of the day and different seasons? Besides the plants that you see, are there animals – birds, squirrels, other creatures?
“In merging nature and culture the most successful cities combine such universal needs as maintaining or restoring contact with the cycles of nature, with specific, local characteristics.” ~ Sally A. Kitt Chappell, Chicago’s Urban Nature: A Guide to the City’s Architecture + Landscape
Urban planners and private developers now recognize the importance of green space and connection to nature when planning city spaces, commercial properties, and residential properties. If a developer doesn’t understand the health benefits, they can definitely appreciate that green space increases property and rental values. Particularly in this age of sequestration due to COVID-19, outdoor spaces are highly coveted and go for a premium price.
Cities that focus on developing greenspaces become thriving urban centers that attract more businesses and residents. These spaces go beyond just landscaping and include rooftop gardens, living walls, natural lighting, atriums, access to private outdoor areas from residences, meditation-style gardens, as well as water features like fountains and koi ponds to stimulate the senses, inspire the soul, and calm the mind. Pollinator gardens and fruiting trees help to attract birds, butterflies, and bees for a restful effect for residents and workers alike. Happier residents make for more attractive living. A happier workforce is a more productive and innovative workforce.
If you go on urban walks around your neighborhood and take pictures, I’d love to see them. Please share your photos on my Instagram @WokeGardener and use the hashtag #urbannature.
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