Ever wake up in a funk on a weekend morning? Sometimes your favorite herbal tea or coffee isn’t quite enough to get your day humming. Or maybe there are a lot of changes coming your way and you are trying to stay centered and grounded as you sort out all the possibilities. Today is one of those days. Today is one of those days that needed an adventure. We loaded the boys in the car and told them we were going on an adventure. Why? Because we all need adventure in our lives and especially whimsical adventures in nature. Being in nature surrounded by green and the sounds of birds chirping has a way of relaxing the body, mind, and spirit like no other. I knew I wanted to check out a local farm, Singh Farm, about 20 minutes from us. It was magical!
Singh Farms is a feast for your senses! We came in the back entrance where they were selling plants and compost. We walked on winding paths under canopies of mesquite trees, holly hocks, and other trees and came upon happy chickens, magnificent peacocks, people doing yoga, a fresh juice bar, a teepee, local honey, farm fresh vegetables, goat milk, all kinds of yummy eats, an accordion player playing ” You are my Sunshine”, and the smells of fresh herbs. We enjoyed a Torta made by a french woman, wood fired pizza with mulberries on top and other yummy eats. There was even a boys string quartet playing classical music! I used to play in a string quartet, so this was a special treat. I have decided to take residence in the teepee and become the resident farm acupuncturist for all the workers and the chickens. Well, not really, but I have always wanted to have a teepee for fun.
Did you know walking in nature reduces your stress hormones? If you are the type that needs the research, it is even scientifically proven to lower stress hormones in just 10 minutes! It puts us into a meditative state that allows for “involuntary attention” which can bring us into a state of reflection. I don’t know about you, but I need this reflection time. So necessary on the weekends, especially if you are not getting this type of down time during the week. When we are stressed, our breathing becomes more shallow and our body is more in sympathetic state which is also known as our “fight or flight” state of being. When we are in this stressed state, we get sick more often, don’t sleep well, hormones can become unbalanced, and we don’t have the energy we want.
Stress is dangerous. It brings out disease. It makes emotions difficult to control, affects sex hormones negatively ( testosterone in men, and harmful in pregnancy), is bad for your teeth and heart, leads to weight gain, ages you, and negatively affects your immune system, to name a few! Your body, mind, and spirit will thank you kindly with good health when you incorporate mindfulness into your life.
So how do we get into the relaxed, blissful state we all know and picture ourselves in when we picture ourselves doing yoga on a mountain top? Nature, walking, breathing deeply, and acupuncture all are proven to bring our body into a parasympathetic state or relaxed state. This state allows our body to repair, balance and heal. Other scientifically proven ways to lower stress are listening to music, visualization , buying yourself a plant, turning off your phone, and kissing, to just name a few! Go find an adventure. Take time to play and nourish your senses. Smell yummy essential oils, listen to good music, treat yourself to a yummy delight, snuggle, and be out in nature this weekend. NOURISH you today. As always, I am available for acupuncture sessions to help you de-stress and find balance.
Peace,
Joy
joy@nourishedrootsfertility.com
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