⬥ Level of Understanding
I’ve spent a decent amount of time thinking about this, but there is a lot more work to do here. Most of what I’ve outlined is backed by my personal experience, and I want to keep it that way. As someone who often struggles to leave the house at all, this is important. This note grows with me.
Spend more time in nature. Do not underestimate the importance of this. Always seek to connect to the world around you. Nurture your ecological self. Be it in a lush, green forest or in the concrete jungle.
The answers to the mysteries that surround your person seem to lie in nature – a reality of connectedness, of sharing, of boundaries that turn out to be fluid, expanding and contracting to the all too familiar notion of breathing.
In our modern world, I find that it can be increasingly difficult to spend time outside. The Nature Pyramid is a framework to help define how and when to spend time in nature to reap the mentioned benefits.
- Daily (≥ 20 minutes)
Your daily dose of nature can be found in nearby areas, like your local garden, neighborhood parks, or even urban spots that have been reclaimed by nature. Examples of activities include morning walks, gardening, reading under trees, or bird watching. - Weekly (≥ 2 hours)
Regularly explore city and state parks for at least two hours every week. Try trail running, biking, outdoor yoga, or nature scavenger hunts. - Monthly (≥ 1 day)
Each month, visit natural areas like national parks or lakes. Spending a Sunday in nature rejuvenates the mind. Go on longer hikes and walks, collect rocks or tree branches. It sounds silly, but you’d be surprised how good it feels to hold a batch of equally long branches. - Annually/Bi-Annually (multi-day excursions)
Venture into untouched wilderness annually for deep nature immersion. Activities include backpacking, primitive camping, wildlife observation, and mountain climbing during these multi-day excursions.
