This morning I am compelled to write about the healing powers of nature. I have always been a nature lover. I believe part of this is because I grew up on a farm and nature was my gift and my essence. We were outdoors pretty much during all seasons.
A colleague asked me once what I did to get de-stressed. I immediately replied that I go for walks for cleansing my mind and for feeling at peace. I still do this daily. There is something extremely healing when walking amongst nature. But, also nature teaches us about harmony, beauty, strength, resilience and helps us to see how plants live in harmony with each other.
As a guidance Counsellor, I would take my students for walks when they just couldn’t calm down or express their feelings. One particular student who had a most troubled home life, totally calmed down and could begin expressing his feelings whenever we went for walks. Sometimes we would sit by the riverside and just quietly listen to the waves, the birds, and nature all around us. We often didn’t say much but I could feel him relaxing.
I believe there are a lot of students who struggle in the classroom who would learn better outdoors, amongst nature. I challenge you as educators and parents to find ways to take your students outdoors and enjoy the feeling of learning amongst nature.