Contributing Writer – Vanessa Vestergaard
This spring, I want to return to nature for my mental health after a long absence. I have missed the benefits of walking in the mountains and breathing the fresh air. Being in nature allows me to explore the smells, sounds, and surrounding beauty of the woods while stretching my limits and endurance.
Walking up mountains demands perseverance and a certain physicality that promotes a singleness of thought: reach the top. Yet this goal requires one step at a time and watchful footing. It reminds me of a Zen practice of being present with each movement. There is nothing behind and nothing ahead—just what is in front. Without counting reps and moving through the mechanics of a gym, I am able to find challenges that go beyond lifting a barbell. I learn to navigate and let go of the confinement of modern-day life with all its noise and entrapments.
On a hike, I experience my own heart beating, and I hear the hum of nature beside it. This feels like a cleansing of body and spirit, especially if there is a light rain or the day is colder than usual. By walking in imperfect temperatures or shifting climates, I feel the need to adjust and challenge myself to walk with rather than against. My impulse is to complain and ask myself, What did I get myself into? Yet a hard hike is the best and the most memorable. It is like a hard teacher who challenges you. You never forget her, and you always learn more through her teachings.
When I return to the car with muddy boots and a sweaty shirt, my body feels tired and worn, but this exhaustion is the best feeling. I often want to sleep afterwards—and I do. I have worked my body through time and have not wasted a second. Finally, my body and mind are in sync. The body has listened, and the mind has been turned off to another place. The reward is that I am left in awe of being alive on this earth. With every aching muscle, I feel renewed and at peace—the best gift.
With all of our screens and distractions, we need time in nature more than ever. The anxiety of our lives, fueled through all sorts of media, confounds and unsettles our sense of purpose and meaningful existence. If we can take a day and spend it in nature, our thoughts have a chance to become clear, and our spirits can rejoice in this bountiful beauty.
A walk in the woods inspires me toward something greater than myself. From each bird’s song and rushing waterfall, I feel that I am part of this incredible mystery that is nature, and I am free to connect as if I were born to experience it.
