During New York City winters it is easy to avoid the sun. We awaken in darkness and stumble home from our libraries or offices or rehearsals in darkness. We confine ourselves to our coats and accept dark circles under our eyes.
But this March, when the sun emerged after months of shadow, months of hibernation within our hats and our heated homes, I watched students flood the streets and the steps. I felt my own body pulled towards warmth. Something drew us all towards the sun and raised all our spirits, and in the midst of that flood of beauty I began to think about how rarely I engage with and appreciate the world around me.
We are connected to nature as human beings, inextricably bound to the movement of the sun. In our modern world, with our screens and our distractions and infinite opportunity to pop in a movie and travel anywhere via a screen, it is so easy to lose touch with the earth. But a movie can never shine sun on our face. The truth of experience cannot be held within anything but experience itself. Nothing can replace the sting of salt pressed into skin after a day at the beach, the sound of birdsong, the delicate haze of mist after heavy rain.
The idea of reconnecting with wilderness is not a new one. The desire to explore untouched regions pervades our history. From Henry David Thoreau to Chris McCandless in Into the Wild, countless figures have rejected modern civilization for a complete return to the woods. But is it possible to maintain a relationship with the earth without uprooting yourself and moving to a cabin in the middle of nowhere? I think so.
So here are a few ways to celebrate spring, infuse your life with nature, and soak up the wisdom it inspires.
Seek out sunlight. If you have the option to go outside, even for a moment, take the opportunity to absorb some vitamin D. Follow in the footsteps of cats and look for open squares of light to sit in; open the window; allow light to fill up the spaces you exist in.
Keep live plants and flowers in your room. In addition to digesting that pesky carbon dioxide, plants can have a distinctly calming, lifelike presence. A room overflowing with ferns and blossoms seems to breathe on its own. Succulents and bamboo are great for college dorm rooms, or if you have a green thumb then nothing beats the lushness of orchids in bloom.
Find bodies of water. Whether you are next to the Hudson River or the ocean, finding time to take in the simple presence of the river and the movement of the waves can an instantly peaceful effect. The beach at Coney Island or the endless, beautiful stretches of sand in Long Island are close enough for day trips from NYC. Wherever you are, find a river, find a babbling brook, and allow yourself to breathe in the gifts from the ebb and flow.
Explore feng shui. This ancient Chinese practice, which literally means “wind and water,” employs balancing the elements of the natural world in each room in order to allow for the flow of chi, or spiritual energy. Feng shui begins with the development of a clean, uncluttered space, so start by removing trash and plastics and unnecessary trinkets from your room - emptying yourself and your space so the universe can fill you, to follow the advice of a famous proverb often seen on tea bags. Once you have decluttered, focus on creating a space that appeals to the senses, removing electronics from places of prominence in the room, placing representations of all the elements around you, and more.
Open your eyes and take in the sights. Nature rises up in unexpected places; little buttercups or poppies in the centers of highways can offer a small breath of purity and wholesomeness in the center of chaos. Remember, “the earth laughs in flowers.” We spend so much time looking at our shoes, focused on our devices or inner thoughts; just looking up at the sky and observing the world around you can have an instantly grounding effect. And engage all your senses; listen, touch the soil, walk barefoot, allow the wind to remind you that a new season is beginning.
Pay attention to the environment; be ecologically friendly. Composting, recycling, bringing reusable water bottles, and paying attention to your harmoniousness with the earth can help reduce the damaging effects that humans have had on the natural world.
Get out into the world. Visit a garden. Better yet, visit the woods. Better yet, build a cabin in the woods, move there, and subsist on only plants while musing on nature and the destructiveness of everyone else in the world who is not also living in a cabin. (Okay, maybe not that part).
Open yourself to the possibility of rebirth in springtime. This is the time of year when withered trees start to open up, turning growing leaves of vivid pink and green; when bears emerge from hibernation; when the world, miraculously, is reborn from the dead. We are creatures of the earth, and therefore we are connected to it. Springtime can mark a time of rebirth for you, too. Take time to explore, to adventure, and to appreciate the tiny flower on your windowsill that asks for nothing but sunlight and water - even if it’s just for a moment.
