“Do you have the patience to wait Till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving Till the right action arises by itself?” Lao Tzu
This Sunday I am thinking about the parallels between deep immersion in nature and deep immersion in meditation. Both serve to renew us. Mounting research in the field of Ecopsychology shows that time spent in nature benefits human health. Various studies highlight the benefits: lower blood pressure, lower stress hormone levels, lower anxiety, enhanced immune system, increased self-esteem, improved sleep and mood, and lower risk of cardiovascular disease. When we look at the research on meditation, we find the same health impact.
A 2019 Nature research project (20,000 people) from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health, established 2 hours a week as the standard time to spend in nature to achieve these benefits. That breaks down to 17.14 minutes a day. Weekly cumulative time is what matters in nature, not daily time. I'm breaking it down only to compare with daily meditation. The usual recommendation for health benefits from meditation is 10-20 minutes a day, in either 1 or 2 sessions. (Over the years, I have recommended a meditation beginner start with 10 or 15 minutes daily, and then increase by 5 minutes each year, until reaching what you learn is optimal for you.)
But as beneficial as they are, these comparisons around health research only touch the surface of human experience. Time spent in a park is healthier than time spent in a treeless concrete parking lot. Taking 10 minutes out of your day to calm your breath and quiet thought is healthier than spending time with muscle tension, fighting a keyboard, or a co-worker, and rehearsing disturbing events in your mind. Consider beyond this: deep immersion. Consider that this Sunday holds the opportunity for deep immersion, maybe in nature, maybe in meditation...or perhaps both.
What is important here is the letting go of the structures of daily thoughts, habits, routines, and place--the world of social pressure and human expectations in a human-constructed world. Instead, we re-enter what is natural, a natural outer field and a natural spiritual interior. There we find not only healing, but also a discovery: the right action arises by itself. (Susan Nettleton)
For a brilliant commentary by poet Ivan M. Granger on Gary Snyder's meditation/nature poem, "On Top", follow the link:
https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../Sny.../OnTop/index.html