Parkinson's: “Being One with Nature”

 

A Journey into Parkinson's with Nancy Mellon

Coordinated by Corrine Bayraktaroglu

 

Women's Park

 Little Miami Scenic Hike/Bike Trail, Yellow Springs, Ohio

 “Being One with Nature”

I am reading “Why Be Happy?”  The Japanese Way of Acceptance by Scott Haas.  It was the word acceptance that got me interested.  AP (After Parkinson's) I am always looking for more ways to incorporate acceptance into my life.

But the quotes that I am going to use today aren't exactly about acceptance they are more about optimizing your life as it is.  Which is maybe about acceptance?

 “Take the time to do something with nature-anything- that involves interacting with what you see and hear. It could be watching birds and learning their calls, or getting to know the types of trees in your neighborhood.” Sometimes when we go for walks, we stop and look at a plant or tree and wonder what it is.  Then Steven pulls out his handy dandy phone and uses an app on it to take a picture and find out what it is.  I never remember from one walk to another but it is fun to find out anyway!   (Sometimes when we go for walks and look at a plant or tree and wonder what it is, Steven just makes up an answer and I always remember that answer. “Those are Round Trees.”  Ah yes, There's another one, A Round Tree.) 

If you can't get out, Mr. Haas suggests YouTube videos of thunderstorms and rain forests and says “Just 15 or 20 minutes of a downpour with headphones on, and the atmosphere at home or work seems cleansed. I haven't tried that one yet but it sounds wonderful just thinking about it.

He also quotes a neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks “Clearly, nature calls to something very deep in us... The effects of nature 's qualities on health are not only spiritual and emotional but physical and neurological.” 

So lets be part of Nature.

What is your favorite plant or tree in your garden? We have a Forsythia bush in the back yard.  I remember our dearly loved dog Shadow sleeping under it. I also love the baby, potted oak tree beside our steps.  The leaves are humongous, like big stick out ears on a tiny toddler. It grew from an acorn that my grand daughter Shiloh planted.  We are in a quandary of what to do with it now.

 

“There is no doubt about it, being in nature is both calming and restorative.”  I  like those words.

May you bloom where you are,

Nancy & the Snark

Footnotes from Corrine

Before I look at any news I always start my morning looking at bird photographers that I follow on Instagram. Just something about seeing them reminds me of the magnificence of life. 

Favourite plants, gosh there are so many intriguing, fascinating and weird catcti in Arizona. I must say though that I LOVE saguario's. They are like sentinels of the land and so grand and beautiful.

At night I  listen to sounds of nature, and sometimes I will close my eyes and listen to the sounds of the seaside and imagine I am in Padre Island.  After an hour I feel so amazingly refreshed.