Nature's Soul

When my sister and I were kids we spent hours outside; we had snow forts in the winter, tree forts in the summer and had nicknames for all of the places we would choose to play in; "the big rock, the little pond, the big pond, the tracks." There was no limit to time when we were fully immersed in the games we were playing and we came home with a freshness to our cheeks and grass stains on our jeans (or massive snow balls on our mitts and hats!) There is something about being outside that just feels good and it is the best known remedy for clearing our head. How many times has "fresh air" been the perfect solution after having been cooped up inside with the flu (same advice goes for a hangover); or sending the kids outside to burn off some energy? I often talk about the remnants of a "survival brain" from our days of living on the plains but what about our soul? Could it be possible that it is also distantly connected to those days when we lived off the land; respectful of it's harsh conditions but also appreciative of it's reverent beauty? I like to think that perhaps the reason we feel so at peace when in nature is about being inherently bonded to a part of ourselves perhaps long disappeared but not forgotten; a little bit of us, that when outside, feels at home :) Photo credit: http://Photo by Michal Janek on Unsplash