By Dr. Niki Davis
As the warmer weather is upon us, with birds chirping and spring in the air, I can’t help but feel a little lighter, a little more pep in my step, a little more excited about the days to come.
During the colder months, I do my best to get outside every day for a walk in my neighborhood. It doesn’t happen every day, and some weeks are better than others. But once the weather improves, I almost can’t keep myself from heading outside any chance I get.
Being outside – in nature – walking – feels sooo great. But why is that?
I recently came upon a Scandinavian philosophy (after all, I am half Danish…). The philosophy is called ‘free air living’ or Friuftsliv. ‘Free air living’ refers to a philosophical lifestyle based on experiences of freedom in nature and spiritual connectedness with the landscape.
Scandinavians feel that the benefit of this connectedness with the landscape is a strong sensation of higher consciousness and spiritual wholeness. The government of Finland even backs this philosophy up by recommending five hours of forest time per month to its citizens as a prescription for better health. If only we could all get in 5 hours of forest time per month!
So, for all of you out there looking to improve your overall lifestyle, consider spending more time outside – in nature – walking… a great way to improve both your mental and physical health, connect with the landscape and with nature, and if you bring a friend or loved one – even improve your social health and relationships!
See you outside!