How do I get nature connection? (Part 2)

So far in this blog series we have discussed how nature connection is like other relationships that you have with family or friends and that like you, these are very individual. In our last blog we looked at the importance of understanding a person’s individual needs through the lens of Maslow’s hierarchy. It is critical that an individual feels safe, secure and comfortable in an environment before we attempt nature connection.  If someone is afraid of snakes, it’s no good just giving them a map and heading them off for a ‘healing’ bushwalk along a waterway during summer if the purpose is to build nature connection.

You may be thinking that if I want to get more connected to nature it’s easy, just head out in the bush and chill out. Well yes and no. Reconnecting to nature is a science and an art and to be most effective needs training and guidance just like you need training and guidance to learn to play the guitar, hit a golf ball, run a marathon or sing in tune. If our sensors are out of shape they need re-training and the research tells us that effective nature connection is not related to frequency or the duration of visits into nature, but it is the quality of the experience that counts most.

The messages that I draw from my experiences of observing differences in peoples’ sensory interactions with nature are firstly, that re-connecting with nature to some degree is possible for anyone. Secondly, that life can be so much richer if we can more fully interact and more fully engage our senses with our natural environment. When we experience awe, empathy, fascination, imagination, curiosity and love, life is so much more fulfilling. Thirdly it makes me wonder just how much of our life experiences are we missing out on by not being aware of all that is happening around us in the natural world at all scales from microbial to global climate patterns ….It’s like going to the movies but sitting 200m from the screen, there is little definition of sound or sight making the story impossible to engage with. Lastly it reminds me that we need to train our senses to be more receptive to the natural world.

Nature connection involves nature detection.  

The team at @itsnaturallyou have developed a very unique training course specifically designed to target and sharpen your sensors to be able to detect the sights, sounds and smells of nature. You can see your own improvement over each session while you sharpen your visual detection skills, your hearing detection skills and your sense of smell.

If you want to be that person in the group who sees the echidna motionless in the bush, hears the Lyre bird in the deep gully or smells the approaching rain, then this course is for you!

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