LOST

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.

David Wagoner (1976). More poetry.

What Science Says. What Clients Know.

Research Shows That Being In Nature . . . 
  • lowers your heart rate
  • reduces stress levels
  • releases feel-good chemicals like oxytocin​​​
Also . . . 
The results of a 2009 Japaneese study suggests that time in nature helps to prevent cancer cell generation. The same study found that breathing in antimicrobial compounds found in the essential oils of trees increases relaxation and improves stress management resulting in increased vitality and less anxiety, depression, and anger.

A Client Says . . . 

I've seen traditional counselors, but it hasn't really helped my chronic anxiety. Shelly and her mountain helped me to break the vicious anxiety cycle. Her techniques equipped me to ease these overwhelming emotions. I am very grateful for her unique approach and knowledge to improve my life. Now, when I get upset, I breathe and think of the mountain. ​SR, age 58
Counseling In Nature: How It Began and Why It's Powerful (Interview Part 1)
The Stats Are In! Grounding Heals!
​
Studies on the Benefits
​of Grounding
​
Taking the time to quiet your mind and consciously feel your feet on the ground (especially barefoot) - has proven beyond any doubt that becoming grounded has significant positive effects on our physiology and heart health.

Grounding’s many physical benefits—particularly those that lead to a healthy heart—include:
​

*(Excerpted from www.heartmdinstitute.com Dr. Stephen Sinatra, MD, Board Certified Cardiologist).
​
How To Do It
​
  • Take a moment to sit - outside in nature if possible.
  • See if you can feel your feet - the soles of your feet - on the ground or in your shoes.
  • Scan the bottoms of your feet and see how many foot parts you can feel on the ground.
  • Breathe.
  • Simply notice your breathing. You don't have to fix it or change it or "effort" at it at all.​​
​
Related Tip
Whenever you feel frantic or stressed, see if you can take a moment, wherever you are, and feel your feet. Don't try to force yourself to calm down. Don't try to change how you're feeling. Simply place your awareness on your feet. And breathe.

As an extra step, you might try placing your attention first on your sense of anxiety, wherever it is, and then on your feet. Go back and forth between noticing your anxiety and then noticing your feet. Go back and forth as many times as you need.

Approach this exercise with curiosity versus trying to make your anxiety go away.

"Research is great. But that's not why I work outside. This client's poem says it all."  

​
​Why I am thankful for the place on the creek . . .
 
​- feelings that haunt the edge of life come into thoughts and expressions . . .             finally escaping into reality
- wooden slats in a simple bridge catch tears and laughter, spilling them into the       disappearing waters of the creek
- words that have never felt safe tumble into the peace of the mountain woods
- a soul, new and unknown, offers a way to touch Grace
- time belongs to the moment, not the future
- butterflies roam and flitter, feeling safe enough to land on those gathered to talk
- spirit and grace encompass all that is said or thought or felt
- a lightweight plastic lawn chair becomes the safest place on earth
- the creek moves and trickles, steady and unaware, accepting all that it passes by
- in fear, in the pain of life, in the words that never come and the feelings beyond     touch,
​                                                                                  
there is always at the creek ....... the presence of God.​
​
​

And More Poetry!
Read selected poems from Shelly's book:
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​"A touching and deeply evocative book! Lovely tapestry of words to touch your spirit - one powerful little book! Share it with someone you love."
Copyright 2016 by Shelly M. Smith. All rights reserved.