Nature helps us to connect in ways that nurture our body and make us feel whole

Having thought about the miracle of form and function evidenced by our bodies, quadruple that sense of awe by thinking about the workings of your mind.

Understanding how our minds work is something that has fascinated human beings since time immemorial. Research continues to delve into the complexity and ingenuity of our brains and minds as they work together in synergy through every moment of our lives.

Knowing this information in its broadest terms not only gives us the opportunity to marvel at the beauty of our mental abilities and how this connects to and informs our central nervous system going to the rest of the body.

Form and Function

In terms of form and function, our brain consists of three main parts: Cerebrum (interpretation of sight, sound and touch), Cerebellum (maintenance of balance, posture, coordination and fine motor skills) and Brainstem (regulation of automatic body functions).

Our brain receives information from our seven senses: sight, smell, sound, touch, taste, emotions and intuition which I wrote about in a previous post, Connecting With Nature Through Our Senses. It interprets information received so that we can understand and associate meaning to what goes on around us. Our brains are responsible for our:

• Memories and emotions.
• Movements (motor function), balance and coordination.
• Perception of various sensations including pain.
• Automatic behaviour such as breathing, heart rate, sleep and temperature control.
• Regulation of organ function.
• Speech and language functions.
• Fight or flight response (stress response).

I have chosen two articles that take us deeper into the functionality of our mind - one of which you may not be so familiar with which I want to introduce to you today.

Sense and Sensitivity

The first is by Dr Paul Badcock of the Centre for Youth Mental Health at The University of Melbourne. His research includes theoretical psychology; active inference; youth mental health; mood and the affective disorders, and evolutionary psychology. His hypothesis of Hierarchically Mechanistic Mind (HMM) posits that the human brain is a complex adaptive system, composed of relatively specialised and domain-general structures that work in tandem to generate adaptive responses to the environment.

In brief, HMM is built upon the idea that the brain is composed of distinct components that have different functions and that exchange information in a hierarchical, integrated fashion. It states that our brains embody a hierarchy of hypotheses about the world based on evolutionary imperatives and experiential, learned observations.

Heart Intelligence

The second, and lesser known concept is Heart Intelligence which suggests our hearts too have a mind represented by the flow of awareness, understanding and intuition we experience when the mind and emotions are brought into coherent alignment with the heart. This is a concept cited in The HeartMath Solution by HeartMath founder Doc Childre and his associate Howard Martin.

This exceptional research found that the heart sends emotional and intuitive signals to our brain to help us govern our lives. It tells us that the heart directs and aligns many systems in the body so that they can function in harmony with one another. It tells us that the heart has its own independent complex nervous system known as the brain in the heart.

Nurturing our connection

Nature provides the stillness required for us to bring our minds into clarity which is necessary for us to be able to think clearly, remove unwanted thoughts and tune into our intuition where true wisdom lies. This, in turn, provides the optimum environment (within and without) for reflection, introspection, innovation and creativity.

Nature provides the means to bring our body into a state of tranquillity which is the optimum state required for healing, relaxation, rejuvenation and creative flow. It also provides the space we need for movement and exercise, the context we need to hone our connection with, and perception of, the world around us. 

Here are some ideas to help you connect with Nature in mind:

• Sit quietly outside in daylight while consciously breathing in fresh air and releasing tension on the out breath
• Go for a gentle walk, engage in each step and consciously observe and appreciate Nature along the way
• Nature is everywhere so look out for treasures to be found wherever you are, especially in towns and cities
• Find a place to sit surrounding by Nature and meditate to clear the mind of unwanted thoughts
• Spend time working with the soil using your bare hands in the garden or in your local community
• Spend time collecting wild fruits and other organic vegetables for preserving, cooking and baking
• Walk on grass or sand in bare feet to remove harmful energy and connect to the present moment

All these activities are theraputic for our mind, body and soul. In terms of our mental health, Nature provides the perfect environment to clear our mind, remove stressful thoughts and nurture us with life-giving daylight, fresh air, living microbes and other important natural ingredients that can so easily ben taken for granted.

As we navigate our way through the intensities of modern day life, do your mind the greatest favour by giving it the space it needs remove unhelpful thoughts and relax in stillness. An open and unfettered mind clears the way for natural healing to take place, and for creativity and inspiration to work its magic.

Sue Cartwright

Spiral Leaf