There are many poignant reasons why we love Nature but how often do we really think about what it means to us? There are so many benefits it's easy to take for granted how much we rely on Nature to live a balanced and happy life. We all have different reasons to love Nature and consciously thinking about it can enhance our connection and bring us even closer to the natural world.

Here are just a few benefits of being closer to Nature that may resonate with you.

• Leaving our comfort zone to go for a walk or to explore the great outdoors
• Feeling alive in the moment free from the tensions of the modern world
• Finding ourselves and losing ourselves at the same time
• Feeling more grounded, especially with our bare feet on the Earth
• Experiencing a deep connection with Mother Earth
• Making life more magical, meaningful and beautiful
• Sustaining our spiritual, emotional, physical and mental wellbeing
• Bringing peace of mind and balance to our lives
• Bringing about a sense of wonderment and awe
• Providing the space we need for quiet reflection
• Slowing us down to come into harmony with our natural rhythm
• Focusing the mind to allow for creative ideas and inspiration
• Calming and soothing our inner soul and whole being
• Reminding us of our morality and encouraging us to do the right thing
• Taking a step back to help us overcome challenges
• Increasing our strength through exercise, learning and growth
• Healing our bodies with natural remedies and practices

Honing in on Why Nature is so important to us helps us to appreciate the miracle of life around us. Knowing we are an integral part of Nature and how much we are sustained, inspired, healed and harmonised by the presence of Nature, increases our appreciation and gratitude which in itself is tremendously beneficial to us.

Nature never ceases to amaze us and tends to make us feel safe in an otherwise cold, mechanical and often soulless material world. It provides us with a welcome (and necessary) escape from the trials and tribulations of daily life. Our connection with Nature comes in many forms:

• a love for house plants or treasured pets
• tending a garden or a window box of herbs
• growing vegetables in an allotment and collecting seeds
• walking in a lane or hiking on the moor
• watching the ocean waves and swimming in the sea
• listening to a river flowing or the rain pouring down
• sitting outside to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine
• studying or reading about Nature or watching videos about the natural world
• creating words, poems, pictures, photographs and stories about Nature
• working with others in the community to restore and protect living things

All these things bring us closer to Nature and if any of these things were taken away from us, they would be sorely missed. The truth about our inalienable rights as human beings to enjoy clean air, pure water, a piece of land we can call our own, healthy soil and organic, nutritious food, is something that is often hidden from us or denied in some way. This means we have to do our own work in finding out what is best for us, what makes life meaningful to us and what we need to be as healthy as we can be.

We must all take the time to do this work and seek out the things in life that are truly beneficial to us. Only then can we become a voice for Nature and ambassadors for the natural world on which we so depend.

Sue Cartwright

Spiral Leaf