COLUMN: Ramblings: Finding peace

I don't know about you, but I've been feeling discombobulated lately.

Discombobulated? That was a term my father used to indicate he was "out of sorts" or "off key" or "down in the dumps." It is a perfect word to represent our emotions when life throws us out of balance. Sometimes life throws so many issues and events at us we become discombobulated. That word makes me smile today. Just a little smile. Add it to your dictionary of weird words. It comes in handy when life makes you feel just not yourself.

Here is another term you may not be familiar with – Shinrin-yoku. That is a new term for me, I wonder what language that is? It means forest-bathing. That is a term the younger generation has created for walking in the woods. It doesn't require removing your clothes, just go take a walk in the woods or any wild place.

Research confirms that being in a forest has a calming and stress-reducing effect on humans. Studies indicate that time spent in a forest decreases the stress hormone cortisol. Anxiety, depression, even fatigue is diminished by time spent with trees.

Another research study demonstrated that walking in a forest had a greater impact on cardiovascular function than walking in an urban park. Another study proved that spending time surrounded by nature puts our sympathetic nervous system in the "rest and digest" state. Evidently, sitting under a tree tells our parasympathetic nervous system, "Calm down, time to relax." None of this comes as a huge surprise to me. The amount of research being done on the subject does surprise me.

Nature has a way of calming us, restoring our vigor and improving our moods. We must make the effort to spend time surrounding ourselves with the wonder of nature. Taking a walk in the woods or along the river is excellent self-care. I think spending time getting acquainted with nature is vitally important to a child's development. They need to wade in creeks and listen to spring peepers and hear the birds sing their morning songs. We all do. The world seems dark and mean currently. Most of us worry about our children, the economy, health issues and the future of our country. The environment, even the weather, seems to be changing. The TV news anchors give us negative reports. It is easy to become discombobulated.

Owen County offers many places to enjoy the natural world. McCormick's Creek State Park, Cataract Falls, Green's Bluff Nature Preserve, Owen-Putnam State Forest and the MYPath Trail along the White River in Spencer. My favorite is the Owen-Putnam State Forest. You will find small creeks, deep ravines, lush ferns, ancient cliffs covered with soft green moss and trees so tall and thick they shut out the sunlight. At the Fish Creek Campground, there is a small lake that is an easy walk from the parking lot. Visit the Sweet Owen Convention & Visitor's Bureau on the courthouse square and pick up a booklet about places to hike in the county. Go take a hike and hug a tree. I am as soon as it stops raining. It is the best medicine for what ails me.

'til next time,
Annie