Today is World Mental Health day. This gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect on our own mental wellbeing and what we need. This reflexivity is so necessary in 2020, a year that has challenged us emotionally, socially, economically and politically. According to the British Psychological Association rates of depression have doubled under Covid. Now, more than ever, we need to support ourselves, our loved ones and our colleagues to navigate the anxiety, uncertainty and upheaval of this time.
Spending time in nature is one of the profound ways in which we can support our mental health. From the moment barefoot on the lawn, to a short walk when things get tough during the day to more deliberate unplugging from the cacophony of every day life, nature is there to support us. Time on the land, especially when combined with ritual, reflection and solitude can literally reset the body, heart and mind.
As a facilitator of Vision Fasts, I have seen people go into solo time in nature heavy of heart and depleted, and return four days later with shiny eyes and a renewed sense of purpose and resilience. Four days in the mountains, without the distractions of modern life and the burdens of role, image and the relentless pace at which we live our lives, can slow us down and support us to reconnect to our wilder, natural selves. It is crazy to think that, before we embraced farming, humans were wildlife too. We have instincts that have been honed through the evolution of humankind to be in tune with the seasons and the elements. When we re-calibrate to these natural rhythms and return to our instincts we can face our lives and the decisions we need to make from a place of wholeheartedness and possibility. Mother Earth reminds us what it means to live a life that is human and kind, to ourselves and the people around us. Interested to hear more about Vision Fasts?
Contact me on lucille@gentlespirit.co.za and visit www.gentlespirit.co.za – Our next Vision Quest in South Africa takes place from 19-29 November 2020
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