Fully immersed

In a recent conversation with an educator, she told me that anxiety is an invisible illness. You look fine and mostly you are able to behave within the accepted parameters of society. This educator has anxiety which she treats with medication, has a child with anxiety which she treats with psychology and works in special education where she sees anxiety exacerbate other conditions her students have. She is fully immersed in the world of anxiety.

One of the ways she gets her son out into nature is to send him fishing with his grandfather. Fishing is one of those activities that cultivates contemplation - you sit or stand with a line looking out to a body of water. You are in nature, you are cultivating patience, your mind is free to wander, to create, to reflect, to solve problems, to think.

Similarly I try to get my kids out in nature as much as possible. This photo is from a walk in the Raven Street Reserve with my daughter. We packed food, drink and art supplies. She selected a spot far off the track and we hunkered down amongst the grass trees to draw and snack. As we left walking through a soft shower of rain we felt refreshed - physically and emotionally. Nature = Calm.