The Healing Power of Nature

Every season brings with it something so naturally therapeutic and healing; the shedding and letting go in Autumn, the time for rest and hibernation in Winter, the rebirth and newness of Spring and the warmth and expansion of growth in Summer.  It seems even more so this year, an abundance of wildflowers in the fields and on the roadside; fields full of buttercups and verges full of nettles, cow parsley and forget-me-nots.  Or it may just be that each year, it never ceases to amaze me how beautiful nature is, as if seeing it with fresh eyes for the first time.  If I am feeling slightly off, maybe a bit frazzled or low, just getting out into the fields or woods and listening to the birds or the sound of a babbling stream instantly lifts me and I can feel the natural healing taking place, nourishing every part of me. The best part is it’s all completely free, no need to take anything externally to bring about that feeling.  Just purely natural and wholesome.  The plants and fauna equally provide medicinal benefits; wild garlic to use in cooking, nettles for making nettle tea, elderflower to make a nutritious syrup and dandelions can be used in salads, soups and to make tea. There are so many other plants I am keen to find out about and keep alive that connection to nature; our greatest healer and physician.
I often wonder how early man knew what plants were safe to eat and to cure ailments? There would have been no books to learn these things from; was it trial and error or natural instinct like the animals and birds seem to instinctively know? Whatever it was, natural medicine and foods were the means to survival for thousands of years until man found a way to make profit on such things and led to us all becoming so dependent on them.
I will continue to explore and grow my interest and increase my knowledge of ancient medicine and holistic remedies; keeping that connection to nature alive, which I feel is needed now more than ever in an ever increasing, ever changing world of artificial intelligence and technology.