De-Stressing with Nature - October 2011

By Carole Fawcett, Vernon, BC

I stepped out of the shower and there she was.  “Oh!” I exclaimed.  She was snuggled into the fluffy rug that is in front of my bathroom sink.  “She” was a baby mouse or a shrew. 

I looked at her and she looked at me and neither one of us moved for a moment.  I’m not sure who was more surprised.   I quickly dressed and carefully picked her up and took her outside.  I told her to run into the field at the bottom of the garden. 

Half an hour later I wondered if she had found her way.   I was amazed to see her sitting on the pathway when I went outside to look.  When she saw me, she ran toward me and climbed up on my slipper and just sat there.  I was awestruck.  It was almost like a moment out of a Disney film.  If anyone had seen me, it would have looked like I was bent over having a conversation with my left foot.  I was also thinking, “wow, nobody is going to believe this one”.

 

So, I gently picked her up again and cupping her in my hands, talking to her all the way, walked her down to the field.  As I bent down to let her go, she jumped from my hand and landed in some soft grass cuttings.  Then she scurried off into the long grass.  “Good luck” I said.  (and yes, I washed my hands when I returned to the house)

It was a decidedly weird experience, but yet very flattering at the same time. To have a tiny creature trust to that extent was huge in my mind.  It was a spiritual moment.

I live out in the country, so there are all sorts of creatures that are forced to share the space with us.  We have had deer, marmots, skunks, a yearling moose one summer, a whole variety of birds and this year, a bear. 

He looked like he was a one year old.  He started out in the tree right in front of my house (unbeknownst to me); although I did wonder if the marmots had gained a lot of weight judging by the flattened flower pattern.   Ignorance is sometimes bliss.

But when I turned the corner of the house (still unaware that there was a bear in my tree) he thundered down the tree (a noisy fellow) and I turned around to see his backside lumbering across the yard, where he proceeded to scoot up another tree, having been chased there by my friend Misty, the dog. 

He looked like a big over grown teddy bear sitting high up in the Evergreen tree. He seemed to be confused with all the attention he was getting.  Eventually, he left and returned to the safe haven of the wilderness far up the hill from the houses.  It was a special treat to see him.

Nature can be one of the best stress relievers.  It soothes the soul to hear the sounds of nature.  We don’t always need to buy these sounds on a CD, as they surround us and are free to enjoy if we take the time to notice.

By changing our focus from things that stress us, to the sounds and sights of nature, we will help to break the stress cycle in our body.  We will be giving our mind and body a priceless gift.  

Carole's Bio: Carole Fawcett is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Registered Professional Counsellor who believes that we all have the ability to self-heal the hurts of our life journey. Carole comes from a place of empowerment and gently assists her clients to find themselves through the power of their minds. Carole is a seasoned professional speaker and offers workshops on stress, laughter and life management. Carole is a member of several professional counselling and hypnotherapy organizations as well as the Professional Writers Association of Canada. 250-558-0688 - Carole Fawcett Website - Email