We are told that it is important to spend some time out-of-doors to make sure we get a regular dose of Vitamin D, which is essential to our health. Yes, we can take a pill, but it is not the same.
What about Vitamin N. This is the term Richard Louv uses to refer to the spiritual nourishment and well-being we receive from the (N)atural world. His latest book The Nature Principle is a follow-up to the bestselling Last Child in the Woods. In Last Child he tied attention disorders, obesity, and depression in chidlren to a lack of time outdoors. In this book he extends the discussion to adults. He reminds us that knowing where we are requires knowing where we are.
And Louv makes the spiritual connection even though this is not a theological book:
Most us intuitively understand that all spiritual life, however it is defined, begins with and is nourished by a sense of wonder. The natural world is one of our most reliable windows into wonder and, at least to some, into a spiritual intelligence.
It won't surprise you that I agree. Whether it is sitting outside on a warm morning with a coffee, or time at the lake or in the garden, the natural world is God's world and good for the soul.
Are you getting your Vitamin N these days? Other thoughts?
What about Vitamin N. This is the term Richard Louv uses to refer to the spiritual nourishment and well-being we receive from the (N)atural world. His latest book The Nature Principle is a follow-up to the bestselling Last Child in the Woods. In Last Child he tied attention disorders, obesity, and depression in chidlren to a lack of time outdoors. In this book he extends the discussion to adults. He reminds us that knowing where we are requires knowing where we are.
And Louv makes the spiritual connection even though this is not a theological book:
Most us intuitively understand that all spiritual life, however it is defined, begins with and is nourished by a sense of wonder. The natural world is one of our most reliable windows into wonder and, at least to some, into a spiritual intelligence.
It won't surprise you that I agree. Whether it is sitting outside on a warm morning with a coffee, or time at the lake or in the garden, the natural world is God's world and good for the soul.
Are you getting your Vitamin N these days? Other thoughts?
2 comments:
That's what the garden is for!
I pretty much live outside from May to September.
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