“We need the tonic of wildness.”  D. H. Thoreau

Summer is my favorite season, always filling me with a sense of freedom, happiness and vitality. And, knowing what NY winters are like, I’m trying to make the most of it. We are very lucky that the City has to offer so many great outdoor activities and events during the summer, but remember, there are also great trips out of town to escape the scorching heat and reconnect with nature and its healing powers.

Last week my husband and I went to spend the day on the beach. Young kids were making sandcastles and someone had built this amazing sand sculpture that looked like an Egyptian mummy, almost 8 feet long.  I remembered playing as a kid with my brothers and sisters to get buried in sand up to our necks. It was great fun. It then occurred to me that this is an excellent way of getting in contact with the earth and its grounding properties!

So whether you are spending the summer in the city, the country or the seaside, here are a few suggestions to make the most of nature’s unique revitalizing and rejuvenating properties:

• GROUND yourself by walking barefoot on the beach close to or in the water, soil or grass (did you know that dewy grass has been reported to have incredible healing properties?). Feel the contact of the ground under your feet as you walk. According to the Journal of Environmental and Public Health, emerging scientific research has revealed a surprisingly positive and overlooked environmental factor on health: direct physical contact with the vast supply of electrons on the surface of the Earth. It’s called “Earthing”. Modern lifestyle separates many of us from such contact” (shoes off, New Yorkers!)

• PURIFY with seawater and its healing and cleansing properties. It detoxifies, relaxes the nervous system and the muscles, revitalizes and has amazing anti- inflammatory properties.

• ENERGIZE yourself with exposure to sunlight early in the morning or in the late afternoon/early evening. Apart from helping your vitamin D intake it will enhance mood and energy through the release of endorphins.

• And BREATHE, fill your lungs with clean and fresh air. YES PLEASE! Studies have shown that the negative ions found in salt air breeze, mountain and wood fresh air clean the lungs, can boost the immune system, and improve mood, vitality and quality of sleep.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Flor

Image credits Sebastien Gabriel and Sven Schlager via Unsplash