Nature & Mental Health

An Ode to Mother Nature

/ Audry Van Houweling / Leave a comment

Today is the eve of Earth Day. I am sitting at my office peering at the backdrop of the Cascade mountains. The range of the Three Sisters is peeking through the trees surrounded by soft blankets of blushed pink and wisps of orange cream sunsetting on their peaks.  

I have a lot of charting to do, but tonight feels ripe for a little procrastination. I would rather stare at the mountains. I find myself pondering at how our natural world, with its beauty, renewal, and resilience continually provides an endurable response to the ugliness and suffering our world encounters.  

I am lucky to have a lot of passion for my day job and simultaneously, also have whims to live out an echo of Thoreau or Muir, find a cabin in the wilderness, dwell in philosophy and conservation, and write poetry. Last time I checked this doesn’t quite pay the bills. 

Regardless, my well of gratitude for the gifts & lessons of Mother Earth runs deep. I have come to believe that wholeness and healing can only be accomplished as we consciously acknowledge our own footprint and that we do not see ourselves apart from nature, but of it

Stewardship

The connections between how we care for ourselves and how we care for our surrounding environment are rich. Stewardship of our natural world is also integral to our emotional stewardship. As we embark on a path of healing, it takes a dose of humility as we recognize the obstacles of our ego. We honor the natural world most when we abandon ego and take ownership for what we both take and give to the greater ecosystem. 

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” -John Muir

Letting Go

Nature has a unique way of teaching us the necessity of letting go. As summer retreats, followed by falling amber and burgundy from the trees, we are met with the slowdown of winter. Mother Earth gets its beauty sleep as it prepares for the renewal of spring. We are reminded that similarly, our own growth and evolution is not often possible without the shedding of aging attitudes and beliefs unlikely to serve us. It is life’s impermanence that allows for transformation.  

“Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is is patience.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Chasing Awe

In a world rich with vicarious and personal traumas reinforced by real-time access to tragedy and suffering on our social media feeds and news outlets, many of us have developed a protective response of disconnect and detachment. This response can minimize palpable feelings of fear and despair, but it can also minimize joy, passion, and excitement. We go through the motions, but life can feel like it’s lost its allure. 

Nature has a unique way of resuscitating our emotional heartbeat by providing moments of sheer awe that restore our curiosity and drive for continued discovery. I think of when I first stood at the foot of Mt Rainier, or when I have sat still breathing in sage blossoms surrounded by wild mustangs, or when I first set sight on a giraffe in Africa and proceeded to break a few rules jumping off the tour bus running after it. I just wanted to get closer…the bus driver and fellow passengers were not amused. 

“He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.” -Albert Einstein

Embracing Discomfort

Emotional wellness is not about being comfortable. Modern day conveniences allow some of us to afford near consistent environmental comforts with minimal effort. Thermostats, running water, food that never runs out, plumbing, and a warm place to sleep are not to be taken for granted. And yet, if we are always comfortable, we minimize opportunity for growth and self-trust. Stress is inevitable and nature allows us boundless opportunities to widen our window of tolerance and resilience. After all, it was not so long ago that we didn’t have a choice. In our culture of accommodation, we must be careful not to discount the value of productive discomfort. 

“I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.”- Anne Frank

So, as they say, watch more sunsets and less Netflix. Take a walk in the woods. Find a view. Plant a tree. Forage. Wander. Find moments to be still and remember your roots. Happy Earth Day! 

With gratitude,

Audry Van Houweling, Owner & Founder, She Soars Psychiatry, LLC

Sisters & Silverton, Oregon

www.shesoarspsych.com

Lady, Get LOST- A case for solo adventuring

/ Audry Van Houweling / Leave a comment

As I write this, I am sitting solo at my camp deep in the heart of the Steens Wilderness. One eye on my journal and the other on my campfire grappling to sustain itself after a day of unexpected pre-Solstice snow and wrathful rounds of high winds and hail. Generally clear this time of year, this time the skies are angry. The sun is finally making its debut out from the West lighting up the sharp cliffsides of the Little Blitzen River. I can hear the booms of the nighthawks above me. After a day of chasing the sun to the Alvord desert and tracking down wild mustangs in sage and blankets of desert flowers, it is dinner time. The peekaboo evening sun makes a fire seem hopeful. The can of chili that had previously been sitting in my kitchen pantry for at least eighteen months is the winner tonight. 

The Steens Wilderness is an annual escape for me frequently followed by a trip to the Blue or Wallowa mountains. This year’s solo adventure will culminate with trips to the Wenaha Tuccannon wilderness and the slopes above the Grand Ronde River. I have a strong desire to find an elusive Oregonian moose. 

I affectionately have termed these solo ventures my “vision quests” and yes, I am aware of the cultural misappropriation. I travel solo by choice. An annual commitment to adventure (some misadventures), solitude, and challenging my comforts has proven to be a dependable opportunity for respite, reflection, and growth. It is a small attempt at putting aside the modern comforts and sure-fire dopamine machines that make resilience and distress tolerance harder to come by. Although, I really do miss my lattes… 

It is not lost on me that it is still probably the exception that a 30-something year old woman goes adventuring solo in the wilderness. On the rare occasion I have an encounter with another solo female traveler, my excitement is met with validation. Inevitably there are those who question my judgment, or tiptoe on 21st century political correctness expressing “cautious support”, or look at me as if I am carrying some torch for equality. From where I am sitting, I am just a person who dreams of wild places where my wanderlust is no match for the “what if’s”. Don’t worry, it is not blind faith. I do my homework, I prep, I pack a little punch, and a little 38 special on my hip.  

Women (and certainly some men) deserve to grant themselves the permission to on occasion, “get lost”- to seek solitude. As women, we are still too frequently socialized to base so many of our decisions on popular opinion or on the needs of others. If this is not interrupted every once in a while, we can lose our inner compass in the process. The space that is opened when we are the sole owners of our decisions and have only to respond to the moods of the skies and the terrain at our feet, can be very healing. It can also feel scary sometimes to sit only with the companion of silence, to act without reassurance, or to endeavor without approval. That said, it is both uncomfortable and necessary to open spaces for our inner voices to be heard and acknowledged. This is where growth begins, self-trust blooms, and change starts. 

Detachment, escapism, and apathy are pervasive problems in our society. It is too easy to become disconnected from our inner voice and become preoccupied by distraction and the many ways available to avoid discomfort. Nature is and has been a loyal antidote to detachment. It forces present awareness as we are in tune with how our body interacts with our surroundings- where we step, how we eat, how we stay safe, and how we adjust to the rhythm of the sun and the moon. As women, we too frequently detach from our bodies often in response to trauma or societal pressures. We may view our body as an enemy or something that needs to be “managed”. Nature has a way of inviting us back to a place of connection and awareness as our bodies integrate and interconnect with a greater ecosystem. It is a natural homecoming of sorts allowing for an allyship with our bodies made historically difficult. 

So, cheers to getting a little lost- and cheers to your solo adventure whether a short walk in the woods or a multi-day trek.  We are social beings at heart- let’s not forget that, but a continued commitment to deepening our sense of awareness and resilience sharpens our inner wisdom and only makes us better for the people and places we love. As John Muir wisely stated, “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” Happy trails! 

Thanks for listening, everyone.

With gratitude,

Audry Van Houweling, Owner & Founder She Soars Psychiatry, LLC

http://www.shesoarpsych.com

Sisters & Silverton, Oregon