The Great Outdoors

The Great Outdoors by Dr. Julie Zepp Rutledge ND

With each phase of Re-Open Saskatchewan, we are offered the opportunity to slowly re-integrate ourselves back into the world outside of our homes and computer screens, a welcome relief for the majority of us.  Yesterday morning my eight-year old son woke up, exclaiming “yay! It’s Friday! I’ve been waiting for this day.  The playgrounds open today!!”

We have absolutely been cooped up for long enough, kids and adults alike.  I know for myself my own mental health has been affected by these pandemic times: like a leaf blowing in the wind sometimes up, sometimes down and often spinning somewhere in between.  For me getting outside and into nature has been a tremendously medicinal part of my last several months and I believe it is what has kept me resilient enough to weather the inner and outer turmoil that have been very much real in my life since mid-March.

If any of you are feeling any trepidation about what this means to be accessing playgrounds, beaches, golf courses, tennis clubs or any other outdoor venue that may be open to us at this time, rest assured of the safety of these environments.  Even if there are up to 30 people gathered!  A researcher recently put together this fantastic article about the transmission of COVID-19.  

It outlines those places where one is more likely to acquire the virus, and those that are safest.  As you will read being outdoors in the sun and wind there is next to zero transmission.  Perhaps this will bring you comfort as you venture out again, and perhaps it will even bring with you a new appreciation for these very windy days here in Saskatchewan of late!  Maybe Mother Earth is just trying to help us out and encourage us out!

Speaking of Mother Earth’s assistance, there is a documentary that I watched several years ago that has been brought back to my attention of late.  It is called The Earthing Movie and it is amazing.  It is an award-winning film that communicates the scientific validity in the power that literal “grounding” has on our bodies.  I highly recommend you take the time to watch it.  And then take off your shoes and go spend some time walking on the earth.  That wisdom you had as a child, the reason you feel so good when you have spent time with your hands in the soil, walking in nature, letting the sun kiss your skin?  All of the healing benefits are documented in this movie for you to enjoy and be inspired by.

So get outside, enjoy yourself and revel in the healing power of nature!