It doesn't have to be epic to be healing.

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. For going out… is really going in.” –John Muir

The grind. The day to day hamster wheel that never slows down and never lets any of us off...that grind. Every single one of us is seeking some sort of balance, and yet most of us are way out of balance. And every part of the imbalance is justified, because most of us are soldiering through what seems like an insurmountable amount of tasks that need to be carried out each day.

But wait... how do you take a step back, slow down, and bring the whole blurry mess back into perspective. I'm not going to preach about how to do it, because quite frankly, I really do not know. But, I am going to make a suggestion... don't save the moments for the things you think will be the "best" and the most "amazing". Make those moments every chance you can. Maybe it's not every day, but maybe it's three times a week. Even if you aren't traveling to an exotic part of the world or running in the canyons, you can still capture that same feeling, that same reset and that same sense of soul cleansing that comes from watching first light...or last light, or from a walk in the woods even when it's raining.

I started reading the Nature Fix a few months ago, and I only made it a few chapters before I put it down and moved onto something else, (I tend to start about 5 books at a time). Point is... this book, although seemingly obvious, tries to highlight the power of a reset that small doses of fresh air and nature allow our brains. It's like an untapped resource that the majority of us do not take advantage of or slow down to appreciate. I'm not sure if I'll finish the book, but I'll probably read a bit more here and there. If you think you want some science behind how going outside can benefit your health, then it may be a good resource...honestly I recommend you just go do it and take the time to pay attention to the small changes you will experience. For me it's a reduction in anxiety, I feel like I can start to think straight and work through my problems, I can focus on the environment around me instead of being distracted by phone calls, emails or text messages. Most importantly, it reminds me of the way I want to be all the time and helps me create a little better balance for myself in a very unbalanced world.