Recently, in my language class, we began studying transcendentalism. Transcendentalism revolves around spiritual experiences, nature and self-reliance. It broke from modes of traditional thought and religious institutions during its time.

To get more of an idea of transcendentalism, our teacher assigned us to 15-30 minutes of our time to be spent in nature. She told us to write our observations and any thoughts that came to us down.

I had the intention of just going out in my backyard and scribbling some descriptions down in around 10 minutes, just to get it done.

To my disbelief, though, I found my mind wandering all on its own and completely losing track of time. I became hyper aware of my surroundings: the chirping of birds, the whisper of the wind and the beautiful blooming flowers.  

As I continued to write, I realized I had begun reflecting on past experiences and feelings.

You see, the calmness I felt when I was writing was nothing compared to the way I felt when I put my pen down.

My mind was completely blank in almost a sort of meditative state.

And that’s the beauty of spending time in nature.

We get so busy and caught up in our day to day lives that we forget to appreciate all of the little things around us. Nature is a wonder in itself and shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Go outside. Clear your head. Take a deep breath.

Spending time outdoors free from distractions may seem boring to some at first, but it is completely worth it.

Taking breaks is OK. Especially when one gets the chance to see all of the beauty in creation.

So, try to slow down. Stop and smell the roses.

You’d be pleasantly surprised how much your mind, body and soul needed it.