Awe and Wonder
By Lisa Kettler
My husband and I recently returned from a breathtaking few days of camping and hiking at Mount Remarkable National Park in the Southern Flinders Ranges South Australia. What a privilege to be able to visit such a stunning and ancient landscape- a place that evoked in us both a deep sense of awe and wonder. We have returned feeling refreshed, positive, more relaxed and well. It might seem predictable that we should feel this way; after all, the trip was a holiday (a privilege in itself, especially in the current economic climate). We chose activities we enjoy, and it provided time away from our usual responsibilities and routines. In honesty though, I looked at the weather forecast for our time away (cold, windy and wet) and predicted all the discomforts that may arise and things that might go wrong. I wasn’t feeling inspired about the trip. And we did indeed have quite a bit of rainy, windy weather. Nights were cold, our feet got sore, and we had a dark ( sometimes rained-on) walk to the loo in the middle of the night. There was a lot of clean-up and washing to do once we arrived home. None of these inconveniences though, dampened ( no pun intended) the overwhelmingly positive feelings we both hold about our immersive experience in nature and the genuine lift in not only our mood, but our sense of connection with each other, and our physical wellbeing.
And we are not alone. There are benefits of spending time in nature that are increasingly well researched and demonstrated: especially in the moments when we feel a sense of wonder or awe, such as we felt when standing in rugged gorges with towering walls of rich red stone decorated with delicate ferns and mosses. The benefits include improved mood, improved attention and concentration, better physical health, an increased sense of meaning, increased absorption in the moment and increased sense of connection with others. People are even inclined to volunteer more, or to help others after they’ve had a positive, awe-inspiring experience. These experiences also often evoke our sense of common humanity.
Awe and wonder in nature can also be found in much smaller, but also powerful and enriching moments. You may share with me the great joy of waking up to the rich sounds of birds greeting the day, or experiencing the unique smell of rain after it’s been dry for a while. Perhaps you find yourself captivated by the expansive views or even little peeks of the sky that we can enjoy almost any time. My phone is full of photos of clouds, sunsets, sunrises, rainbows, storms and moonlit skies. Studies show that taking a short walk in a public garden or on a beach is enough to evoke feelings of awe or wonder. Even looking at images of beautiful landscapes has a positive psychological and physiological effect on people, and improves reports of personal wellbeing.
Especially on the days when you feel low, physically unwell, jaded, caught in suffering, or overwhelmed, I do hope that you can get outside, look at the sky, listen to the sounds, or feel the air moving over your skin. It is free and only takes a moment. You never know, you just might notice a positive boost to your thoughts, your mood or your sense of physical wellness. For more meaningful change, finding planned and intentional moments for mindful connection in nature, can make a real and lasting difference. May it do so for you.
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