|
Young World
GOOD EARTH
Feel the comfort of nature
SUJATHA PADMANABHAN
|
Take a walk in the park, feel the cool waters of a stream or listen to the song of a bird...
|
Enjoy nature: Get bitten by the biophilia bug.
Do you feel irritable when you travel on chocked city roads? Do your senses feel bombarded by the monstrous advertising hoardings? Does your school schedule (and everything else you do after school hours!) leave you feeling anxious and stressed?
The answer to your search for some peace of mind, some comfort maybe in nature!
Let me recount an incident from the Marine National Park in the Andaman Islands. We were a group of tourists in a glass-bottomed boat headed to one of the coral reef islands. All was well and peaceful until one of our co-passengers started to complain about the service to tourists. There was no stopping her.
Then, all of a sudden the dark blue of the depths of the ocean gave way to incredible views of the coral reefs. For the next few minutes we had fleeting glimpses of different reef formations and among them were a diversity of marine creatures including large starfish, jelly fish, and small fishes of different colours.
We let out a collective gasp of wonder, and at the same moment, our angry co-traveller exclaimed, “My God! My anger has vanished!” Her expression, had transformed to a cheerful one!
Relax, rejuvenate
Increasingly, many people feel the need to live in and close to natural surrounds. Some feel the need to take time off to relax and rejuvenate in areas that are undisturbed. A concept, called “biophilia”, was popularised by Edward O. Wilson, an entomologist, who believed that human beings are biologically wired to relate to other species. He proposed and many psychologists today agree that human beings have a need to connect with nature.
The idea is that we humans do well in environments where there are other species around.
The next time you enjoy hearing the song of a bird, the feel of the cool waters of a bubbling stream, or the smell of wet earth after the first shower of rain, you won’t have to think hard to figure out why.
You’ve been bitten by the biophilia bug!
In collaboration with Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group
What you can do:
Take time off to enjoy nature firsthand. Spend time outdoors and observe all life forms closely, including those creepy crawlies. Work with the earth, use your hands to dig, sow, and water plants. If you love and enjoy nature it will serve you well…believe me!
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Young World
|
