Fresh Air

There has been some stress lately, so I decided I needed to get outside. This was last Friday.

As much as I love hiking with other people, a lot of the time I prefer to go alone so I can fully appreciate the woods without being distracted by conversation. So I didn’t invite anyone other than Buddy and Rigs, who are poor conversationalists at best. They prefer to smell assholes instead, right up close.

It was an unusually beautiful day, with vivid autumn colors, a gentle breeze, clear skies, and ample sun.  The layer of fallen leaves on the forest floor had grown since my last time there a week prior as the days had shortened and cooled.

As I walked through the woods, through the leaves raining down around me, there was no stress. Just sensations, the experience of walking around on the surface of our planet. I actually felt my worries dissipate, carried away by the wind and into the atmosphere to join all of the other lost and forgotten thoughts and emotions of my fellow Earth neighbors.

As our society becomes more complex and we become more technologically advanced, we tend to get farther away from our natural human state, a state in harmony with Nature. With all of the advances in modern science, we like to think we know it all. We’ve figured it out. As a result, as a whole, we’re less inclined to believe the things that mystics, shamans, and other such groups used to believe in times long past. That is, we don’t believe in magic.

It was a common practice among some American Indians to stand with their backs against a pine tree, arms outstretched, eyes closed. In this way they would absorb the tree’s life energy in order to purify and energize themselves. You should try it sometime. It works.

But it doesn’t even take such an odd gesture to purify and energize ourselves. All it takes is the smallest, most momentary dalliance with Mother Nature. After all, She quite literally gave birth to us and sustains us. To energize and purify us is nothing but a simple, thoughtless task for Her. Peanuts.

When I say “energize and purify” I speak literally. Spending time in nature gives us more energy and purifies our thoughts.

Some Indian Yogis believe a human can survive on sunlight, water, and spending at least forty-five minutes per day walking barefoot on the earth. No food. Although I do believe this is possible, for the purposes of this article and so as not to scare you away and make you think I’m a crazy fuck, I will say I do not believe this is possible.

The point of this all is to realize that Mother Nature has tremendous power that can directly benefit us physically and emotionally if we let it. I’ve felt it directly, and the more I open myself up to this power, the more I am able to receive it and benefit from it.

So after several fresh air experiences over the last several days, She has told me to relay to you the following:

In the grand scheme of things, the sources of our stress are pretty insignificant. Money. Relationships. Work. Fuck it all (She said to excuse her French). It doesn’t really matter. All that matters is we’re here right now, we’re alive, and we have this beautiful planet to enjoy. There are experiences to be had, people to meet. There’s dingtwist.com to read.

After stepping out of the forest and into the field last Friday, a songbird started chirping as I approached so I stopped to listen. He reminded me of the lyrebird with his varied and beautiful song. I took a quick video so you could hear, and I hope you can excuse the poor quality. There isn’t much to see (the bird isn’t visible – I took the video just for the sound) but you can hear the bird pretty clearly other than the occasional wind noise.

He said to me, “Hey, I see you there! Wait up a second, I have a song for you. It’ll only take a minute.” Then as he sang, he said, “Listen to the beauty of my voice. Look at the beauty around you. That’s what’s important. Everything else will turn out just fine.”

Turn the volume up and close your eyes to hear him best.

It’s amazing to me how an ordinary little bird can make such beautiful sounds. Right as I stopped recording, he finished the song he wanted me to share with you, then flew away. His work was done.

As you read this, no matter who you are, what the date is, or what the current state of the world is, you have problems in your life. It’s all part of the experience. Just remember, no matter what you’re going through, everything will turn out just fine. The little songbird said so.