March is here! I can finally celebrate my most cherished day of the year, the first day of spring.
This day announces life, new beginnings, beauty, and awe. All year I look forward to the morning when the first gardenia on the tree opens. It’s the greatest gift ever. It’s comforting to know that warmer and longer days are coming. I embrace this feeling of awe; it’s exhilarating. Last month, I was driving around Colorado, and everything was so stunning. Around every corner displayed the artistry of nature. I also visited the Grand Canyon. My worries and anxieties became insignificant as I stared out at the vastness and gained clarity. Scientists have studied the feeling of awe and found it has the power to inspire, heal, change our thinking, and bring people together. Albert Einstein described awe as “the source of all true art and science.” I was awestruck in Sedona looking up at the red rock formations that were ocean beds over 300 million years ago. This feeling of awe is what gets me so excited about spring. In a way, it like a long-awaited friend arriving so we can begin our adventure together.
Psychologist Dacher Keltner describes awe as “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast or beyond human scale, which transcends our current understanding of things.” Keltner heads the University of California Berkeley’s Social Interaction Lab and says that awe “can also be much more accessible– a friend is so generous you’re astounded, or you see a cool pattern of shadows and trees.” Yesterday, I was elated when I noticed the peppermint plant is now lush and green after looking lifeless all winter. And so far the highlight of today was the sighting of the first Monarch butterfly of the year.
Awe’s power to heal is quite impressive. It is the emotion that strongly predicts reduced levels of cytokines, which is great because elevated cytokines cause inflammation. The functional medicine community has been warning about inflammation now that it has been discovered as the root cause of illness and disease. Research has linked exposure to nature with lower blood pressure and stronger immune systems, and terms like ‘forest bathing’ and ‘green therapy’ are reported to relieve symptoms of depression, ADHD, and OCD. ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’ is a term used by author Richard Louv in his book “Last Child in the Woods” to describe what is happening to children who spend less time outdoors, resulting in a wide range of behavioral problems. Not only does nature help us psychologically, but also physically. It provides us with clean, unprocessed, and nutrient-dense foods that are the very foundation of who we are and what we can achieve.
Awe helps us act more generously, ethically, and fairly. In one study, subjects spent one minute looking at either a magnificent North American eucalyptus tree or a plain building. When a tester “accidently” dropped pens the awestruck ones helped pick up more than the others. Awe binds us together as we realize we are a small part of something much larger, our thinking shifts from me to we. When we are feeling awe, we experience decreased ego because our presence is in demand to be here- now. Awe dissolves the self.
We perceive a sensation of admiration and elevation next to the grandeur of the universe. We are dependent on something bigger than ourselves, a part of something colossal. If this sense of awe can bring us together, think about the possibilities. We could focus on saving our lagoon, starting a community garden, and reducing the use of single-use plastics and Styrofoam. The accomplishments we can achieve are infinite.
Upcoming events:
March 15: Monthly Chapter Meeting,
The Surfinista, 6pm.
March 16: Friday Fest, Downtown Cocoa Beach, 6-10 pm.
See local chapter events at cocoabeach.surfrider.org
The post Awestruck appeared first on The Beachside Resident Co..
