Life | Prompt

Nature Nurtures My Spirit

Fresh and green, but not with envy

Photography is one of my favorite ways to calm my mind and restore my inner balance. Whenever I struggle with something, I simply grab my camera and go out on a brisk walk. The walk cools me down, takes the edge off whatever is freaking me out, and opens my mind to all the little things around me that I enjoy so much.

My grandma would always urge me to look at greenery because it is good for the eyes — mainly because I was born with a squint (no longer have it). I am also shortsighted and have astigmatism.

As I followed her advice, I also realized nature is good for the soul. The best part is that it is easy to just step out and look around. The little things, you see, make the big things.

I am fortunate to live in a city known for its greenery (nicknamed the garden city of India) and there is no dearth of nature.

I enjoy walking around my area. Sometimes I head off to a nearby park. If nothing else, there’s always the backyard to stroll around. Even as I admire these plants, feast my eyes on them and take pictures, I also enjoy finding out more about them and can do this instantly thanks to Google Lens.

Enjoy!

I love the sight of these creepers hugging the wall.

Beautiful shades of green that only Mother Nature can create from her divine palette. Right in my backyard. I love seeing the cluster of plants jostling one another and creating a beautiful palette of colors. And if so inclined, I can always pluck the fat ajwain (carom) leaves, wash them at the tap in the corner, and munch on them. So good for digestion. Did you know that these leaves can be stir-fried into a tasty side dish? Yum!

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The nicest thing about our backyard is the way plants emerge from composting. See that bright green mango sapling? Oh yes.

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~George Washington Carver

Yes, that succulent aloe vera grows wild in our garden. Those who wish to use it, do. Those who don’t, are happy to just admire it. The leaves store water in the form of a gel which is a great moisturizer. It also soothes sunburns, and wounds and is great for the hair and skin.

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ~Kahlil Gibran

Ah, this purple heart brings joy by just existing.

I thank you, God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes. ~e.e. cummings

A little more organized, this corner is managed by one of the residents. I have heard that jade brings luck, but I know I am lucky to just watch it grow!

A sensitive plant in a garden grew, And the young winds fed it with silver dew, And it opened its fan-like leaves to the light, and closed them beneath the kisses of night. ~Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Sensitive Plant,” 1820

Happiness is seeing these resilient hanging turtle vine. They continue to flourish even if we don’t water them for a couple of days.

The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do. ~Galileo

These peperomias teach us to take care of our health. Or at least, that’s the message I take away!

Nature teaches more than she preaches. There are no sermons in stones. It is easier to get a spark out of a stone than a moral. ~John Burroughs

Sometimes we have to pause, breathe, empty our minds and allow the fresh air in. We have to make space for healing. And who better than Mother Nature to deliver these valuable life lessons to us?

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. ~Lao Tzu

And finally, I surrender myself, barefoot, to Mother Earth, trusting her to ground me. Because grounding or earthing, a simple, natural, and accessible health strategy against chronic inflammation, is a great way to recharge via our most easily available resource Source

Thank you, pockett dessert and Yana Bostongirl for the most wonderful prompt ❤

How do you restore inner balance when the winds of life knock you off your feet?

Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles 💜 Did you smile today?

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