Caged Animals

I went to see the movie, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”.  It was a really good movie and I noticed something that we are all subject to–limited access to nature.

Whenever we enclose ourselves with limitations, it creates a bit of frustration and sometimes rage! 

No question about it, even though humans are not apes, we still need to run and jump and move our bodies out in nature. There were a couple of scenes where Caesar was let off his leash in the Redwood forest.

Caesar was a baby ape raised indoors.

The shot of his face as he looked up, without a leash on and was ready to live fully and swing in those trees–how his eyes brightened, it was magical. 

I feel similar when I’m out on my favorite trails.  We have nature all around us but most people don’t utilize it and surrender to it.  We know it’s there but we have deprived ourselves for so long that we don’t know or remember what we’re missing. When we go too long without our fix, we become pent up and filled with anger and rage and resentment and it’s no wonder we take it out on others around us. Whether we are in our cars venting about the other drivers, or out in public areas dealing with strangers, people have gotten downright nasty and uncivilized at times. My prescription is to allow ourselves back out into the wild. Nature heals all our ailments if we just trust it to work its magic. I’m watching a lizard on my porch right now.  To each stroke of the keyboard, he is reacting with his balance and body poised and ready to run away or toward. His little head is bobbing up and down and around.  As the typing continues, he relaxes into the noise knowing there is no threat.  He is in tune with his perceptions and feelings without thinking, just a natural knowing. Imagine if we could tap into that power? We have it here in front of us and most of us pass it by.  I encourage anyone reading this to get out the door,  into the day,  and enjoy your body moving through space.  Let go, breath, and celebrate life outside our domesticated domain. If you have dogs, you know how excited they get when you take them out for a walk. Excited, I mean REALLY excited–and to think–they are just going on a little walk in the developed neighborhood!  It’s good to get outside, even if it is your neighborhood street.  Do something amazing for your physiology today, go take a walk outside.  You won’t really feel what’s going on inside your body physiologically, there are a myriad of reactions taking place that would blow your mind if you knew them all.You are an amazing machine and your body thrives on activity and if it’s out in nature, you are interacting with the same phenomenal piece of creation as yourself!  Go discover a new trail or a new park, some untouched terrain that will feed your spirt with peace, joy, and freedom.