Sitting down to write something today and the most prevalent thought on my mind is just how amazing it feels to be connected to the earth.  And it’s something that seems to get more and more lost with each generation and each passing year.  More natural areas are removed every year to make room for concrete.  More time is spent inside looking at a screen and less time is spent outside looking at plants and clouds.  And more of our thoughts are devoted to thinking about those screens and the escape they provide rather than contemplating the reality and beauty of the natural world around us.

This desire to connect with nature is an enormous part of why I enjoy working with wood.  That and the very human, instinctual, God-given yearning to create are pretty much the entire reason why I build with wood.  And having a handmade piece of wood furniture or a wooden object in your home that you interact with is a marvelous way of maintaining this connection.  Items like this are a reminder that we exist as part of the natural world around us – regardless of how much we try to change it or ignore it. 

And interacting with these naturally crafted items is a beautiful, sensory experience – that is enhanced even further if you take the time to fully appreciate it.  Let’s consider a small, wooden side table.  You see the colors of the wood.  You see the texture.  Maybe the way the wood looks entices you to run your hand across it to further experience the grain and texture and weight of the wood.  You set your mug or glass on top of it and notice the sound it makes.  Perhaps the sound is deadened and dull, or perhaps it provides a good amount of resonance.  The sound then further tells you how thick, dense, or heavy that particular piece is.  And there’s just something more…connected feeling when you put your glass down on a well-made wooden table rather than one made from particle board, glass, or metal.  Small moments like this bring us closer to the magnificent nature that exists all around us.

I joke with my wife Kori about how I can tell how good my past week was based on what is in my laundry after I get them out of the dryer.  If there’s a lot of my tattered, torn, and stained outdoor work shirts – it was a good week.  If there is a lacking amount of these outdoor work clothes – it was a week that could have used more connection.  And I don’t know about you, but I have this itch that forms when I need to go get in some dirt or sawdust.  I can only go so long before my body and spirit begin to just get uncomfortable with the indoors and the drywall and the concrete and the electronics.  I have an innate need to go dig a hole, cut into a piece of wood, breathe some fresh air, or even just pull a few weeds.  And I recognize that this feeling is actually a desire to be and remain connected.

The Japanese have a term called Shinrin-yoku, which essentially means forest bathing.  It is the practice of spending time in nature with the intent to focus on and connect with the natural environment.  There are quite a few benefits for your physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being.  I’m not going to go into a lot of detail here, but I encourage you to do a quick read about it more on the internet.  I mostly just wanted to point out that there are many benefits to maintaining this connection with the earth.  And I can say that from a personal standpoint, it always does me so much good to work outside, camp outside, walk through the yard barefoot, build things with wood, etc.  There is a very noticeable benefit to my body, mind, and spirit.

What’s the point of me saying all this?  I suppose I just want you to think about your own relationship with nature.  Have you experienced the value of spending time outside before?  Has it been a while since you last connected with nature?  When was the last time you went outside?  Do you think it would be helpful for you to connect with nature a little bit more? 

Maybe you could carve out just a small amount of time to connect with nature to ground yourself and improve your overall well-being.  And you don’t have to go plan some elaborate hiking trip through the mountains.  Maybe start smaller.  Maybe just step outside for five minutes and watch some clouds float by and some trees sway in the breeze.  Maybe just notice the wooden spoon in your hands and ponder it for a couple of seconds and appreciate the dirt, sunlight, and water that went into the tree which now resides in your hands as a spoon.  Maybe slow it down the next time you set your glass down on a wooden table and notice the color, texture, and heaviness of the wood.

Maybe nature is a part of the human experience that we intrinsically need but are currently lacking.