A Sense of Place and a Scarlet Tanager: Two Reasons I Got Up at the Crack of Dawn!

Yes, it's true...today I woke up at 4:45am.  Early for me.  Early for anyone!  Why, you ask?  This morning I headed down to Plum Island, Massachussetts, for a half day of birdwatching and picnicking on the beach with some colleagues from the University of New Hampshire. 

It was wonderful to smell the salt in the air as we approached the ocean.  We quietly piled out of our cars and began to test our memories -- which olivey-yellow warbler has the white eye ring? (yep, the Nashville Warbler)  We walked down the road and through the woods for hours, looking for new birds to identify and admire, and enjoying the beautiful, warm and breezy morning outside.  Lately I have been making a renewed effort to practice mindfulness meditation throughout my days, and I thoroughly enjoyed being present and mindful of every aspect of our walk: all of the gorgeous birds (including one of my favorites seen here, the Scarlet Tanager), the way the sun warmed my hair, the way the trail felt under my feet, and walking barefoot on the beach during lunch.

I personally love the ocean, especially up North.  I have always felt soothed and grounded when I smell the salty air, watch the constant flow of waves hitting the shore, or feel the ocean breeze.  Northern coastal areas are where I truly feel a sense of place.  I was purely happy being there today, and that feeling stayed with me all day, even once I found myself back in my office at the university.  And I never got that tired feeling in the afternoon!

So why am I sharing all of this with you?  To illustrate the point that good health depends not only on the food that we put into our bodies, but also on the other things in our lives that nourish us -- our environment, hobbies, relationships, physical activity, career/education, and spirituality.  In fact, my teachers at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition have asserted that these other lifestyle factors ('Primary Foods') can be even more important to our overall health than the foods we eat ('Secondary Foods').  I will return to the topic of Primary Foods in many future blog posts.  For now, I urge you to take a moment and reflect on the ways, other than eating your veggies, that you nourish yourself.

• Where do you find a sense of place?
• How do you practice self care?
• Are your relationships serving you well?  If so, give gratitude.  If not, how can you change this?
• What is the role of physical activity in your life?
• Do you love the work that you do?  If so, give gratitude.  If not, can you find new work that you love or can you find a way to love the work that you currently do?
• What is the role of spirituality (meditation, nature, religion) in your life?

 Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.