by Jo Proia
and the vast sky. Back to the equines. Maybe you don’t
have much opportunity to witness their basking in the sun, but you may have a canine who exhibits the same behavior. Have you ever noticed how your dog finds the warmest patch of sunlight on your lawn and stretches full out? They are drinking in the warm sun, too. Or perhaps you have a feline. Ever notice how your cat will find a sunny window and lie in the sun stream- ing through? Maybe you have memories of lying in a field on a sunny summer day as a child and you remember the feeling of joy it produced. Did you breathe the air deeply, relax completely, and fall asleep, only to awake with a herd of cattle snuf- fling near you, investigating you? Oh, no, that was me as a child! I had the fortune to grow up on and near huge farms and forested areas with rolling hills, miles of woods, cattle, horses and wide open land. One time I rode my beloved pony for miles from home and after several hours, stopped exhausted to lie on the ground, dozed off and awoke later to the velvety nose of my sweet pony nuzzling me, wak- ing me, telling me, it’s time to head home. These experiences and those like it are some of the greatest gifts of the outdoors we can have. What is your fondest child- hood memory of the outdoors? Take some time and really try to recall an intimate moment you had with the outdoors and the feelings it conjures. I invite you to re- capture this feeling or if you’ve never ex- perienced it, to do so for the first time. It’s never too late. You can head for a trail or a park.
Perhaps at its beginning or its end there is a nice grassy spot for you to stretch out on. If you have seasonal allergies, you may need to put a blanket between you and the grass but if you don’t, being directly on the spongy grass is best. Close your eyes, stretch out your arms and legs, press your palms and head into the grass and ground your heels into the earth. Get comfortable and drink in the sun like the equines, the felines and the canines. Notice the slight breeze on your face, the warmth of the sun on your skin. Wiggle and sink deeper into the grass; maybe try to doze off a little. Now open your eyes (don’t look directly into the sun) and gaze at that big Carolina blue sky and be grateful for this moment. This is why parks in concrete cities are full
Natural Triad Magazine
at lunch time. People flock to the grass and sun to relax and recharge. In times past it was a romantic date to take a picnic lunch to a grassy spot and gaze into each others’ eyes as you drank in the sun and were caressed by fresh air breezes. An outdoor date is much less expensive and more impressive than the modern date of dinner and a movie which can cost you $100 or more! Take your significant other or spouse on a picnic date at a grassy spot. Have we forgotten this part of nature these days? Is nature now purely a hard beaten down trail for the sole use of exercise, fast and hard? I encourage you to remember to relish the outdoors from time to time, slow down and drink it in. Allow nature to seep into your pores and feed your body and soul. Surrender to her delights and you won’t be disappointed. Here’s hoping you will be supine like the equines soon.
Want to go? The Watershed Piedmont Trail has a nice grassy spot near the head of the trail if you start on Lake Brandt road, 1/3 mile north of the Lake Brandt Marina. It’s near the end of the trail if you start on Strawberry Road (north of the lake, just east of the intersection of Strawberry Rd. and HWY 220N). Another option is Bur- Mill Park. The park has lots of wide open grassy spaces to recline.
Trail information from: “Trails of Greens- boro” compiled by the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Trails Division. You can purchase them from any park marina of- fice, I think they are about $5.75. Great resource with details and easily under- stood maps.
Want to Read More? The Healing Sun: Sunlight and Health in the 21st Century by Richard Hobday
Jo Proia is an ACA Certified Kayak Instruc- tor and Guide with GET:OUTDOORS in Greensboro. She has a passion for inspiring women to explore the outdoors either by land or water. Jo has been voraciously exploring the outdoors since an early age and recently started a new division of GET:OUTDOORS: WOMEN ON THE WATER (GO WOW), that focuses on a supportive, encouraging learning environ- ment for women to learn beginner pad- dling (kayaking) skills, advanced skills, safety skills and she offers YOGA waterside
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before paddling to encourage flexibil- ity and enhance paddling skills and enjoyment. She also guides wom- en’s retreats and women's paddling get- aways. Please join Jo on Facebook, search, GET:OUTDOORS, WOMEN ON THE WATER and “LIKE” to keep up with the latest excursions and upcoming events. She can be reached on her GO WOW page, or by email:
wow@getoutdoors.us. See ad on page 40.
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