Experiencing the Natural World:
Restoring a Sense of Peace

Originally titled: A secret way to restoring peace

-By Christina Pax

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“Reprinted with permission of The Frederick News-Post and Randall Family, LLC as published on March 11, 2006.”

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Christina Pax is a landscape designer who lives in Emmitsburg. She serves as a member of the steering committee for the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council. She also volunteers as a naturalist-docent at Adkins Arboretum in Ridgely, and as a master gardener in Frederick County.

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Every once in a while, I need a little help. And for me, that help is often outdoors.

In life, things seem to have a general tendency to gradually get pulled off center. I know, I know, if we want peace in the world the way to do it is to begin with our own lives, but try actually practicing that when there's a lot of pressure from real world concerns.

There is plenty in the world that is difficult, and from which I would rather turn away. Angry neighbors, impatient drivers, the pressure of bills to pay, work to be done, and the uncertain health of loved ones. And that's before I've opened the newspaper to learn "what's going on in the world." It's so easy to lose perspective, and then to begin to create anything but peace in my life.

Even meditation or prayer, whatever the name for your personal practice might be, can be difficult to get to at times. It can feel like being required to pull myself up by my own bootstraps, just to get settled down enough to commune with the Source.

I'm not sure why, but I think for me gardens are a kind of secret, backdoor way for that Higher Power to reconnect with me. By "garden" I mean loosely all kinds of outdoor spaces that have been made friendly for humans without obliterating all of nature.

"Friendly for humans" might mean a simple, stepping-stone path through a park, or a hiking trail through the woods. Just some sort of way to interact with the place. A bench to sit on, or a rocky precipice with a view. Even a river with some current will apparently work. Although I have yet to try it, a friend of mine swears by the power of a paddle in his kayak for restoring vitality and a sense of what's really important in life.

Places actually do matter. It's as though our heart listens to its surroundings, picking up cues and responding by opening up or closing down, depending on what it finds out there. I think we all sense this ‹ it's what has us build beautiful, awe-inspiring places of worship. We hope these spaces will help support the heart in opening up again and remembering what really matters. Somehow we sense that beauty opens the heart, and that an open heart is closer to the Source, and to the peace that it offers.

It's not necessary to travel far to find beautiful outdoor places: a leisurely walk in Baker Park, a visit to ThorpeWood's Native Plant Gardens, or a brisk hike in Catoctin Park are all available without leaving Frederick County. Gambrill State Park also has some inspiring vistas and often a refreshing breeze.

Visiting these places with the right frame of mind can open the door, inviting our Source to come in, tap us on the shoulder, and provide us with that missing insight that we've been needing.

Urban planners are well aware that adding well-designed parks can enhance the peace and stability of a community. I felt the benefit of this wisdom a few days ago walking through Frederick's beloved Baker Park. A beautiful, expansive feeling. A welcoming of whatever the day might bring. And perhaps most importantly, the natural desire to smile and make eye contact with other park-goers.

Peace summits involving international leaders often occur in retreat settings that are surrounded by nature. That's probably not by accident. And here's another point: in many religions, key revelations occur in dramatic, natural settings. Moses on the mountaintop, and the Buddha under the bodhisattva tree, to name just a few examples.

Gardens, public parks, and especially wilder places where nature roams more freely all help us remember that greater majesty of which we are an essential part. That's why I love gardens, and why I feel that when I'm in one, I breathe more freely. I am no longer a human being in a human-constructed world. I am a human being who is a small, but integral, part of the enormous world of nature. A natural world that inspires awe and wonder.

Filled with this awe and wonder, it's a much easier thing to forgive a small injustice, or to realize where an apology may be warranted. Creative thoughts occur spontaneously. The energy to mend a broken relationship, or to help where help is needed, can seem much closer at hand. Once perspective has been restored, many healing events can occur.

My path to peace is prayer. But when I need a boost, when it's just not happening, that's when I go out to receive the generosity offered by a beautiful garden. Surely this is a significant, if at times overlooked, path to peace.