The Perks of Simply Pausing and Appreciating Wildness

The Perks of Simply Pausing and Appreciating Wildness


In today’s hectic and constantly moving world, it’s all too easy to get lost in the shuffle and feel overwhelmed, distraught, and helpless. Yet, for many people who feel overwhelmed with life’s incessant demands, it wouldn’t be all that hard to get out into nature, whatever that is for them and for where they live, and to “pause to smell the roses” or to do something that slows them down so they can appreciate their surrounds, whatever or regardless of “how wild” they are.

Having lived and survived in New York City and also in the foothills and mountains outside of Boulder, Colorado, and in town, I’ve come to realize that the notion of “wildness” is a moving target and that personal rewilding can entail a wide range of activities in different environs. When I lived in NYC, Central Park was a most welcome getaway and in Colorado, simply stepping outside of my different homes was more than enough to savor my surroundings. Some years ago, a woman living in a high rise in Chicago planted flowers on the roof, birds and insects were attracted to them, and slowly but surely she became the resident avian and insect expert and formed rewilding groups that met weekly to talk about their version of wildness and how good it was for them.

Many of the same messages are echoed in award-winning writer Dianne Ebertt Beeaff’s new book Infinite Paradise: Witnessing the Wild, “…a love letter to nature and a reminder of the solace it offers in a chaotic world.” (Sublime Book Review) In addition to being a wonderful read, the book also shows how simple it is to “get out into the wild” and enjoy its healing power, adventure, and tranquility.

Marc Bekoff: Why did you write Infinite Paradise and choose this title?

Dianne Ebertt Beeaff: The property Infinite Paradise describes has been in my family for nearly seventy years. As so much of our natural world has been or is being destroyed, I wanted in some small way to bring attention to what remains. Nature has a healing power for the spirit and body, so much to offer, to tell us and give us, especially in troubling times.

Some years ago, I travelled to Costa Rica for a yoga retreat. The counters in the San Jose airport had posters that said: “Infinite Paradise, Costa Rica for all Seasons.” I was already working on the cottage book at the time, and as my mother always referred to the place as Paradise, Infinite Paradise seemed the perfect title for the book. Having enjoyed the cottage for many, many years myself, I already knew that experiences there are infinite.

MB How does the book relate to your background and areas of interest?

DEB: I was raised on the land depicted in Infinite Paradise from the age of 9. It instilled in me a reverence for the earth and all its lifeforms. I found from my own experience that being in natural surroundings can restore the spirit and that realization has traveled with me through my life. I have had a life-long interest and love of the natural world in all its beauty, diversity, and healing power.

MB: Who do you hope to reach?

DEB: It is my hope that my experiences will inspire adults and young adults interested in nature, ecology, and a more mindful way of living, to look to the natural world to combat stress, heal the human spirit, and foster new and calming perspectives on life. The positive attributes of the natural world are available to anyone who stays open to the splendid lifeforms among which they live.

MB: What are some of the topics you consider and what are your major messages?

DEB: The major theme of Infinite Paradise is the healing power of the natural world on the human spirit and body. Lowering blood pressure, easing anxiety and depression, aiding healing processes, and so forth. A Zen koan says, “You should sit in nature for twenty minutes a day. Unless you’re busy. Then you should sit for an hour.” So, the main message of the book is to grab those moments and make them part of your life for spiritual and physical healing and for generating peacefulness and calmness in your life, especially in difficult times such as those we’re living in now. Even though we’ve lost a great deal of the natural world to climate change, habitat loss, acid rain and such, many riches remain.

The book addresses such progressive ideas as Japanese Forest Bathing (Shin-yoku), a concept which, among other things, addresses the fact that trees infuse the world with chemical and biological elements called phytonceides, compounds that have proven physiological effects on the human body and mind. Similarly, the Danish concept of hygge (hyoo-guh) – the charm and simplicity of a cozy atmosphere –can create a personal sanctuary especially in troubling times.

Environment Essential Reads

MB: How does your work differ from others that are concerned with some of the same general topics?

DEB: I think Infinite Paradise might be more accessible in a sense, as it focuses on simple interactions with nature that are available to everyone open to receiving them. There’s a calming, almost meditative aspect to observing nature. Infinite Paradiser recounts many such experiences.

MB: Are you hopeful that as people learn more of the importance of “getting out in the wild” they will get out more and enjoy the benefits?

DEB: In these considerably stressful times, I am hopeful that when people are looking for something to soothe their spirit, help them find some inner peace, and stay healthy both mentally and physically, they might turn to the natural world. This might also inspire not only an appreciation but a will to protect what remains.



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