One of my favorite places is the back viewing deck at the Algonquin Visitors Centre. It overlooks a winding river and endless forests – no cabins, electricity poles, roads or evidence of human intervention. It is a beautiful scene that always makes be feel peaceful inside. While at the visitors centre, my husband took the kids into the theatre for a 12 minute film on the history of Algonquin Park. I stayed on the viewing deck, enjoying a rare moment to myself (coffee in hand).
I thought back to the last couple of weeks. I had been feeling a lot of stress in my life recently, and had started to feel physical symptoms from it. My immune system crashed and I ended up sick. This is no surprise to a Naturopath! Normally I pride myself on having a really balanced life – I know when my body needs rest, exercise, good nutrition, time with a friend or when I need to be alone. But sometimes stressful situations can have such momentum that it is difficult to stop the situation once it begins. Sometimes it’s not ONE thing, but many small things happening at the same time (as was my case). I am lucky to have people in my life who step in and offer help in various ways – a pep talk, a kind email, help with the kids or a meal, or just words of support. Everyone should have these people in their life – they contribute to your health in a huge capacity even in very subtle ways.
Sometimes getting away from the daily grind is enough to help you see the light and give you a better perspective on things. For me, these 2 days away from home with my family made everything feel more tolerable. Enjoying the fresh air, hikes on the Algonquin trails, seeing the Moose along the road, visiting the logging museum and the various wildlife brought things into perspective.
It is still ‘low-season’ in Algonquin and I was able to stand on the viewing deck alone, which is rare. It was just me and the great unknown. It was grounding. In that 12 minutes I refilled my cup and re-charged my batteries. Without effort, happiness filled my cells.
Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND.
Naturopathic Doctor & Clinic Director
Vitality for Life Health Center
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Vitality for Life is an integrative health clinic in Barrie, Ontario. We offer the services of a Naturopathic Doctor, Chiropractor and massage therapists.
Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
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