The allure of summer in Northern Michigan is undeniable, with crystal lakes and rivers, bountiful food and foliage, and the Cross County Ski Headquarters trails bustling with wildlife. This vivid aliveness envelops us in a warm, inescapable embrace. We are constantly beckoned to be outdoors, to feel the breeze in our hair, our feet on the earth, and sun on our skin.
Why does it feel so good to be in nature? Because we feel like ourselves. We disarm. With each inhale, we take in the oxygen given to us by the plants. With each exhale, we give them back the carbon dioxide they need to flourish. We get to see the truth of ourselves as one with our nature, not separate from it.
In this oneness, we feel both infinitesimal and enormous. The unique instrument that is our sovereign being gets to thrum freely, and harmonizes perfectly with the giant, universal symphony of existence.
Look at any child in nature and you’ll know that this feeling is innate to humanity; they frolic in the vastness of a wild beach or under a star-filled sky, while dancing to their own unique rhythm that comes from within.
Incredibly, this is also why we ski. When we kick and glide through the forest, we embody this inner rhythm and express it into each stride, each arm swing. This rhythm emanates from us, pounds into the earth and radiates from our hips, shoulders and heads, and soon we feel flow, harmony, and an elated state of oneness.
Nature also gives us permission to evolve. Nothing in nature stays the same; it is constantly cycling through growth, abundance, decay, death, and new life.
As the days edge shorter, and the first whispers of fall winds start penetrating the summer haze, our senses begin to heighten because we know that change is afoot. And so, the page slowly turns; another ski season is on the horizon, which brings another opportunity to step more authentically into connection with nature, with ourselves, and with others, and to play the part that only we can play in this life.
