Stress relief in the blueberry patch

I just got back from picking blueberries.  In addition to being a great food with lots of nutritional value, I found the act of picking the berries to be very relaxing!

I always feel good when I spend time outdoors, in the fresh air, the breeze and the sun.  As I picked, I found myself fondly remembering the times I picked blueberries with my mom and dad, raspberries with my Great-auntie Gertrude, and cherries with my girlfriends.  I felt connected to the earth and the sky and the bountiful orchard surrounding me.  I knew where my food was coming from, who grew it, what the soil was like and how carefully it was tended.  And all around me were the sounds of others picking blueberries, from children on their first berry-picking adventure to seasoned veterans chatting with their blueberry companions.

You, too, can take time this fall to go harvest some of your own food – in your garden, a nearby orchard or your local CSA.  And when you do, also take the time to notice – what you hear, what you smell, what you see and what you are experiencing in your body.  And don’t be surprised if you feel much like I do now – relaxed and at peace with the world just as it is.