Being alone in nature

... on a birthday or any day

My birthday is coming up later this week, and I have a plan. I’m going to spend the entire day outdoors—in nature, alone. A retreat, if you will. I want to mark this milestone with an intentional dive into silence and solitude, among the trees and beneath the sky.

I can’t wait!

You’ve probably heard about those wilderness solo experiences used in therapeutic programs. A person is left alone for two or three days to fend for themselves in a remote place, outdoors. The idea comes from indigenous and native cultures. They use the solo as a ceremonial ritual called a “vision quest.” The research says it can be a profound growth experience, something unforgettable.

Photo by Elijah Potter on Unsplash

I won’t be going into the wilderness. I’m not that bold. My plan is to spend the time in our woods, along the creek that borders our land. The whole day I’ll be within hollering distance of our house. But I will be alone, and I will be silent, and I will be unplugged from technology. My hope is to connect with nature in a deeper, more meaningful way than I normally do.

No chatting. No fitness-walking. No checking my phone for the latest bad news of the world. Just me and an almond butter sandwich in a daypack. Traveling light.

Time alone in nature is a precious commodity that’s sadly rare in our developed world. A huge percentage of us spend the majority of our waking hours indoors. Some of us do venture outside, yes (even daily), but we tend to do it in the company of others—hiking with a partner or a friend, birding or boating with buddies, walking our canine companion.

Being by yourself in nature, totally by yourself, is quite a different experience. It’s pristine and simple. Breathtakingly quiet.

You’re not actually alone, of course. When you’re in the woods or next to a body of water, there are millions of living beings all around you, seen and unseen, the majestic to the microscopic.

But without other humans to converse with, bounce ideas off of, and share discoveries with, you’re left with something quite spartan—the purity of your own experience. Just that. Pure experience.

Like this solo walk on a woodland trail in the flush of spring:

I’m familiar with how silence and solitude feel, from attending meditation retreats over the last 40 years. I’m very comfortable being alone, being wordless, resting in clear awareness. It’s a lovely experience in the cloistered hush of a retreat center. But doing this practice outdoors takes it to an even deeper level. When our senses are engaged by the Eden around us, mindfulness is effortless. We glide into a state of openness that’s nothing short of joy.

My friend Rocky Nation, a college professor who teaches biology and ecology, sends his students out of the classroom and into the natural world for a solo adventure. Inevitably they come back changed, and their journal entries are moving, Rocky says. His work, and the growing body of international research about “forest bathing” shows that time spent in nature offers an abundance of physiological benefits:

• slower heart rate

• lower blood pressure

• quieter prefrontal cortex

• reduced levels of cortisol, the stress hormone

• improved alertness, focus

But that’s only the scientific/biological stuff. There’s also a host of emotional and psychological effects we can reap from being in the natural world. Mother Earth has lessons to teach us. I wrote about them here and here.

Have you ever spent a whole day alone in the natural world? What happened? How did you feel? What insights did you come away with? If you haven’t done it, are you open to the idea?

When it’s time for my birthday nature retreat, I want to step into the day with no expectations. Some of those wonderful things listed above may happen, some may not. The day will be what it will be. I have no idea what I’ll discover in those silent woods.

And that’s okay.