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By Saskia Lucas,LMFT

“Nature is my first love,” I always say when sharing about my connection to the earth. And it’s true. I  fell in love with the outdoors as a child and the natural world continues to be my steadfast and beloved companion in this life. 

About 20 years ago, before becoming a therapist, I experienced a devastating heartbreak. I  became depressed and was deeply questioning the meaning of life. At the time, I was living in Santa Cruz, California. Early one fall morning, while in the depths of my sadness and searching, I found myself walking on the beach. I was alone with the sea, sand, newly-risen sun and shore birds. I became mesmerized watching the graceful sandpipers scurrying across the freshly  wetted sand, stopping here and there to lance their beaks fervently into the shore to feed. The  beauty and simplicity of this scene touched my heart. I found myself wondering what the  sandpipers’ purpose was, what meaning propelled them? The realization struck me: the birds  just were. They existed simply to be themselves. In that moment I realized I could also just  exist—inhabit the miraculous life I’d been given and this was reason enough. I felt tremendous  relief and peace. My heart filled with gratitude for the teaching of the birds.  
This is one of many times in my life nature has saved me. Over and over, nature has taught, guided and comforted me. More than that, the natural world is my joy, where I feel most myself  and alive. 

Today, I live in the South San Francisco Bay Area region and have relished exploring the plethora of parks we are gifted with and have truly become  intimate with the landscape. I delight in visiting parks through different seasons and witnessing  the changes in colors, smells, creatures and light. This intimate relationship with the land gives  me a deep sense of place and home. I feel rooted and belonging.  

May we all experience the wellbeing and joy nature offers, accessible anytime by opening a  window, stepping outside or touching a leaf. The earth is always there, supporting us.  

Saskia will be co-presenting at the “State of the Profession + Nature  Restore and Reset for Therapists” workshop on May 29. 

Saskia Lucas is a somatically-oriented and mindfulness-based LMFT based in  the South Bay, working with teens and adults and offers online and in-person sessions at her office in Campbell, as well as outdoor ecotherapy sessions.  
www.saskialucasmft.com.