--- title: "Making Nature Matter: How Inspiration is Instructive – Dr. Rowena Briones Winkler" description: “Creativity inspires authenticity. The greatest artist is in the moment, and simply allows.” ~ Adriene Mishler, Yoga with Adriene  I wake up and walk outside to look over the beautiful horizon, and immediately am moved to write. Poetry that would normally take hours or even days to write back home is now pouring out of… image: https://www.rowenawinkler.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/41732493_10101664747883939_1203988730180796416_o-e1539866899180-Oct-28-2020-02-48-59-76-PM.jpg --- [![Rowena Winkler logo](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/hs-fs/hubfs/New-Project-4.png?width=937&height=618&name=New-Project-4.png "Rowena Winkler logo")](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/) Open main menu Close main menu - [Home](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/) - About Open the submenu - [Meet Rowena](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/about-rowena) - [Press](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/press) - [Partnerships](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/partnerships) - [Merch](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/merch) - Services Open the submenu - [Career Coaching](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/career-coaching) - [Astrology](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/astrology) - [Coaching Bundles](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/coaching-bundles) - Community Open the submenu - [Masterclasses](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/masterclasses) - [Free Resources](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/resources) - [Blog](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/blog) Open the submenu - [Letters from My Postpartum Psychosis](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/letters-from-my-postpartum-psychosis) # Making Nature Matter: How Inspiration is Instructive [Dr. Rowena Briones Winkler](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/blog/author/dr-rowena-briones-winkler) ![IMG_6707](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/img_6707-Oct-28-2020-02-48-59-38-PM.jpg) #### *“Creativity inspires authenticity. The greatest artist is in the moment, and simply allows.” ~ Adriene Mishler, [Yoga with Adriene](https://yogawithadriene.com/) * I wake up and walk outside to look over the beautiful horizon, and immediately am moved to write. Poetry that would normally take hours or even days to write back home is now pouring out of my pen and into my journal as if someone is whispering the lines into my ear. *I rise with the expanse that rises alongside me Marveling at its beauty While marveling at how little I stop to take in its beauty in the first place Life is funny like that You rush through it without realizing what is even there What you may have lost* *What is still open for you to gain* ![41732493_10101664747883939_1203988730180796416_o](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/41732493_10101664747883939_1203988730180796416_o-e1539866899180-2.jpg?width=362&height=482&name=41732493_10101664747883939_1203988730180796416_o-e1539866899180-2.jpg)The lack of hustle and bustle can do wonders for clearing your brain and sparking innovation. There’s even scientific research claiming that [spending time in nature can indeed inspire creativity](https://medium.com/thrive-global/nature-inspires-creativity-66254fe3d537). It certainly did for me. It’s overall good for your health too. [Studies have shown](https://www.businessinsider.com/why-spending-more-time-outside-is-healthy-2017-7#spending-time-outside-reduces-inflammation-3) that being in nature can improve memory, increase focus, reduce anxiety and depression, and act as an overall de-stressing agent. When I was at Knoll Farm for the [Labor Day Namaste Getaway](https://www.facebook.com/labordaynamastegetaway/) yoga retreat, I’ve never felt so relaxed. I used the words “marvel” and “wonder” more times than I could count; the scenery is just breathtakingly beautiful. Additionally, the farm would surprise us with little poetic treasures that seemed to spring up throughout the trip. In one example, I found a Robert Frost anthology on a bookshelf and read poems that inspired my own takes of his work. Here’s an example: ![RF and RBW](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/rf-and-rbw-4.jpg) Another gem from the farm was when a bee flew onto my backpack…to drop off a dead fly. [In the spirit of my last post](https://rowenawinkler.com/2018/09/15/what-happens-when-beetles-teach-you-life-lessons/), where else would I have even noticed such a fascinating (and kind of morbid) gift? One final example of the many serendipitous moments that happened while on the farm. Erica, one of our trip leaders, opened up a random book right before our morning practice and used it to lead us in meditation. I think it was perfect: > *Anything that goes up into the sky will fall down again to the earth, pulled by the force of gravity. These energies of illusion, these decorations and worldly beauties can never reach great heights, but they still do attract you. This is the way these saktis, or energies and elemental miracles, work.* > > ~M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen’s [Come to the Secret Garden: Sufi Tales of Wisdom, p. 125](https://books.google.com/books?id=sZx52PVBAsQC&pg=PA125&lpg=PA125&dq=%E2%80%9CAnything+that+goes+up+into+the+sky+will+fall+down+again+to+the+earth,+pulled+by+the+force+of+gravity.+These+energies+of+illusion,+these+decorations+and+worldly+beauties+can+never+reach+great+heights,+but+they+still+do+attract+you.+This+is+the+way+these+saktis,+or+energies+and+elemental+miracles,+work.%E2%80%9D&source=bl&ots=k9PZ_lIkc6&sig=3sGyQMN9VwZKqc09aMXLPBZVq6E&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwic5-uP-KbdAhVMxVkKHQRSAJUQ6AEwAHoECAAQAQ#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%9CAnything%20that%20goes%20up%20into%20the%20sky%20will%20fall%20down%20again%20to%20the%20earth%2C%20pulled%20by%20the%20force%20of%20gravity.%20These%20energies%20of%20illusion%2C%20these%20decorations%20and%20worldly%20beauties%20can%20never%20reach%20great%20heights%2C%20but%20they%20still%20do%20attract%20you.%20This%20is%20the%20way%20these%20saktis%2C%20or%20energies%20and%20elemental%20miracles%2C%20work.%E2%80%9D&f=false) Elemental miracles indeed. Funny how these “worldly beauties” are never treated as such. I’d like to flip the script to do more mindfully appreciate them, *how about you*? ##### **THIS POST IS THE SECOND OF A SERIES BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE AT THE [LABOR DAY NAMASTE GETAWAY 2018](https://www.facebook.com/labordaynamastegetaway/). FEEL FREE TO SHOW SOME LOVE BY SUBSCRIBING FOR UPCOMING POSTS AT THE SIDEBAR TO YOUR RIGHT.  ** ### Leave a Comment ## Related Articles [![](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/img_8569-1.jpg)](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/blog/2019/05/13/striving-for-motherhood-a-struggle-revealed) [fertility issues](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/blog/tag/fertility-issues) [infertility](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/blog/tag/infertility) [fertility clinic](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/blog/tag/fertility-clinic) ### [Striving for Motherhood: A Struggle Revealed](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/blog/2019/05/13/striving-for-motherhood-a-struggle-revealed) *In April, I participated in [CampNaNoWriMo](https://campnanowrimo.org/)* *to work toward writing one of my (many) book ideas: a memoir. 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Last year [I shared this post](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/2020/04/23/striving-for-motherhood-part-ii-an-inside-look-at-ivf) and was completely transparent about my... [Dr. Rowena Briones Winkler](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/blog/author/dr-rowena-briones-winkler) [Read More](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/blog/striving-for-motherhood-part-iii-pregnancy-stories) #### About - [Press](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/press) - [Theater Portfolio](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/theater-portfolio) - [Resources](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/resources) #### Services - [Coaching](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/career-coaching) - [Academia](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/academia) - [Astrology](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/astrology) #### Blog - [Postpartum Psychosis](https://www.rowenawinkler.com/letters-from-my-postpartum-psychosis) - [Leaving Academia](https://blog.rowenawinkler.com/blog/2019/06/15/a-confession-letter-to-the-academy) - [Infertility](https://blog.rowenawinkler.com/blog/2019/05/13/striving-for-motherhood-a-struggle-revealed) ### Sign Up for Updates