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Your Outside MindsetAuthor: Verla Fortier
Join retired nursing professor Verla Fortier as she shows you that going outside is not just a fun thing to do -- it can save your life. Verla shines the light on aging adults who may have chronic disease as she talks to green space scientists, forest bathing leaders, natural navigators, and all things in-between to get practical tips on how you can get the most out of your time spent close to trees, grass, and shrubs. If you want to live longer, prevent dementia, and control your chronic illness - you will love being a part of this conversation. Language: en-us Genres: Health & Fitness, Medicine, Mental Health Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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If You Could See What I See Baby Brooks
Sunday, 12 October, 2025
Dear Baby Brooks, As you will come to know, you and your parents love to be outside. Although you live in the big city of London, you have beautiful life spent outside. I am your Nana and I came to spend over a month in your house when you were just 2, and then 3 months old. If You Could See What I See I see you outside in your back yard or in a nearby park at least 5 times a day. I see how you are spending your time falling in love with the people and your world around you. Brooks, with a name of tree and water spirits, you are safe in a world of love. Your mom and dad share you easily with family and close friends. They seem to know that the more love we give to you, the more love there is to go around. And I am beginning to realize that being brave might be the same with them too. You are a Dream SleeperYou are a dream sleeper. If you could see how this saves us and restores us every night. Although you are just 3 months old you have slept all through the night in your own room. Your mom (my lovely daughter in law) sleeps since she gave you your “dream feed” at 11 pm to help you to sleep through the night. Your dad (my son) comes into your bedroom at 0700 am. You greet him with smiles that create rapture while you move your legs and arms with the excitement of new daylight, love, and attention. As soon as you get on to the diaper change table – which we now call your massage table – you smile as he tells you how beautiful and amazing you are. He massages your arms, feet, legs, shoulders, and tells you how lucky we are to have you in our lives. You smile, look into his eyes and coo something gentle that feels and sounds like you feel the same way too. Your Mornings Outside It is late August 2025 and your dad gives you your bottle after he wraps you in a warm blanket, takes you in his arms to the outdoor couch in your soft green backyard. On either side white jasmine flowers bloom and give off a heavy sweet scent of summer. The front facing wall is lush green bamboo.The evening before, your mom pumps breast milk so that your dad can give this to you in your bottle in the morning. This is her way of giving your dad the great gift of you fixing your eyes on your dad’s eyes as you hum pure sounds of mmmmm with each draw of that magic breast milk. You snuggle deep into your dad’s arms. He is in heaven and you are too. Your dad wakes up before you do, getting ready for work so that he can spend every minute he can with you before he leaves for work. Once when I thought it was time for him to go to work he said “I get to have 5 more minutes with him Mom” with a smile as he moved around the backyard with you in his arms. see full transcript on Verla Fortier's substack For peer reviewed research on how your time spent in green space can change your mindset, balance your nervous system and your heart rate please go to verlafortier.substack.com and check out my books Take Back Your Outside Mindset: Live Longer, Stress Less, and Control Your Chronic Illness and Optimize Your Heart Rate: Balance Your Mind and Body With Green Space
