Inspire, Aspire, Conspire
What a steep Midwest landfill taught me about nature and breathing
Inspire, aspire and conspire all trace back to the same Latin root: spirare, meaning "to breathe." To inspire is to breathe in. To aspire is to breathe toward. To conspire is to breathe together.
In 2015, researchers at Stanford set out to understand how time in nature, or the lack of it, relates to mental health. They sent participants on a 90-minute walk, either through a green, grassy area near campus or along a busy road. Brain scans afterward showed that the nature walkers had less activity in a part of the brain tied to rumination, that loop of dwelling on negative thoughts about ourselves that's a known risk factor for depression. The city walkers showed no such change. As James Horrox explains in The Science of Hiking, it's one of many studies confirming what writers and artists have known for centuries.
And it's not just our mood. In a 2012 study, researchers sent participants on a four-day wilderness hike, completely unplugged from technology. Afterward, they performed 50% better on tasks that required creativity and complex problem solving.
In other words, nature doesn't just relax us. It may help quiet the voice in our heads that tears us down, and clear the way for new ideas.
During the pandemic lockdowns, when the gym closed, I needed another way to exercise. So most mornings, I hiked a hill near home. And by hill, I mean an old converted landfill that, come winter, is the only ski slope in the county. It was the best I could do in the plains of the Midwest! But the slope is steep and there's only one way up, so it's a repetitive climb: up, then down, then up again.
By the time I reach the top, I'm exhausted. But there's also a sense of accomplishment, and awe. In the early morning, you can watch the sun rise and slowly soak into the landscape. And there's always someone else making the climb, young and, yes, old too. Most of us move at about the same pace, which is interesting in and of itself. Strangers, breathing hard together.
I don't make it there as often anymore, but when I do, the experience is the same.
I breathe heavy. But like the Latin roots of inspire, aspire and conspire, in my exhaustion I find myself breathing in what moves me, what I want to be and who I want to connect with.