Negative Ions

I took a series of classes dealing with depression a few years ago and one of the things I learned was how moving water produce negative ions.  These negative ions help with the serotonin levels in our brain that help stabilize our mood or produce what feels like happiness.  Summer has never been an easy time for me.  While most people who deal with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) feel the effects during the winter months, I'm one of the rare ones that feel it in the summer instead. People who deal with SAD usually suffer during the winter months because it is cold and they stay inside, not getting enough Vitamin D.  Add shorter days with sunlight and it leads to depression.  I, however, love the cold and so winter is one of favorite times of the year.  I love getting out and taking walks during that time whereas during summer, I find myself hiding inside with the air-conditioning because I hate the heat so much.  

I am taking an Emotional Resilience class, through the Church, this summer and a few weeks ago (in that class) it just hit me that I was in that summer cycle again.  And I needed to do something about it because it wasn't going to fix itself.  So I made it a point to reach out to a couple of friends that I knew would hold me accountable.  They are going with me (and our kids) swimming and hiking weekly.  I am going to the temple once a week and I'm hoping to start walking again.  I've already noticed quite the difference but last Saturday night, for some reason, the depression really hit me hard.  But the memory of the negative ions in moving water came to mind and I decided to made a decision right then about the following day.  We weren't going to church!  We would, however, have our own church in the mountains and find some water!

We hiked and David gave us a little lesson.

We found the "dripping rocks" in Spanish Fork.

And we found water to play in.

While I wouldn't recommend skipping church all the time, I sure needed to last Sunday.  I am convinced my soul needed nature and especially that water.  It was also a good reminder that God can be found in nature and we should often seek Him there.