Afternoon fellow City tech students! The past week has been a rough week for us all with the worries of Hurricanes, and earthquakes, the basis being natural disasters. Mother nature is a powerful force and we often underestimate. Though she is fierce, she is also beautiful and we often take that side of her for granted. Lately in the news all weâve seen are the negatives of nature, but today, we focus on all that is good about nature. When Iâm stressed or anxious I normally find myself turning to the green side, nature. Thereâs a place in Howard Beach Known as âThe Lookoutâ or â El Mirador â In Spanish. The Lookout offers two different sceneries, on one side you see JFK airport, itâs truly a beautiful sight, and the other is the city, from afar you can see the buildings. My favorite part about The Lookout is the sound of the waters, just something about the waves softly touching land and becoming smaller is so relaxing, it brings me into a tranquil state of mind.
The Lookout, Howard Beach Photographer: Gennessy Palma
In an article I read from Huffington post, they believe that naturalistic sounds such as waves, crashing waves bring a sense of peace within us. Huffington Post states that In our everyday lives, weâre constantly bombarded with sensory stimuli, whether from our devices, busy homes and offices, or hectic city streets. Our brains need downtime, but they rarely get enough of it.
Being around water gives our brains and our senses a rest from overstimulation.
âThe sound around us, from an auditory perspective, is simplified. Itâs not quiet, but the sound of water is far more simple than the sound of voices or the sound of music or the sound of a city,â Nichols tells the Huffington Post. âAnd the visual input is simplified. When you stand at the edge of water and look out on the horizon, itâs visually simplified relative to the room youâre sitting in right now, or a city youâre walking through, where youâre taking in millions of pieces of information every second.âWhen weâre near, on, in or under water, we get a cognitive break because thereâs simply less information coming in. Our brains donât shut down â they keep working, but in a different way, according to Nichols. âWhen you have that simplified, quieter âblueâ space, your brain is better at a different set of processes,â he says.âWhen you experience that feeling of awe, you get that âone with the universeâ feeling,â says Nichols. âYou feel connected to yourself, the world around you, and whoever you happen to be with. That puts you in a âweâ state of mind.âItâs no coincidence, then, that many of lifeâs most romantic moments take place by the water â engagements, weddings and honeymoons overwhelmingly occur in waterside locations.âWe hold important ceremonies by water. Both in life and in death, we gather by water when we can,â says Nichols. â
Beachside view, The Lookout; Photographer: Gennessy Palma
See? Nature doesnât look so bad anymore does it??? Nature can offer you so many benefits, in both mind and physical health, it has for me. I find myself coming here with my significant other to take a breather from classes, and it also helps me improve my photography skills.Â
Model: Lokendra Singh; Photographer: Gennessy Palma
Water, wind, sunrise, sunset, some of the many things that we see or here everyday but we may often take it for granted or pay no mind to it, sometimes we forget to just enjoy the simple things in life, when in reality, those are the most beautiful things we are given, and at no cost. Mother nature may be brutal sometimes, but can we blame her? If we can do our part and help, then she wouldn’t be causing such disasters, ladies and gentlemen I urge you to do the right thing, recycle, and use reusable bottles, that way we can protect mother nature and the environment, so we may continue to live to see another sunset.
“Beauty is everywhere, and within everyone.”
– Genny
– Gennessy Palma
