The Awe and Healing Power of Nature – Milford Sound
Our cruise journey through Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound was unforgettable. Magnificent mountains and towering waterfalls, still water reflecting an incredible landscape. Carved by ancient glaciers, it features sheer rock cliffs rising straight out of deep dark water.
And Milford Sound is one of the wettest places on Earth, though when I was there we had a beautiful day of sunshine. Most days, the rain brings alive thousands of waterfalls.
Here’s the thing…some places are so naturally beautiful that words and pictures are really not enough.
Experiences of awe, when we encounter something vast and beautiful in nature, have been shown in research to benefit mental wellbeing.
Awe can:
- enhance emotional wellbeing
- reduce stress
- increase feelings of connection
- expand perspective
Sailing through places like Milford Sound reminds us how extraordinary our world is.
It widens our perspective and takes the focus of ourselves. Sometimes simply pausing to appreciate that natural beauty can be deeply restorative.