Rick and I met at MIXX a few weeks ago for lunch. The sun was out and I snatched a table on the patio. As I waited for Rick, a bright kelly green plant in front of me caught my eye. My shoulders dropped and I exhaled. And I thought to myself, “Ah, it’s green.”

Thank goodness Rick arrived so I could pause my pondering and eat and chat with him. I didn’t gaze at the plant anymore, but the feeling didn’t leave.

Later I began to wonder how or why a color or a plant or being at MIXX for lunch would have such a notable calming effect for me.

One week later I was listening to Deepak Chopra, M.D. speak about his new book Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential. He shared research behind the effects of nature. Walking on the beach barefoot, walking on the grass, and hugging a tree (I loved this visual) have measurable effects on the human mind, body, and spirit. He mentioned first how it impacts the circadian rhythm and then there’s a chain reaction spreading to four other biological rhythms the names of which I had never heard. So, I looked them up on the book and couldn’t find them. So, just trust me. It was amazing. There was a scientific explanation for, “Ah, it’s green.”

Wrapping up, it was fun to have my feeling and the related learning occur in such rapid sequence. I noted the intersection. I also noted that the feeling was the same and — perhaps even more satisfying — before knowing the scientific facts and big-named rhythms that caused it.