Tranquility in America
The peace within Yellowstone National Park.
A true gem of America: Yellowstone National Park. Where the geysers erupt, the hot springs bubble, the rivers flow, the Bison roam, and the visitors relax. From experiencing Yellowstone’s beauty firsthand, I can speak from experience when I say that nothing beats the sense of tranquility and spirituality that the natural environment of a national park brings to its guests. With the contemporary, fast-paced lifestyle many of us live, society can almost be overwhelming. Taking a vacation to a national park like Yellowstone is a great way to forget about the stresses of life and spend quality time with yourself or with loved ones and nature. Many Americans choose to travel abroad to other countries, sometimes without realizing the beauty within our own country. Upon entering Yellowstone, you feel as if you are in a whole new world of paradise.
Why Yellowstone?
Any United States national park provides their own beauty and top attractions. After recently visiting about a dozen national parks across the United States, Yellowstone is one of the best and the most popular places to admire mother nature. Yellowstone includes numerous of opportunities for outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, kayaking, biking, and fly fishing. There are many must-see spots, such as the majestic valleys, waterfalls, canyons, hot springs, and geysers, especially Old Faithful. Surrounding yourself with these natural phenomenons of nature, combined with the plethora of wildlife in Yellowstone brings a special sensation of happiness and tranquility that can not be found elsewhere.
Who Agrees?
Many people also view national parks such as Yellowstone as a unique spiritual place of tranquility in America. Author of Sacred Mountains of the World, Edwin Bernbaum states in his article:
“national parks are more than landmarks, monuments, and territories, more than mountains forests, and geological wonders. They represent a piece of the American soul.”
The remarkable landscape of Yellowstone has the ability to spiritually represent the culture of America through nature. A national park can “transport visitors far outside the confines of routine existence, to awe-inspiring realms of mystery and splendor, governed by forces beyond our control” (Bernbaum). The power of national parks has a spiritual force that governs the exquisite terrain. A greater authority seems to have created the national parks and each unique landmark, such as Old Faithful. Bernbaum insists that “these sanctuaries of unspoiled nature represent places of spiritual renewal where we can return to the source of our being and recover the freshness of a new beginning.” A national park provides people to see how the Earth was naturally created in the beginning, which shows individuals the spiritual and beautiful formation of our world.
Yellowstone & the Pleasure Brain
The idea of finding peace and tranquility to enjoy all that Yellowstone has to offer is in fact related to part of our brain and the mental models that we build. This part of the brain is what author Ken Bain terms in his article “What the Best College Students Do” as the pleasure brain. Each of us have a part of our brain that wants pleasure and happiness. The pleasure brain is that part. Bain states that the pleasure brain “isn’t really a place in [our] skull but a whole series of connections that find great joy in life.” The pleasure brain wants to enjoy what the world has to offer, by having us find what makes us happy. The answer is Yellowstone, a place where people primarily think with their pleasure brain by appreciating the beauty that nature has to offer. At Yellowstone, no people think too hard to get mentally stressed, such as at a school or work environment under pressure. Instead, the visitors can relax and visit some of the best sites that America has to offer.
Conclusion
So if you ever get the chance to take a trip to Yellowstone, I would highly recommend it. Yellowstone is a special place of tranquility like no other. With the various areas of the park to be with nature, people can easily find spirituality and think with their pleasure brain. Without Yellowstone, America would lose a precious gem of tranquility in its collection.
