Nature Therapy

“First keep peace with yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.”

Thomas A Kempis

Life can be stressful. It seems like there is never enough time. Often we are so obsessed with staying on task we forget to just be. Even when we are relaxing, we sometimes are not very relaxed. Have you ever been on a vacation that took days, weeks, or maybe longer to plan. You get there and you have an itinerary to follow. You probably move through your itinerary always thinking about what is coming next. Before you know it your vacation is over and you return home feeling just as stressed as you did before you left. Maybe you feel like this everyday. Maybe you spend all your time thinking about things you have to do.

The world around us provides us with everything we need to live a more relaxed lifestyle, but in order for this to happen we need to be observant. Whether you are walking, hiking, running or picnicking, use your senses. What do you hear, see, smell, feel or taste right now. When you start to become mindful and in the present you will begin to relax.

Being outside in nature can be therapeutic. Whatever activity you chose to embark on, be there in that moment. Consider it a meditative experience. In meditation you are usually asked to clear your mind. This does not mean that you should think of nothing and your mind should remain blank. This simply means not to dwell on any one thought. Let your thoughts come into your mind and float away naturally. Again, use your senses. What do you see right now. Do you feel the wind or maybe the sun on your face? Can you hear a bird or squirrel? Let your thoughts flow naturally. Observe all that nature has to offer. Once you start to move through your outdoor activities in this manner you should begin to feel more relaxed.

I recently read an article in National Geographic, written by Florence Williams, called “This Is Your Brain on Nature.” This article contains information about the healing powers of nature. I will summarize some of the points I found most interesting, but I urge you to follow the link and read the article in its entirety.

We know that nature can help us relax, but according to a group of Korean researchers, maybe it also makes us kinder. A group of volunteers allowed to have their brains scanned using fMRI’s while looking at pictures. The  group that was shown urban scenes had more blood flow in the amygdala region of the brain. This is the area that processes fear and anxiety. The group that was shown nature scenes had more blood flow in the anterior cingulate and insula region of the brain. This is the area associated with empathy and altruism.

Greg Bratman, a Stanford researcher, performed a similar experiment. His research volunteers took 90 minute walks. Some walked on busy city streets and others walked in natural park areas. The nature walkers showed decreased brain activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex. This is the area associated with depressive thoughts or mood disorders.

A University of Utah cognitive psychologist, David Strayer suggests a three day detox in nature improves mental performance. Strayer took a ground of Outward Bound students on a three day camping trip. After three days of backpacking in the wilderness the group performed 50% better on problem solving tasks.

In Switzerland many children go to “Forest Kindergarten.” Here young children spend most of the day outside regardless of weather conditions. Survival skills are part of their every day learning experience. Supporters of these schools claim this type of learning environment improves self confidence and independence.

So it seems that just seeing pictures of nature may help us relax and feel kinder, a 90 minute walk in nature may improve our mood, a three day camping trip may improve our problem solving performance, and teaching our children survival skills at a young age could improve their self confidence. Nature really is a wondrous thing. The best part is that spending time in nature usually costs nothing. There are some state parks that charge a fee, but for the most part nature is free.