“ The earth has music for those who listen.” – Willian Shakespeare
In an age where consumption is defined by connectedness to digital devices and not to other people, deadlines replace time, and constant noise is considered precious, disconnection becomes incredibly challenging. However, spending some time interacting with nature is not just a leisure activity but a healing one for our spirits. The joy that comes with being in nature is far beyond the experience of beautiful green scenery or the sound of the oceans. It affects our thoughts, feelings, and potential outlook on life in ways that science has not fully explored. This blog will address the connection between nature and emotional well-being and how, in many ways, nature benefits humans.
Understanding Forest Therapy: The Science and Its Benefits
Forest therapy is perhaps one of the most convincing ways that connect nature with emotions and mood swings. With references to the Japanese term Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, the practice involves spending time in a forest area with the aim of feeling the environment. Research has indicated that performing this action alone can decrease stress levels and increase mood and mental acuity.
As we engage in interaction with nature, the body experiences reception of the visual stimuli that include the trees and the sounds of leaves and the feel of the soil. These sensations activate the parasympathetic nervous system in order to bring the cortisol level and the blood pressure down. The studies have shown that even 20 minutes in woods can decrease cortisol by 16%, whereas 2 hours of the session can enrich mood and cognitive potential.
In addition to stress relief, the effects of forest therapy range from enhancing immunity by enhancing natural killer cell activity to improving cardiovascular health by enhancing cardiovascular risk factors. The connection between nature and emotional well-being becomes completely reasonable if we take into account our evolutionary history, in which the natural environment was a rule rather than a rarity.
Practicing Mindfulness in Nature for Inner Peace
While spending leisure time in nature is indeed good, engaging in practices that facilitates the connection between nature and emotional well-being can enrich the experiences.
One of the useful techniques of mindfulness in nature is focus breathing. This traffic control breathing method makes you take deep breaths while being fully aware of the physical environment you are in.
Another technique commonly used is sensory scanning, where one deliberately focuses on something and uses all five senses. Touch the rough surface of trees and twigs, and listen to and look at the birds singing and flying. Using all of the senses does not only keep you present but also intensifies the beneficial impact of nature even more.
Mindful walking is another way to cultivate inner peace. Take slow steps, deliberately touching the sole of your feet to the surface of the floor. Feel the muscles each time you move. This small step in walking can change lives; just focus the thoughts and learn to appreciate the beauty of life.
Embracing Self-Discovery Through Nature
Nature provides the individuals with an opportunity to free their minds from the worldly distractions and pressures and get to know themselves. Hiking, writing diaries, attending church services, and quiet walking help in building the connection between nature and emotional well-being.
One interesting contemporary example would be Libby Curtis Webb, a certified meditation mentor and forest bathing therapy expert who focuses on Mindfulness Coaching and Nature Walk Immersions in order to speak about the connection between nature and emotional well-being. The way she encourages people to go out into nature and learn how to find themselves has great lessons that nature has for people in terms of emotional strength. Thus, Webb’s strategy correlates well with the notion that one’s relation to nature needs to be cultivated so that one could experience personal enlightenment and achieve the state of true happiness.
In a modern era that furiously rushes from one activity to another, talking time to listen to nature, in a way, is very helpful for the emotional state of a person. So, whenever you get time, grab the opportunity to embrace the goodness in the world.
