Healing with Nature

Most of us feel revitalized when we connect to nature in some way. Summer is around the corner and this means we will have more opportunities to get outside. A walk in the park, watching and listening to birds, or catching a beautiful sunset or rainbow can lift our spirits.

            According to Dr. Frank Lipman (physician, author and founder of Eleven-Eleven Wellness Center in NYC), our “hermetically-sealed lifestyle” is making indoor zombies out of us. A step outdoors can actually improve our health status by waking up our dulled senses, boosting our immune systems, lifting our spirits, or helping to reduce our risks for illness and disease.

If you live in the city, here are a few easy steps to connect with nature and feel its healing power:

• Find a park or a garden & sit on a bench for even a10-minute break to calm the mind
• Get out of the indoor re-circulated air and walk with friends or family in the neighborhood, taking some deep breaths of the outdoor air
• Eat lunch outside in the sun if you can. Get a moderate dose of vitamin D from the sunshine; it is essential to our health
• Just looking at the variety of colors in nature (even through a window) can be good for the eyes and the neural pathways in the brain
• If you can get to a quiet place in a park or garden, take in the sounds of nature
• Finally, make an effort to connect with nature physically by lying on the grass or putting your toes in the water
  

If you can actually get out into the woods, the effects are even better. Various researchers have discovered some remarkable therapeutic effects when people spend time in nature. A large study done at the University of Queensland in Australia determined that 10% of people with high blood pressure could get better control of their hypertension if they spent just 30 minutes in the outdoors each week (https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2016/06/dose-of-nature-just-what-doctor-ordered). Spending time in a forest or a park helps with mood disorders (lessening anxiety and depression), according to a 2015 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Scientists have discovered that when people spend time in the woods or with nature in some form, the body chemistry changes and the by-products result in the lowering of blood pressure, promotion of cancer-fighting cells, and reduction in inflammatory compounds. There is also a positive affect on memory. A study done over ten years ago at the University of Michigan found that people improved their short-term memory by 20% after a nature walk.

One of the substances that the body produces is called phytoncides, which are associated with lowering blood pressure and increasing the number of specific types of white blood cells, which lower the risk of certain cancers. Phytoncides are also emitted by certain plants and can trigger healthy biological changes in our bodies; this is the rationale behind the therapeutic use of aromatherapy. Many illnesses and diseases are associated with hidden inflammation, and researcher Paul Piff at the University of California has discovered in his research that lower levels of inflammatory compounds occur when people spend time in the woods, parks, or in the countryside. They call it the “awe experience.”

If you are unable to get to a park in the city or travel to the countryside, alternatives to nature might help. You can add plants to your home environment or workplace. Positive effects can occur with being able to look out a window at a tree or plants. Certainly listening to the sounds of nature (music) is known for helping with stress reduction. Even smell is a powerful sense that we don’t always pay attention to. Aromatherapy, which is the use of natural oils with pleasant smells, is very therapeutic. Add a massage to those essential oils and it is even better!

Sometimes research just seems to prove what we already know intuitively. For most of us, connecting with nature in some form makes us feel better. In order to have a positive effect, the interaction must be customized; not all of us would choose extreme outdoor sports like rock climbing or strenuous hiking, but a stroll in the woods or a park, gardening, bird-watching, or looking out the window at a tree-lined street might be very appealing. The scientists at Stanford University, who have studied this connection with nature, call it  “biophilia.”  This is described as "the connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life”  (https://bewell.stanford.edu). Most of us have experienced the restorative powers of nature in one form or another, so be sure to incorporate it into your everyday life. Reap the benefits!

This column is dedicated to the many family members and friends who enjoy nature with me, and the many therapists who utilize it to help with healing.