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Something changes in my body and mind when I turn down the tree-lined dirt road to Little Piney. \u00a0I start to relax and feel calm. \u00a0I roll down the windows, drive slowly, and take in the sounds of birds. \u00a0By the time I pull up the to the house, I am smiling and saying hello to Little Piney. \u00a0Being outdoors especially out in the country makes me feel calm, peaceful, and content. \u00a0This discovery led me to\u00a0the field of Ecotherapy.<\/p>\n
At first, I thought my response to Little Piney was unique–mostly about my love for the pines and\u00a0childhood connections. \u00a0I thought the country suited my need for peace and quiet, and that living in the city was a poor fit for \u00a0me. \u00a0But one after another, friends who came to visit reported\u00a0a melting relaxation and sense of well-being settling over them here. \u00a0After hearing the same response from\u00a0almost everyone who came to visit, I began to read about nature and Ecopsychology. \u00a0It turns out that the positive response to\u00a0\u00a0nature is common to all humans, and the healing and renewing impact of nature connection is well-researched and documented.<\/p>\n
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Patients in hospitals heal faster<\/a> from surgery and report less pain when their windows face trees instead of brick. Physical and mental symptoms of depression and anxiety decrease after study<\/a> participants take\u00a0nature walks. \u00a0Attention<\/a>, memory and recall improve after spending time in nature, even among dementia patients. \u00a0One study indicates that daily gardening may protect adults against developing dementia. \u00a0Studies show that denser\u00a0vegetation increases the benefit of nature time. \u00a0In\u00a0Japanese \u00a0shinrin-yoku,\u00a0<\/em>or forest bathing<\/a>, is a popular treatment for urban stress. \u00a0Studies showing that children who grow up spending time outdoors in the wild develop sharper senses and may have higher IQ’s have spawned a trend of outdoor schools in other parts of the world. \u00a0Another study<\/a> links nature time to increased creativity which helps explain the urge to paint, photograph, and write which has been so compelling for me over the past two years. \u00a0(Links in this paragraph are to articles available online; print references are below.)<\/p>\n Many of us instinctively know we need time outdoors. \u00a0Favorite poets and philosophers have long pointed us toward nature for spiritual growth and health–think of Thoreau, Emerson, Wordsworth, and contemporary favorite, Mary Oliver. Spending time outdoors for your well-being\u00a0may sound like common sense to you. \u00a0However, many people lose their connection to the outdoors without even noticing it. \u00a0Conditioned air, electronics, automobiles, and offices keep us\u00a0indoors. \u00a0We lose our tolerance for heat and cold and exercise. \u00a0Electronics and media win our attention. \u00a0Some city dwellers don’t have easy\u00a0access to natural spaces. \u00a0Some people don’t know what they are missing, but may have a sense that they are missing something. \u00a0It is possible that humans are so deeply connected with the natural world that estrangement from it causes depression and anxiety. \u00a0Connection with nature brings to life a part of our beings that can’t survive merely indoors.<\/p>\n I’ve recently begun training in\u00a0Ecotherapy<\/a>, a kind of psychotherapy that helps people re-learn the benefits of connecting with nature. \u00a0As I incorporate simple ideas into my practice as a psychotherapist, I find that many clients respond quickly. \u00a0For some, just taking a work-break to watch the leaves of a tree move in the light helps them feel calmer and more able to think clearly. \u00a0I’m just beginning this path professionally and hope to share more of \u00a0my experiences here.<\/p>\n I you are interested in learning more about the connection between human well-being and nature and the field of Ecotherapy I recommend “>The Nature Principle: Reconnecting with Life in a Virtual World by Richard Louv.<\/a><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/lostpineslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/DSC_0335-595x398.jpg\")
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