What is nature therapy and why do it? Nature is one of the great blessings of the creator. Nature has a solution to every kind of illness and is a great therapist for all. Nature therapy, also known as ecotherapy, is a terminology used to describe various techniques and treatments.
Nature Therapy (or forest bathing) can help relieve stress and improve your mental health by reconnecting with the natural world. If this sounds like something that might work for you, here you will find out more about the process of forest bathing!
What is Nature Therapy?
Nature Therapy is a therapeutic process which uses natural environments to promote healing, growth and development. It combines the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual benefits of outdoor experience with professional assessment and supportive counseling to provide an integrated approach for patients who are not fully responding to traditional treatment methods.
Nature therapy has been around since ancient times as a way of connecting people back to nature by using it as a tool for healing themselves.
Nowadays many hospitals have started implementing this type of therapy because it’s been scientifically proven that being in nature makes you heal faster from depression, anxiety or any other mental illness. It does so by reducing stress levels and blood pressure while boosting your immune system at the same time. There are plenty of opportunities all over the world where you can
Nature therapy is intended to improve mental and physical health. It helps in improving health with the presence of someone within nature and outdoor surroundings. Nature therapy can be done in various ways, many people are accustomed to nature therapy without knowing what they are doing.
Processes of Nature Therapy
Nature therapy processes are applied to various kinds of issues and to help them resolve or get rid of them. A few of them are used for the following purposes:
● To help to recover a person from a condition of physical or emotional stress.
● To improve physiological relaxation and immune function recovery response when someone spends time in nature.
● It provides relaxation by directly increasing the parasympathetic nervous system. It also heightens awareness in the being.
Why Do Nature Therapy?
Nature therapy is a great source of recovery from many issues. A few of the techniques used for nature therapy include forest bathing (known as shinrin-yoku), garden therapy, horticultural therapy, Kneipp therapy or ocean therapy. Ocean therapy is also referred to as a type of nature therapy. The nature therapy process is carried out to stimulate the process of wellness of beings.
Nature therapy (shinrin-yoku) is linked to various kinds of physiological benefits along with neurophysiological benefits as well. This has been proven by the process of neuroimaging and many physiological tests. Nature helps in improving the cardiovascular system, immune system and respiratory functioning of the body.
Nature therapy is a great solution for emotional healing. It also helps in reducing blood pressure, improving one’s general sleep-wake cycle, improving relationship skills, reducing stress and reducing aggression. It is beneficial for clarity of mind as well. As per statistics, a nature walk reduces symptoms of depression.
The benefits of nature therapy result not only from what is seen but from what is experienced by other senses as well. The psychological stress can be cured quickly with nature therapy by sounds of nature, the fragrances from food and fruits help in reducing depression.
Horticultural therapy is used in order to combat stress, burnout and substance abuse. It also helps in cases of social isolation among the elderly by keeping them engaged in various activities like digging soil, planting, weeding garden beds and trimming plants. Interacting with animals helps to control aggression.
Nature Art Therapy Video
From the Video: Hello friends, today I’ll show you how to make expressive art with natural materials. This exercise will help you feel more connected to nature and your surrounding and feel more grounded and understand what you emotionally need at this moment. You can go outside in nature and gather materials mindfully, respecting the environment, or you can choose to get things from the stores – which can include pinecones, pebbles, moss, cinnamon sticks, and shells.
I picked up some things from outside my home and used what I already had at home. What you need are some natural materials, a box/paper/cardboard – I also included some felt and scissors, and you will need a glue.
Before making art invite mindfulness and gently place your attention on your breathing and your body. When you think of nature what feelings or thoughts come to mind? Also set an intention today to make art without judgment and instead enjoy the creative process. The prompt is to create a place of sanctuary where you can feel protected and nurtured. Nature has a way of giving us what we need to heal and feel nurtured.
It really helps us to go outside, make that connection with nature, and fill our soul up and become more active and use our resources around us.
I think that using natural materials also lets us release our perfectionist tendencies because nature itself is imperfect and the materials that we have are imperfect so it’s a wonderful way to use imperfect materials to create imperfect art and embrace that. What is your favorite place in nature?
When you are done with your artwork you can use reflective writing as a way to go deeper into your creative process. So bring a journal and a pen and write down the answers for these reflective questions: what is this place like?
Describe what kind of place you created, and what do you like about this place? What is it specifically about this place that you really enjoy and love? And last question: if you could guess what it is that you emotionally need at this moment by looking at this sanctuary what would this need be?
Thank you for following along with the self art therapy practice. I think that the more we are connected to nature the more we feel connected to ourselves, to others, and to the divine.
Nature Therapy Conclusion
Nature therapy is a great method for developing a sense of purpose and helpfulness. It is a great tool to overcome various personality issues along with physical and mental health improvement. Nature therapy is a great technique for everyone to enjoy life.
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