Ecotherapy Archives - Page 2 of 3 - ...metaphorically speaking

Sharing Two World Views of Nature’s Healing Powers

April 7, 2019

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I recently had the pleasure of presenting alongside an Indigenous colleague of mine to a group of health professionals. We are a bit of an unlikely couple. Leonie Hunter is a salt water and desert First Nation’s woman with a history of removal in her family. I am a middle-class Australian with a heap of White privilege. We view the world through different lenses, but what we share is an interest in the healing power of nature for health and wellbeing.

Texture Gathering on our Nature and Forest Therapy walk.

In our recent workshop, we had the opportunity to talk about our own worldviews and knowledge systems, with each of us having an understanding and appreciation for the other.

Leonie presented the case for connection to country being a critical component to improving Indigenous wellbeing. The National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Mental Health and Social and Emotional Wellbeing states that

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health is viewed in a holistic context, that encompasses mental health and physical, cultural and spiritual health. Land is central to wellbeing. Crucially, it must be understood that when the harmony of these interrelations is disrupted, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ill health will persist.”

This is something Leonie knows well through her own embodied connection and the people in her family who are feeling the ongoing health effects of being displaced from their traditional lands and customs. In our outdoor yarning circle she told many stories; what it is like to just feel the elements, gathering bush medicine to heal physical and emotional ailments, and receiving messages from the animals, birds and other beings. Leonie was lucky enough to grow up listening to the stories of Senior Kakadu Elder Bill Neidjie, now passed.

His words still resonate:

“Tree,
He watching you.
You look at tree,
He listen to you.
He got no finger,
He can’t speak,
But that leaf,
He pumping, growing.
Growing in the night,
While you sleeping,
You dream something.
Tree and grass same thing.
They grow with your body,
With your feeling.
If you feel sore,
Headache, sore body,
That means somebody killing tree or grass.
You feel because your body in that tree or earth.
Nobody can tell you,
You got to feel it yourself.”

I, on the other hand, presented the evidence for nature connection for health and wellbeing from a Western scientific worldview. There is a mountain of research supporting the benefits of green space and being in nature for physical, social, emotional and spiritual health. My particular focus and interest is on the practice of Shinrin Yoku (or forest bathing). The Japanese have discovered that phytonicides or the ‘aroma of the forest’ has positive physiological and psychological effects to reduce stress. They found that a slow, relaxed forest therapy walk, lowered blood pressure, reduced cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and improved heart rate variablilty. Phytonicides were shown to boost the level of Natural Killer cells in our body, which boost our immune system and fight disease including cancer. Doctors now offer ‘green prescriptions’ for their patients to go walking on a Certified Forest Therapy trail.

Science is only really just proving what Indigenous people have intuitively known since time began. The reciprocal relationship with nature is in their DNA. In my worldview, they call this the biophilia hypothesis. We evolved from nature, so we are nature.

In our afternoon session at Holmes Jungle Nature Park, I had the pleasure of co-guiding a Nature and Forest Therapy walk with Leonie. Nature and Forest Therapy (NFT) is inspired by the practice of Shinrin Yoku and developed in California by the ANFT. Despite its Western roots, NFT allows those living in the fast-paced world of modern society an embodied experience of the healing power of ‘being’ on country.

With the words of Bill Neidjie ringing in their ears, Leonie invited our participants to find a tree that is watching them and sit with the tree for a while to share stories. As is so often the case, the trees always reach out to the right person. There were two fallen trees for the person who had recently experienced a separation, a tree with two large branches growing upward showing the two possible directions in life for another, and a tree that was begging to be leant against with a message to slow down. When given the opportunity to just ‘be’ without ‘doing’, to contemplate with our hearts not our minds, the medicine of the forest reveals itself. Miriam Rose-Ungunmerr’s talks about this presence of sitting on country as the practice of ‘dadirri’.

I feel blessed and privileged to be working alongside people like Leonie, sharing and learning from each other, having healing conversations, developing new levels of understanding and respect. Ecopsychology allows both worldviews to exist alongside each other at the same time, for all of it is truth.

This is my idea of Reconciliation in action.

‘Nature, Health & Wellbeing’ learning workshop, Darwin March 2019.

Kids and Nature: Nurturing strong and healthy minds!

January 24, 2019

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Many of you will be familiar with my passion for keeping children safe in their first three years of life through the Healing Our Children project, to improve their chances of growing into strong and healthy adults! It is one thing to protect babies from violence to prevent trauma to the brain, but it is quite another to add in nurturing and nourishing activities to promote brain growth!

Author of ‘Your Brain on Nature”, Dr Alan Logan says “Your connection to nature established early in life to your experiences can actually influence your life course’s wellbeing”. He argues that young children who are disconnected from nature experience a variety of health impacts from poor gut health and low immunity to compromised mental health.

Louv and Charles have been looking at a growing body of evidence across the world that suggests children are now spending much less time in nature-based outdoor activity and this is having a detrimental effect on their development. Louv has gone so far as to use the term ‘nature deficit disorder’ to describe this problem.

While some research findings have limitations, here are some of the trends worth noting.

Between the decades, 1980’s to 2000’s, children’s lives have become increasingly structured and media oriented, leaving less time for independent play of any kind, including unstructured play in nature. Free play is going down, screen time is going up.
Visits to parks, national forests and other public land is in decline and are a possible indicator of the frequency of children’s exposure to the natural world.
There are fewer opportunities for children to engage in the natural world, with parents containing their children to more restrictive spaces, the move towards play indoors with supervision rather than unsupervised in parks, playgrounds or streets, a dramatic decline in children’s independent mobility, parents exerting greater control over children’s play and limitations put on children’s adventurous play.
Nature may encourage and support children’s physical activity and help them maintain a healthy weight. The number of obese children is rising, moving into their teens they are much less physically active. Some studies have linked children’s health to green spaces in the neighbourhood.
Children have less knowledge about plants, animals and their environment today than their parents. One possibility is that biodiversity has decreased where children live; or children have little or no meaningful direct experience with local biodiversity.

Evidence of decreased mobility, reduced availability to natural areas, and restrictions placed by parents on children’s activities in natural areas, suggests fewer opportunities to engage in the natural world.

So what does the research say about the benefits of contact with nature for children and young people?

There are a number of studies that demonstrate children’s play outdoors reduces the impact of stressful life events and has long-term benefits for physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. Children who experienced high levels of contact with nature report higher global self-worth and higher cognitive function increasing their ability to learn and concentrate, decreasing anxiety and increasing self-esteem.

In Australia, adolescents have talked about their desire for safe places to break away from everyday life, to restore energy levels and to make meaning from the ups and downs of life. Between 25 and 31% of young people in Years 9 to 12 said that nature was their favourite place to find peace, quiet and freedom, feel calm, where they can think about things or where they can be themselves. The study found nature plays an important role in maintaining stable mental health for adolescents, who live in a modern world where societal changes and pressures are rising at a rapid rate.

Primary school children’s access to nature in Melbourne primary schools has shown a number of social and mental health benefits including building resilience, improved attitudes towards school and relationships with peers and adults, greater calmness and less disruptive behaviour, growing sense of freedom and creativity, and enhanced self-confidence.

We know how good it is. So how can we get our kids off their devices and plugging into nature? Here are three nature connection invitations, I recently tried with some children aged 10-14 on a Guided Nature and Forest Therapy walk. They absolutely loved them!

Wish Upon a Rock

Find a rocky creek or waterway. Invite the children to create a cairn. For each rock they are able to stack and balance, they can make a wish, a hope or dream. How many wishes can they balance? Give the child time to reflect on their experience.

Befriend a Tree.

Invite your child to find a tree they connect with. Invite them to get up close and use their sense of touch to explore. “What do you notice when you hold a leaf or two? What do you hear when you move the leaves or run a stick against the bark? What part of the tree has a smell? Do you see different things when you get up close or sit further away?” After a while, invite them to sit by themselves next to the tree and just spend some quiet time there. “Perhaps a name for your tree might come to you. I wonder what stories this tree might tell you while sitting there in quiet still awareness?”

Paint a Rock

Using paint pens and a flat rock, write a message for the forest or for other beings in the forest to discover. Hide your rocks in the forest. Take a photo of them and post its location on the #NSWRocks Facebook or Instagram community page (or search your state for your local rock group). You can join in the hunt for other kids rocks too.

Of course, it is much easier for children to feel comfortable in nature, if they have been exposed at an early age. Taking your baby for a daily walk outside is giving them a great start to life. You will be laying down the foundations of a strong and healthy brain. Oh, and bringing down some of your own stress levels too, no doubt. Here’s to happy child’s play in nature!

References:

ABC News (2016) ‘Gut health, mental wellbeing and immunity linked to outdoor play’

Charles C and Louv, R. (2009) Children’s Nature Deficit: What We Know – and Don’t Know.

Selhub E and Logan A. (2012) Your Brain on Nature

Townsend M and Weerasuriya R. (2010). Beyond Blue to Green: The benefits of contact with nature for mental health and well-being. Beyond Blue Limited: Melbourne, Australia.

3 Reasons Why Nature Therapy shouldn’t scare you!

January 2, 2019

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There has been a long running discussion amongst Nature and Forest Therapy Guides in Australia about what to call our practice. We have been trained in nature and forest therapy, yet many are preferring to use words like nature connection, forest bathing or shinrin yoku, because they think that people are put off by the word ‘therapy’. Perhaps it conjures up images of sitting on a couch, while someone delves into your psyche. Therapy is something you do when you have a mountain of problems you can’t solve on your own, right?

Instead of running away from using the word ‘therapy’ to describe our practice, I believe we have an opportunity to change perceptions and challenge stereotypes. I argue that nature therapy is for everybody, whatever stage of life, however well functioning (or not) they may appear.

1. There are lots of therapies that aren’t scary

Therapy is nothing to be afraid of. If that were so, then we would also run the other direction if offered massage therapy, aromatherapy, yoga therapy and beauty therapy. But no. We can’t seem to get enough of these. You can safely add nature therapy to your list of nourishing and empowering practices for your body, mind and spirit.

2. We are not going to ‘do’ anything to you.

Nature and Forest Therapy Guides are not going to ‘do’ any therapy on you. In fact, it is a practice which requires less ‘doing’ and more ‘being’. If anyone is going to ‘do’ anything to you, it is the forest. The Guide just opens the door for whatever medicine the forest has for you to discover for yourself. The potential is there for nature to change the way you think or feel about things, if you are open to slowing down and listening. To help you on your reflective journey, you will have the opportunity to share what you are noticing in nature, with the other participants on a Guided walk. You can even enjoy nature therapy on your own, at your preferred pace, in your own backyard. We believe you are the expert in your own life. Nature is a powerful friend in discovering your true nature. We don’t need to ‘do’ anything to you.

3. Nature Therapy is for everyone

Therapy is an activity that is designed to have ‘therapeutic’ benefits. ‘Therapeutic’ is defined as “having a good effect on the body or mind; contributing to a sense of well-being.” Nature therapy is an experience that brings a huge range of scientifically proven benefits to your health and wellbeing. That’s good for everyone, not just for people who are unwell. I’m a big believer in disease prevention and in that vain, nature therapy should be part of everyone’s daily lifestyle, along with sensible eating and exercise.

Let’s normalise therapy, so everyone wants to do it. Tell your friends ‘you’re getting your daily dose of nature therapy’. It’s the most natural thing in the world you can do. I mean ‘be’.

Lucy is a Certified Guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. She offers Guided Nature Therapy Walks in the Nambucca Valley and Coffs Harbour region.

Nature and the Imagination: Partners in Relaxation and Mindfulness

November 30, 2018

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I am wondering about the power of nature imagery as a tool for relaxation. Not everyone has access to beautiful landscapes or nature at their back door. Access to the outdoors may be limited by mobility or circumstances. Some of us live in cities where green space is lacking. Recent studies show that prisoners watching nature documentaries are less aggressive and violent, so we know that one doesn’t need to actually be outside to receive the healing benefits of nature.

I am thinking about a refugee whom I support on Nauru in indefinite detention, who is unable to get outside due to chronic pain and continuing trauma. He recalls fond memories of being a lifeguard on a beach before the detention centre was closed and all services were withdrawn from the island. I have been trying to work with him to visualise that special beach in his mind. This is challenging given the circumstances he finds himself, in chronic pain and confined to his room.

I think there is real value in present moment situations of chronic stress, depression or anxiety, to call upon nature as our friend to induce a state of relaxation. To bring a sense of calm to the amygdala, activated by the sympathetic nervous system. To reduce the negative effects of rumination on mood and wellbeing. To open up a space to breathe while the unpleasant feelings pass.

We know that the brain cannot tell the difference between sitting in real nature or imagining a landscape in our mind. The same physiological and psychological benefits of stress reduction are experienced in both of these situations. So just by thinking about your favourite safe place in nature is enough to produce the required relaxation response.

Here are some simple instructions for a Tree Visualisation meditation, I gave recently at a Nature Therapy talk I did with cancer patients. Another option is to have a basket of nature objects such as shells, stones, pine cones, leaves, feathers, gum nuts and other interesting objects. Just holding one of these treasures in your hands with eyes closed, eliciting all the senses to engage with it, can bring forth a range of mindful responses. Both of these activities elicit strong memories for people, of places they have been before, of experiences they have had and of traditions or rituals held precious. I watch their faces as anxiety or fear is replaced by instant comfort and joy.

As quickly as the stress response is triggered, the brain has the power to bring a state of relaxation and calm to us. Nature and the imagination are perfect partners to try this out for yourself!

3 Reasons Why You Should Go Forest Bathing

September 25, 2018

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First of all, you might be wondering what exactly is forest bathing?

Forest bathing is a nature connection practice inspired by the Japanese where it is called Shinrin Yoku.

It’s not about getting wet.

The idea is to fully immerse yourself in nature and to bathe all your senses (more than 12 of them!).

Put simply, it is about taking a slow mindful walk in nature, breathing in the forest air, sitting and observing, and developing an emotional connection to the forest. It is different from hiking, where the pace is faster and you miss a lot of what is going on around you. It is also different from a naturist walk, where you might be identifying and naming species of fauna or flora.

A Forest Bathing walk covers less than a kilometre usually over two or three hours. Its aim is to help you slow down and take a break from the stresses of daily life, and to appreciate things that can only be noticed when moving slowly. Some people describe it like doing meditation or mindfulness in nature.

So now that we know what it is. Why on earth would we want to do it?

1. Forest Bathing is Part of Our True Nature

Humans evolved out of forests. Our species spent millions years of in development within these ecosystems. Then our world experienced rapid industrialisation and we moved into cities. While genetically our bodies are optimized for the forest, we are now trying to survive in the busy, stressful conditions of modern civilization.

Our separation has caused what Richard Louv terms, ‘nature deficit disorder’. He argues that our children are spending so much less time outdoors than previous generations, it is having a detrimental impact on their development.

Rather than seeing ourselves as separate from nature, we must remember, we are nature.

2. Forest Bathing Promotes our Health and Wellbeing

In the Western world, rates of mental health problems are out of control. Over 50% of people are stressed at work. In Australia, 1 in 5 of us will go on to experience a mental illness. Many physical illnesses and disease can also be linked to stress as an underlying cause.

The Japanese have been studying the effects of forest bathing since the 1980’s. What they discovered was an antimicrobial organic compound called phytonicides that are given off by evergreen trees such as pines and eucalypts. When you breathe in phytonicides, your blood pressure drops, your cortisol level (or stress hormone) reduces and heart rate variablilty improves. Phytoncides are immune boosters which increase the natural killer cells in our body, associated with fighting cancer.

Other research has shown that being in nature:

3. Forest Bathing Addresses Climate Change

I know, it’s a big call. But I firmly believe that if we are more closely connected to Mother Nature, we are more likely to want to care for and protect it. Ours is a reciprocal relationship. When the earth is sick, so are we (see point 2). We need healing and so does our earth.

Humans have become so separate from nature that there has been little regard to how we treat the earth. It has been seen as a collection of resources to be exploited for our benefit. On a guided forest bathing walk, there is particular attention paid to the practice of reciprocity. In supporting the development of human-nature relationships, we foster the role of humans as givers, as well as receivers.

People who engage regularly in forest bathing practices, tend to spontaneously find themselves engaging in place tending on a personal level or want to get involved in environmental activism at a macro level.

So rebuilding our intimate connection to the forest again, will ultimately lead to the healing of the planet and of course, our own health too.

If one or more of these reasons has inspired you to try forest bathing, then feel free to join the Japanese where is it called “Shinrin-yoku” (森林浴), the Germans practising “Waldtherapie”, the Koreans engaging in “Sanlimyok (산림욕)” and of course, the Australians, Americans and Europeans, where we use the terms “nature and forest therapy”.

If you are in the Nambucca Valley or Coffs Coast region, you can join me on your very own private Nature therapy walk. Or you can find other Certified guides in Australia here and elsewhere in the world here.

Happy Forest Bathing!

5 Intentional Ways to Bring Nature Therapy Indoors

September 6, 2018

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After three days of constant rain, I feel myself starting to go a little ‘cray cray’. I miss my daily walk up the country road where I live. Not surprisingly, I come down with a cold and by day three it turns into a headache. Does this happen to you? After days of not venturing outside, your health starts to deteriorate?

It makes a lot of sense, given that being in nature or green spaces is scientifically proven to promote good physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.

Don’t despair. I have some tips for bringing the benefits of nature indoors, so you can enjoy the sensory experience even when stuck inside.

1. Pot up the pesky weed and bring it inside.

Plants are not only a visually pleasing and calming addition to your home, but can be a great source of air purification. Two of the best plants to remove indoor toxins and chemicals are Mother in Laws tongue (a weed in the garden) and the Peace Lily. With increased oxygen levels in your home, you will also breathe easier.
Houseplants also reduce the incidence of dry skin, colds, sore throats and dry coughs. Put a plant on your desk to give your eyes a rest from your computer screen, boost concentration and be more productive. One study showed that hanging out with indoor plants can increase memory retention up to 20 percent. Weird but true.

2. Knock on Wood.

A lot of research has shown that using wood indoors in the form of furniture, fittings and features helps us to relax. Simply running your fingers across a wooden benchtop can calm your nervous system, lower your heart rate and reduce brain activity, promoting an instant soothing effect. The smell of naturally dried wood has a similar effect and can be replicated by spraying some essential oils such as cedarwood, siberian fir or eucalyptus around your home. Always choose naturally dried wood products, not heat treated wood for your home as the aromas produce very different results. A good excuse to treat yourself to a new chopping board!

3. Create a nature table.

Dig out that shell collection in your bathroom, then go gather some stones, pine cones, feathers, or other forest finds that bring you pleasure. Not just for kids, a nature table or basket is a good ‘go to’ to distract us when feeling stressed, anxious or depressed. In this situation, pick up something that attracts your attention, find a place to sit, and just explore this treasure with your sense of touch, smell, hearing and sight. Notice how this feels in your body. Notice what memories arise for you. Does this natural object have a story to tell? Allow yourself time to be mindful and present. Let feelings arise and fall away. Just notice without judgement.

4. Uber some fresh cut flowers.

There isn’t a human being around that doesn’t get pleasure from admiring and smelling cut flowers. But did you know that flower arrangements also offer physical benefits too? Simply looking at fresh flowers in a vase has been shown to decrease the sympathetic nervous system response to stress and increase physiological relaxation responses. A similar result is experienced when smelling floral essential oils, inducing relaxation and comfort. So go pick a wild bunch and knock yourself out.

5. Bring nature imagery inside.

This is a great one, particularly if you live in an apartment in the city, or have very little green space around where you live. Science has shown that showing prisoners photos and videos of forests, glaciers and waterfalls reduces tension, improves sleep and results in less violent angry outbursts.
Install some nature artwork, change your screensaver to a majestic landscape or watch a nature documentary. Or simply close your mind and put yourself in your favourite natural landscape. The brain doesn’t know the difference between real life and mindful imagery. You get similar mental health benefits either way!

So if you’re stuck indoors, know that nature with all its healing properties is there for you. Go out there and invite it in. Do it mindfully with intention and purpose.

You might like to also read: 5 Nature Therapy Habits You Can Start Today

For more quick and easy Nature Therapy practices you can incorporate into your day, sign up to my Newsletter and I will send you my free e-book featuring the 21 Day Nature Therapy Challenge. That’s 21 days of Nature Therapy ideas to help you develop a healthy new habit.

References:

Miyazaki, Y. (2018). Shinrin-yoku: the Japanese way of forest bating for health and relaxation. Octopus Publishing Group, London.

Rokas, L. (2017). ‘NASA Reveals A List Of The Best Air-Cleaning Plants For Your Home’ at https://www.boredpanda.com/best-air-filtering-houseplants-nasa/

University of Utah, ‘Nature Imagery Calms Prisoners’, https://phys.org/news/2017-08-nature-imagery-calms-prisoners.html

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5 Nature Therapy Habits You Can Start Today

August 23, 2018

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Want to spend more time in nature? Well if you need an excuse, here’s one. Spending more time mindfully in the outdoors will boost your immune system, take away your stress, help you sleep better and boost your creativity.

With the explosion of scientific research on the benefits of being in nature for mental health and wellbeing, you really can’t afford to not go outdoors. Here are five quick and easy ways to include more nature in your day.

1. Take your lunch break. Outside.

Too many of us work through our lunch break at work, either because that’s what everyone else does and we want to fit in, or we just don’t have time. Well, the truth is you will have a more productive afternoon if you give your brain a break. So turn off the computer, leave your devices behind and take your lunch to the park. Leave work problems at work; they will still be there when you get back. Sit and observe what is going on around you, breath the fresh air, listen to the birds. Return to your desk feeling refreshed and ready to tackle that To Do List.

2. Start a Sit Spot practice. Outside.

A Sit Spot is a spot in nature to simply connect, relax and observe. The ideal sit spot is in a natural area where two ecosystems meet, such as the edge where a meadow meets a forest. Choose a place you can visit frequently without too much effort, even if it is less than ideal. Your backyard can make a great sit spot.

Sit still and quietly, so that birds and animals nearby get past the initial alarm they feel when a human shows up. The longer and more often you visit, the more you’ll experience. The local animals will get to know you and become more accepting of your presence.

Clear your mind. Do nothing. Just notice.

3. Make a natural brew. And drink it outside.

Growing your own food is a great way to develop your connection with nature. Start by growing a few herbs in pots to make refreshing teas.

Treat yourself to a natural herbal brew once a day. Enjoy the pleasure of interacting with the plant using all your senses – sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing and bodily awareness, then go ahead and harvest a few leaves.

Find a place in your backyard to sit and enjoy your tea. At first, explore the tea without tasting by using your other senses. Then take a sip of the tea and explore its flavour and texture. Drink a full cup and notice its effect on you over the remainder of the day.

4. Do your exercise. Outside.

Apart from saving a lot of money on gym fees, exercising outside exposes you to the sounds of the leaves rustling in the trees, the feeling of fresh crisp air on your skin and the sense of spaciousness.

Rewild your body through real and practical natural movements like running, walking, leaping, dancing, throwing, balancing, crawling, climbing and hunting. Moving the way our ancestors did promotes strong bone growth, natural conditioning and mental fitness.
Incorporate a way to get to work without using the car.

5. Walk with your shoes off. Outside.

Once a day, take off your shoes and observe what it feels like to be connected to the earth. Bring the focus of your attention to the souls of your feet. Step slowly and intentionally noticing the effect of contact on your body.

The earth is endowed with electrons which are absorbed through your feet. There is evidence showing this grounding practice is good for your physical health like improving your sleep and reducing pain and inflammation. Our great ancestors never wore shoes and they were a pretty healthy mob.

You might also like to read: 5 Intentional Ways to Bring Nature Therapy Indoors.

Riding out the Waves of Emotion with and in Nature

July 25, 2018

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What would it be like if we responded to perceived ‘negative’ feelings in the same way we responded to ‘perceived’ positive feelings? You know the feelings I’m talking about; the ones that make our body feel uncomfortable. Anger, sadness, grief, guilt, pain, hurt, shame, jealousy and the like. Growing up we learn to push these feelings away, ignore them, get over them, put a lid on them or deny them. In fact, society expects us to. And if we can’t, then we are told to go to a counsellor to learn how to, because there must be something wrong with us.

What if instead we were to normalise these feelings, rather than to see them as abnormal or bad? After all, it’s only the behaviour that accompanies these feelings that may cause a problem, not the feeling itself. Somewhere along the line society has labelled emotions ‘negative’ and ‘positive’. The so named ‘negative’ ones we want to avoid. The ‘positive’ ones we crave more of. We should to be happy all the time, right?

What if we were instead to ride through the wave of perceived ‘negative’ emotion, like a piece of driftwood that rides the ocean currents, knowing eventually the rough and tumble will be over and it will wash up on the shore, ready to dry out and fulfil its potential in the sun?

Nature has much to teach us about living with our emotions, just as nature is a stimulus for experiencing emotion. Nature shares with us her awesome presence and we experience feelings of awe and wonder staring at a sky filled with millions of stars. We dwell in delight and joy at the sound of birdsong or a fleeting visit from a timid animal in the forest. We are wrapped up in happiness and excitement as we discover unexplored, beautiful places that take our breath away. Our bodies respond to these sensory experiences in pleasurable ways. We are totally present in the here and now, relishing in the feeling of the moment.

The skill of being mindful in nature can be applied to all our emotions, not just the ones that give us sensations of comfort. Nature provides some clues about this. A fire sweeping through the bush is horrifying and scary. Trees do not enjoy having their leaves stripped bare or bark scarred. But they stand there, remaining steadfast. They ride it out. They slow down their breathing and conserve their energy. Trees have learnt how to protect themselves from past experience by growing thick bark. Eventually, the smoke clears, the rains come, and seeds burst forth in regrowth.

What if we were to sit with our emotion in the moment and bring the same kind of awareness to our experience, as we do with ‘positive’ emotions? To sit and dwell in the pit of crappiness, to bring awareness to the tightness in our stomach, to be accepting of our vulnerability, to notice the change in sensations as the feeling eventually passes.

What if we were to treat our emotions like a friend to get to know rather than an enemy to run away from. With curiosity, get to know its habits, its likes, its dislikes. If you can recognise the signs of its arrival, you can be prepared, and find a place to sit and ride it out (preferably in nature which has immediate calming and relaxation effects).

Indigenous peoples do not push their grief away or hide it or try to move through it quickly. They spend many days or weeks, sometimes months expressing their sorrow after the passing of loved ones. They feel it shifting through their bodies as they dance and sing to the natural rhythms of the earth.

Experiencing and sitting with the full gamut of emotions is what it means to be human.

For those that have experienced trauma, the experience of sitting with emotions can be much more difficult. Our response, driven by the brain’s need to protect us, might shut our body down completely so we don’t have to feel at all, or help us get ready to fight or run away from a perceived threat. This is where nature’s healing powers can really do its work. When uncomfortable or painful feelings come to the fore, nature provides the distraction needed to calm our over-reactive limbic system. Taking some time to sit in green space with the sun on your face, the breeze drifting over your skin or the grass beneath your feet, is the first step to retraining your brain through a mindfulness practice. Building up the muscles in your brain to bring awareness to your felt sense, slowly makes space for the more uncomfortable feelings to be explored in small steps over time. Sometimes a support person or counsellor is needed to guide this process.

Every feeling we have is normal. They are part of this journey called life. They come and go. Even those that are a result of traumatic experience can be healed, through a practice of mindfulness in nature.

Be gentle on yourself. Sit with your emotions. All of them. Breathe through them. Notice their passing.

Nature is brave enough to do it. Humans are nature, so we can too.

Stressed at Work? Take it Outside.

May 30, 2018

by metaphor with No Comment Eco-social work Ecotherapy Forest bathing Healing with nature Health and wellbeing Mental health Nature and Forest Therapy Self Care Stress Wellbeing Workplace Wellbeing

Did you know that more than half of the Australian workforce is stressed and almost just as many of us will go on to experience mental illness? Stress related claims cost Australian business over $200 million annually!

The impact of stress usually results in deteriorating work performance, taking more time off and running down your immune system. Illness has a direct effect on both the quality and quantity of your work. You will work more slowly than usual, make more mistakes or need to repeat tasks. This lower labour productivity translates to increased costs for employers.

It’s a pretty depressing picture, isn’t it? What’s going on? Why are we such a stressed out bunch? Well, there’s probably a lot of reasons! And something needs to change. We spend a lot of our lives at work, we deserve to be happy and for work to be a fun and relaxed place to be, where we feel respected by our (not stressed out) colleagues and valued by our (not stressed out) boss.

One view is that people are spending much less time in nature and that we are suffering from ‘nature deficit disorder’ which affects us mentally, physically and spiritually. I’ve been doing a lot of research recently around the effects of nature on health and wellbeing and how this carries over into our work life. People who spend time in nature are not only happier and healthier but also smarter and more successful inside the office. Happy people are 31% more productive, less absent with 23% fewer fatigue symptoms and up to 10% more engaged in their work. The benefits flow on to business with a happy workforce bringing in 20% higher profits. It’s a win, win for everybody.

One study showed that staff on long-term sick leave from stress related illness show improvements in functioning and mood after being in a forest. Even just looking at trees out a window has a positive effect on mood; workers experience less frustration, more patience, less health complaints and higher job satisfaction.

Employers that invest in staff health and wellbeing can expect increased work performance and productivity, cost savings from higher retention and lower absenteeism, and a happier organisational culture.

So what can you do to bring these benefits of nature into your office space? Here’s a few ideas.

Take your lunch break outside. Go for a walk to a nearby park and lie under the trees or ask your boss for an outdoor sit space to eat. Get your daily boost of Vitamin D and invite in the sights, sounds and textures in your environment to relax and restore your mind, body and soul.
Bring a pot plant to put on your desk. They provide numerous benefits such as cleaning the air, helping to relieve stress, contributing to your creativity and giving your eyes a break from the computer.
Add nature to your commute. If you walk or cycle, change your route to include a park. If you catch public transport, be intentional about noticing nature on your route. Get on later, or off earlier so you can include outdoor time as part of your journey.
Take your next meeting outside or try a walking meeting in a natural space. Being in nature brings with it better decision making, more creativity and alertness.
Turn your desk around so you are facing the window and can give your eyes a rest from the computer now and then.
Open the blinds to allow the natural sunlight to flood the room. Or better still open your window to let in the natural (non-airconditioned) air and the sounds of the birds or leaves rustling in the wind.
Block out the office noise and listen to nature sounds like running water, bird song and gentle rain on your headphones.
Hang up a painting, artwork or photography showcasing nature’s wonders or install a nature computer screen-saver. Even looking at nature has health benefits too!
Have a nature play table in your office with shells, stones, bark, feathers or other things you find, alongside your oil burner decanting a natural pine scent. Colleagues that visit might linger a while longer!
Sweet talk the boss into investing in biophilia as a core design principle in the office or outdoor spaces. For inspiration check out what Google and Ferrari have done.

This Saturday at #StartUpsCoffsCoast I will be launching a new service to promote a nature-based approach to health and wellbeing in the workplace. This includes Half-Day Corporate Wellbeing Sessions for team-building, planning days and Corporate events; Guided Lunchtime Daily Doses for Staff, and access to Consultation Services to develop and implement Green Wellbeing policies, drawing on the combination of professional expertise at Nature and Wellbeing Australia. My new look website with more details is on its way very soon.

I hope to see you in nature. And don’t forget to take the boss with you!

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A Grief Encounter with Nature

May 23, 2018

by metaphor with No Comment Ecotherapy Grief and Loss Healing with nature Health and wellbeing My personal journey Nature and Forest Therapy Self Care

As much as it hurts to write this because my sadness is raw and alive and being lived in this very moment, I want everyone to know that when you are in the midst of grief, nature has your back.

Back in March my mother had a fall and broke her hip. Upon admission to hospital it was discovered she had sepsis, life threatening blood poisoning. This kills a lot of people! I hopped on a plane and flew ‘home’ to see her; it was touch and go for a while. Over the next two weeks, the surgery was on, then off, then on again, then mum wasn’t well enough to operate on. At one stage she was going to have to learn to live with a broken hip, because her heart might not survive an operation.

Meanwhile a few days after mum’s accident, my dad fell and was discovered passed out many hours later in the hot sun. He suffered first degree burns to his legs and face from lying on a metal ramp. Severely dehydrated, he was also lucky to be alive.

Was this really happening? Two parents in hospital. It was as if time had slowed down so much that I had trouble breathing. I needed space. I needed air. I needed time to process this.

I am grateful I had the opportunity to just walk and ride and run outside on my brothers farm (I don’t usually run because my knees aren’t up to it, but I did it anyway because I knew it wouldn’t hurt any more than my heart). I climbed the old gum tree I played in as a child, reminiscing about fun imaginary times and appreciating opportunities laid out for my future there. As I gazed towards the setting sun over long, dry grass blowing in the wind, my tears fell on the brown, cracked earth, momentarily breaking the drought. I lay on the grass, staring at aging eucalypts in the paddock, which had lost hope and turned an unsightly brown. They were doing it tough too.

My favourite childhood memories are growing in this gum tree.

Eventually another surgery opportunity presented itself to my mum in Melbourne. And dad agreed to skin grafts. Can you believe they both travelled to the big city on the same day? Weird. Coincidence.

Mum didn’t quite make the painful three hour journey in the back of the ambulance, having to stop momentarily at another hospital to administer more pain medication and stabilise her. After numerous set backs including infections and low blood pressure, she finally had her operation two weeks after the fall. I had made peace with the fact that she might not survive it. It was a nervous moment. I was beside dad’s bed when his blood pressure dropped so low that his heart monitor alarm went off. My own heart skipped a beat; life on a knife edge.

A lot of time was spent bedside. Or travelling to hospital. Or negotiating the public transport between two hospitals in a city that doesn’t know how to go slow. I sought nature again, and space, and air. All I saw were tall buildings of concrete crowding out the warm sun and other depressed-looking city folk stuck on the mouse’s wheel. The only trees I saw were in a beautiful park, from nine stories up out a hospital window. I was desperate to get there to feel the earth under my feet, to run amongst the autumn leaves, to breathe freely, but I never did. The weather had turned so bitterly cold, dreary and wetter than my tears.

The trees I desperately wished to visit, out of mum’s hospital window.

I was angry too. Hospitals were not conducive to healing or recovery. People got sicker here not better (it happened to my mum). I couldn’t stop thinking about the research that shows patients who have access to nature outside their window recover more quickly from surgery and illness. Some of the beds I’ve seen, don’t even have natural light!

Eventually I had to fly home. I contracted a chest cold and I didn’t want to infect anybody.

Seven weeks later and my parents are still in hospital. There have been infections and unexplainable turns. Multiple tests, scans, xrays. MRI’s and ECG’s. Staphylococcus contraction from surgery. Wounds that won’t stop leaking. Patience running thin. Surgery to re-do unsuccessful grafts. Going off food. Back on food. Ups. Downs.

Wide open space allow me to run and breathe and hide and chase shadows with my son.

But the tipping point came this week, when I learned that the surgeons had also removed a lump from my dad’s ear which turned out to be Melanoma, an aggressive form of cancer.

There is nothing worse than watching those you love in unbearable pain. Now there would be more to come. I never dreamed that this would be dad’s way of exiting the world. And mum is still not out of the woods yet (pardon the pun).

Upon hearing this latest news, I took off on my regular walk up the country road where I live. I didn’t get far before my eyes became too clouded to see where I was going. I plonked myself down on the roadside in the bushes, overlooking the valley. I listened to the breeze as it bent young eucalypts. I watched the ants moving about their daily business. I gazed at fluffy white clouds moving across the brilliant blue sky. And then I heard something, a gentle pounding, of little feet. I didn’t move. Then right on cue I noticed a wallaby meandering towards my direction. It stopped behind a tree. Then slowly it moved towards the fence five metres in front of me, crouching down to move through the wire, and pop up on the other side. I told myself if I sat still, perhaps it would hop right on past me, allowing me to appreciate this close up encounter. The wallaby started up the slight embankment towards me. Before I had struck eye contact, he had caught a glimpse of me and with tremendous leg strength, had dramatically propelled himself into reverse, the ground reverberating, bouncing off the rise and back up the fence line. I didn’t even have time to react. Even my breath had stopped dead still.

I watched him as he sat at a safe distance plucking up the courage to look back at the strange phenomenon he had just encountered. It must have been a shocking discovery to find me sitting there. I couldn’t help but feel sad that he wasn’t brave enough to continue on past me, as if I was invisible. Or just a part of nature too. Part of his web of life.

Yes, I know how you feel young wallaby. You’re shocked. You’re rattled. The natural rhythm of life has been upset momentarily.

But I notice something else. You bounced back. Sure, it was in another unexpected direction. But you also had the courage to look back and ponder what it was that knocked you off your feet. To take stock before you carry on. To appreciate this moment of being alive in nature.

You and I have a lot in common.

POSTNOTE: My dear mum passed away on June 9, 2018. Forever remembered.

…metaphorically speaking

Posts in category: Ecotherapy