Why Engaging in Nature ’ s Healing Energy Is So Powerful

Research confirms what many have observed: that nature has healing energies. Studies show we can experience health and psychological benefits if we spend time in the woods practicing shin-rin yoku or “forest bathing.” Twenty or thirty minutes spent in natural surroundings will likely give you a sense of wellbeing and reduce your body’s levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Even listening to recordings of natural sounds can reset your nervous system into a more relaxed state. While in a park, your yard, or another natural area, you might want to focus on a scene or phenomenon and observe. You might walk and gaze at trees, perhaps noticing branches that are thriving as well as ones that have broken. Notice the pattern of the tree’s bark or its branches. Touch the bark or leaves if you can—or touch the dirt in which a houseplant is growing. If you can’t be outdoors in nature, look out the window at a natural scene, at indoor plants, or at a photo or video of a natural scene—or close your eyes and listen to a recording of the sounds heard in natural space, such as a beach or rainforest. Notice what you feel in your body. Does it seem that your energy has changed? Ask nature to help you engage its healing energies. Sometimes when we’re in nature, a certain spot might feel healing because it seems to take away our agitation, calm us, or make us feel revitalized in some way. Once, I was visiting a shaman and friend who lives in Peru, and while he was occupied, I be...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Publishers Spirituality & Health forest bathing healing energies Nature Source Type: blogs