Benefits of Being in Nature
In the Four Baskets Digital Course, we learn the importance of building our available Resources to bring us back to a state that is conducive to Growth vs. Protection. Did you know that simply being in nature can easily bring this shift? Studies have shown that being exposed to natural elements (whether gardening, wilderness hiking, or being in a park) increases vitality & energy. Specifically, scientists have been able to prove that direct contact with nature improves your physical & mental health, improving immune function. Being out among plants & trees has been shown to lower levels of cortisol, lower pulse rate & lower blood pressure. Stress reduction is part of it, but scientists say it is due to phytoncides, airborne chemicals that plants emit to protect themselves from rot & insects. Other studies have shown that visiting parks and forests seem to raise levels of white blood cells. There is a popular therapeutic practice in Japan called shinrin-yoku , forest-bathing. Mentally, the benefits of being outside include: restored mental clarity, increased sense of well-being, renewed commitment to Self, perceptions of connectedness, wholeness, & meaningfulness, present-centeredness, and self-transcendence. Other researchers have confirmed that contact with even very small green spaces in cities leads to improvement in children's abilities to pay attention, delay gratification, and manage impulses! Nature is also a trigger for peak spiritual experiences which lead to profound realizations of oneness, tranquility and serenity (Maslow.)
Zach Bush, MD often talks about the practice of laying down under a tree and looking up at the sky through the branches. He says our brain at first will try to find a pattern in the chaos of the branches, but unable to do so will relax and reset… restoring our connection to the Earth.
When we do our Four Baskets reflections and journaling outdoors, we can more easily trace the threads of our journey into being. Taking it a step further, we can find a certain sit-spot in nature and spend a few minutes there every day … this simple practice can bring profound insights, understanding and deeper connections.
