Here’s an excellent essay by Rebecca Lawton on the Healing Power of Nature, both in the spiritual sense, and in the scientific evidence based sense.
As you may know, the Post Bros love nature: hiking, climbing, mountains, rivers, trees, fresh air. Anytime I’m able to be out in nature, surrounded by it, even if only for a few hours, I feel better. I feel restored. This essay explains, through personal experiences and science, the very real healing power nature has, from Iraq war veterans and river guides, to the Japanese government in the 1980’s, and even Russian scientists in the 1920’s. I love when what I feel to be true is backed up and explained by science. And there’s a whole lot of that here, with evidence showing that time spent in nature can:
reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, prevent and reduce depression and anxiety, reduce blood pressure, reduce inflammation, reduce cardiovascular disease, reduce migraines, boost immune function, enhance autonomic control of heart rate and blood pressure, help us recover from heightened stress, help maintain a healthy microbiome of essential skin and gut bacteria, protect against heart disease, obesity and diabetes, along with anti-cancer and anti-viral effects.
Y’know, just to name a few. So go take a hike (or ‘forest bath’) sometime soon. I’ll be trying to get out there as much as I can before winter really sets in, so reach out if you’re interested in a little day hike.