Nature equals Wellness

What is it about Nature that invigorates our soul?

The fresh air, the sunshine,  the memories of playing outside as a child are all factors that enamor us. In writing about wellness I would be remiss if I didn’t tout the essential value of getting outdoors.

I grew up in Manhattan Beach and would honestly run to the sand before school as a first grader. By my teens I was a full-on beach rat. Bodysurfing was my jam. My mother said  as a toddler I would crawl straight into the water and get clobbered until I washed up high and dry.

But I am not alone in my raving for the wild. Eco-therapists are now prescribing parks to patients of all ages. A report from big thinkcom    says that Americans can spend from 80 to 90 percent of their time indoors.

This could lead to what’s called Nature Deficit disorder.

The health issues are even higher for inner city kids that lack access too parks. Combine that with the addiction to technology and social media and our wellbeing is in a drought. Forbes magazine says that Eco-therapy can decrease anxiety, depression, and lower blood pressure while decreasing fatigue in cancer patients.

Reports in Japan proved that the essential oils of trees increased people’s immune system while the high oxygen content in forests helps folks sleep.

In the workplace natural light increases productivity and employee retention. Having natural parks or gardens in urban areas or hospitals promotes wellbeing and sustainability. Phoenix Smith an Eco therapist from Oakland says the outdoors also raises our consciousness about the planet; “It also grows social connections that support the resiliency of all people” said Smith. Doctors in Scotland are prescribing Bird watching trips and Horse-riding.

By reconnecting with animals and our mother earth we are celebrating the source of our water, our food  and our ancestors. With a little effort, hopefully we can heal each other.