Nature Connection Articles
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Nature Connection and Mental Health
Forest bathing and related nature-connection activities can be beneficial for mental health, reducing stress and anxiety, alleviating depression, raising mood and increasing resilience.
What are Forest Bathing ‘Invitations’?
'Invitations' are a core concept in the practice of 'Forest Bathing' or shinrin-yoku, a Japanese term that means "taking in the forest atmosphere". The practice involves spending time in a forest or natural environment to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and enhance overall wellbeing. The term "invitations" refers to specific, gentle suggestions or prompts, usually offered by a guide or practitioner to help participants to engage more deeply with their natural surroundings.
Walking in the Field of Autism — Experiences of being nurtured by nature
One hundred and seventeen steps from my front door, on an overcast day in early July, my feet come to an abrupt stop, and the knees above sink into the grass below. The neighbours’ house with its elegant portico evaporates from my peripheral vision and the hedge cutter’s convulsive droning recedes from my auditory consciousness. Instinctively, my right hand reaches out and my head juts forward in familiar fashion. It’s not the first time this has happened this week and nor will it be the last. Yet, I am strangely calm. This is not the onset of a shutdown that paralyses my body, sets speech on mute and eliminates rational thought. It is a rare moment of inner peace allowing the usual whirl of thoughts to settle like flakes in a snow globe.
Ways to Bring Nature-Connection Indoors
In this article we are going to look at a range of ways that you can increase your nature-connection when you cannot go outside. This might be because of the weather, or for physical or psychological reasons.
Forest Bathing and Mental Health
Forest bathing and related nature-connection activities can be beneficial for mental health, reducing stress and anxiety, alleviating depression, raising mood and increasing resilience.
Autism and Nature-Connection
Autism is a 'neurodifference' that affects the way that people process information and how they perceive and interact with the world around them. People with autism may appear socially awkward, distant or aloof. They often experience difficulties with making and maintaining relationships and may have difficulties understanding and relating to other people and social situations and this can lead to frustration, anxiety or social isolation.
This article looks at how increased nature-connection could be beneficial for people with autism and the potential role that the hormone oxytocin could play.
Me and Nature. An autist’s connection to Nature
Autism and Nature - a connection that some have said is stronger in autistic people than in neurotypical people. Others say that it’s the sensory input imbalance that neurodivergent people often experience that makes a connection with Nature stronger and more profound once you find it. Others yet point to the many studies showing that everyone, no matter how your brain is wired, benefit from being in and close to Nature.
Arthritis and Forest Bathing
Arthritis pain is caused in part by inflammation, but this can become a bigger problem when it causes chronic stress or anxiety, as higher levels of the stress hormones cortisol in the body can lead to greater inflammation that can make arthritis more painful. Forest Bathing reduces cortisol levels and so can contribute to reducing inflammation. Participants in Forest Bathing activities have reported significant decreases in pain and depression, and a significant improvement in health-related quality of life following the Forest Bathing activities.
What is Nature Connection?
Many people instinctively know that being in nature is good for us, and research backs this up, showing that people who are more ‘connected’ with nature often report greater life satisfaction; lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression; and greater levels of emotional and mental wellbeing. But what is ‘Nature Connection’
Nature connection is much more than just being in nature or exposed to nature, it is about really tuning in to your surroundings and noticing what is happening around you.