I have always found nature and the outdoors to be restorative, and now doctors are actually prescribing it!
In the October/November 2010 issue of National Wildlife magazine, Dr. Daphne Miller, a family physician and associate clinical professor at UC-San Francisco, describes physicians' use of "park prescriptions." These "park prescriptions" are basically recommendations to spend time in greenspace doing some form of light movement. Dr. Miller reports that "doctors around the country are medicating their patients with nature in order to prevent (or treat) health problems ranging from heart disease to attention deficit disorder."
As the days get shorter and colder, it can be tempting to snuggle up indoors with a cup of hot chocolate. And that could be fine retreat. But getting out and getting some fresh air, even for just 5 or 10 minutes, can be incredibly energizing. An infusion of sunshine and oxygen can do wonders for your mind, body and spirit - even on a cold day.
A study by researchers in Japan found that the Japanese practice of "forest bathing" (basically, spending time in a forest) found that "forest environments promote lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rate, lower blood pressure, greater parasympathetic nerve activity, and lower sympathetic nerve activity than do city environments."
Another study, by Andrea Faber Taylor and Frances E. Kuo of the University of Illinois, found that a 20 minute walk in a park improved concentration in children with ADHD more than a comparable 20 minute walk downtown or in a well-kept neighborhood. And, even those of us who do not suffer from ADHD have felt the effects of attention deficit - think of those times when you have been multi-tasking for hours and suddenly cannot seem to focus on anything.
For those of you who remain skeptical of the effects of nature on health and well-being, I've included a few links to the research below - a Google search will turn up many more.
For those of you who already know the benefits of nature, stop reading and get thee outside!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19568835
http://jad.sagepub.com/content/early/2008/08/25/1087054708323000.abstract
http://www.johnvdavis.com/ep/benefits.htm
http://landscaperesearch.livingreviews.org/open?pubNo=lrlr-2007-2&page=articlese3.html
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” -John Muir
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Tuesday
Take A Vacation Without Leaving Home
A Limited Time Gift for You - A Full Length Audio Meditation
Can't get away for a vacation?
Use the attached audio visualization to take a vacation in your mind. Take advantage of the fact that your mind does not easily distinguish between the imagined and the real to "trick" yourself into relaxing - body, mind and spirit.
This visualization takes place at the beach, and provides a simple technique to help you bring the energy of a beach holiday back into your every-day.
Link to the audio: [This offer has expired - but the series is still available at http://www.wingedlifecoaching.com/upcoming-classes.html]
Many of my clients find that relaxation exercises, visualizations, prayer and other types of meditation provide instant stress relief and help them reconnect with their best selves. Try it today - you have nothing to lose!
This link will be active until August 15th - feel free to listen as often as you'd like. And feel free to share it with others who might enjoy it!
***SPECIAL OFFER***
The meditation linked above is #4 in the Simple Little Practices Meditation Series. Save $5.00 if you subscribe to the entire series before August 15th!
To subscribe to the series, go to http://www.wingedlifecoaching.com/upcoming-classes.html
Get downloads of this audio and five more --two full hours of meditations -- for only $24.99.
Lighten up your life, and bring some holiday into your everyday -schedule a retreat today!
Can't get away for a vacation?
Use the attached audio visualization to take a vacation in your mind. Take advantage of the fact that your mind does not easily distinguish between the imagined and the real to "trick" yourself into relaxing - body, mind and spirit.
This visualization takes place at the beach, and provides a simple technique to help you bring the energy of a beach holiday back into your every-day.
Link to the audio: [This offer has expired - but the series is still available at http://www.wingedlifecoaching.com/upcoming-classes.html]
Many of my clients find that relaxation exercises, visualizations, prayer and other types of meditation provide instant stress relief and help them reconnect with their best selves. Try it today - you have nothing to lose!
This link will be active until August 15th - feel free to listen as often as you'd like. And feel free to share it with others who might enjoy it!
***SPECIAL OFFER***
The meditation linked above is #4 in the Simple Little Practices Meditation Series. Save $5.00 if you subscribe to the entire series before August 15th!
To subscribe to the series, go to http://www.wingedlifecoaching.com/upcoming-classes.html
Get downloads of this audio and five more --two full hours of meditations -- for only $24.99.
Lighten up your life, and bring some holiday into your everyday -schedule a retreat today!
Take Time to Saunter
Saunter: "to walk in a casual manner; stroll." Synonyms include amble, ramble, stroll, wander, mosey (one of my favorites), and meander. (1)
When is the last time you felt free to saunter? To proceed at your own pace, to stop and observe, to step into a place of spiritual connection? Most of us spend most of our time adhering to schedules, running late, trying to keep up. What if you could take an hour, a half-hour, or even 15 minutes, and just saunter?
Having just returned from a trip to California which included both Muir Woods and Yosemite National Park, I've been reading up on John Muir, who had a hand in preserving both places. Here is what Muir had to say about sauntering:
Either way, the word connotes a slowing down, a mindful attention to one's surroundings. A retreat from the hurry and drama of daily life. An appreciation of the vastness of the Universe and the long line of time.
I invite you to take some time this week to saunter. Whether you saunter through the woods, or through an art museum, or through the streets of a bustling city, pay attention. Saunter reverently. Allow yourself to meander. Be in reverie.
Notes:
(1) freeonlinedictionary.com
(2) quoted by Albert Palmer in A Parable of Sauntering:
http://207.114.134.6/john_muir_exhibit/frameindex.html?http://207.114.134.6/john_muir_exhibit/////life/palmer_sauntering.html
Sidebar:
An interesting but irrelevant fact (unless you are from Northern Ireland, in which case it may be highly relevant): according to urbandictionary.com, the word "saunter" is sometimes used as an expletive in Northern Ireland, with the meaning of "get lost" or "take a hike." It's fascinating how words can take on such different meanings... But if someone yelling at you to "saunter" - i.e., get lost - is what it takes to get you to take some time in solitude, consider it done. Saunter!
When is the last time you felt free to saunter? To proceed at your own pace, to stop and observe, to step into a place of spiritual connection? Most of us spend most of our time adhering to schedules, running late, trying to keep up. What if you could take an hour, a half-hour, or even 15 minutes, and just saunter?
Having just returned from a trip to California which included both Muir Woods and Yosemite National Park, I've been reading up on John Muir, who had a hand in preserving both places. Here is what Muir had to say about sauntering:
"Hiking - I don't like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not hike! Do you know the origin of that word 'saunter?' It's a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, "A la sainte terre,' 'To the Holy Land.' And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not 'hike' through them." (2)There is some disagreement about whether Muir's etymology of the word is correct, although it does appear in references dating back to at least 1691. The more accepted theory is that the word derives from the Middle English santren, meaning to muse, meditate, or be in reverie.
Either way, the word connotes a slowing down, a mindful attention to one's surroundings. A retreat from the hurry and drama of daily life. An appreciation of the vastness of the Universe and the long line of time.
I invite you to take some time this week to saunter. Whether you saunter through the woods, or through an art museum, or through the streets of a bustling city, pay attention. Saunter reverently. Allow yourself to meander. Be in reverie.
Notes:
(1) freeonlinedictionary.com
(2) quoted by Albert Palmer in A Parable of Sauntering:
http://207.114.134.6/john_muir_exhibit/frameindex.html?http://207.114.134.6/john_muir_exhibit/////life/palmer_sauntering.html
Sidebar:
An interesting but irrelevant fact (unless you are from Northern Ireland, in which case it may be highly relevant): according to urbandictionary.com, the word "saunter" is sometimes used as an expletive in Northern Ireland, with the meaning of "get lost" or "take a hike." It's fascinating how words can take on such different meanings... But if someone yelling at you to "saunter" - i.e., get lost - is what it takes to get you to take some time in solitude, consider it done. Saunter!
Sunday
Try a "Wonder"-ful One Hour Retreat
Here is an idea especially suited to a spring retreat.
My favorite way to "do" this retreat is outdoors - in a park, in the woods, or in a local neighborhood. But you can also take this retreat in a coffee shop, in an airport, or while waiting for your kid to finish soccer practice. If you have an hour, or even a half hour, grab it and take this no-equipment-needed retreat.
Start your retreat by setting an intention to focus on really observing your setting -- whether your setting is the airport concourse or a beautifully landscaped garden. Spend several minutes in one location, observing the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and tactile sensations of that location, as well as the overall composition and effect. Alternatively, spend five minutes strolling around focusing on taking in everything you can observe with your eyes - color, texture, size, shape, orientation, composition, etc., and then spend the next five minutes focusing on what you can hear, and so forth through the senses.
Not many people can spend an entire hour in observant wonder. The mind is easily distracted by judgment, thoughts of the past or future, and to-do lists. Consider using part of your time to journal or sketch your observations. Writing or drawing will not only help you observe more closely and keep your attention on your subject, it will also help you capture and process any emotions that arise.
By slowing down and really observing your surroundings, without judgment, you will likely experience one or more of the following benefits:
*A release of tension from your body
*A clearer, more focused mind
*A feeling of connection to the universe
*A renewed sense of lightness of being
*A burst of wonder and joy
We are all born intensely observant, curious and attentive to detail. Each new experience has a wonder-ful quality. But as we "grow up," we often lose that sense of wonder as we hurry through the tasks of life.
Just one moment of wonder-ment can add color to your days, and help you stay in the moment, truly aware of living your life. Try it and observe the results!
My favorite way to "do" this retreat is outdoors - in a park, in the woods, or in a local neighborhood. But you can also take this retreat in a coffee shop, in an airport, or while waiting for your kid to finish soccer practice. If you have an hour, or even a half hour, grab it and take this no-equipment-needed retreat.
Start your retreat by setting an intention to focus on really observing your setting -- whether your setting is the airport concourse or a beautifully landscaped garden. Spend several minutes in one location, observing the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and tactile sensations of that location, as well as the overall composition and effect. Alternatively, spend five minutes strolling around focusing on taking in everything you can observe with your eyes - color, texture, size, shape, orientation, composition, etc., and then spend the next five minutes focusing on what you can hear, and so forth through the senses.
Not many people can spend an entire hour in observant wonder. The mind is easily distracted by judgment, thoughts of the past or future, and to-do lists. Consider using part of your time to journal or sketch your observations. Writing or drawing will not only help you observe more closely and keep your attention on your subject, it will also help you capture and process any emotions that arise.
By slowing down and really observing your surroundings, without judgment, you will likely experience one or more of the following benefits:
*A release of tension from your body
*A clearer, more focused mind
*A feeling of connection to the universe
*A renewed sense of lightness of being
*A burst of wonder and joy
We are all born intensely observant, curious and attentive to detail. Each new experience has a wonder-ful quality. But as we "grow up," we often lose that sense of wonder as we hurry through the tasks of life.
Just one moment of wonder-ment can add color to your days, and help you stay in the moment, truly aware of living your life. Try it and observe the results!
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