nature-based healing Ho w does How does
Quick Visits D on ’ t ha v e t i m e to t ake a l on g hike , hi t t he beach , or m ake a ro ad tr i p to Y ell owston e ? T ha t ’ s o ka y ! T he g oo d n e ws i s e v e n a qu ick , 20 – 30 m i nut e “ d os e ” o f n a tur e a t your l o cal p a r k ca n be e nou gh to s ee a su b st a nt ial dec r ea s e i n str e ss . 2 Don’t have time to take a long hike, hit the beach, or make a road trip to Yellowstone? That’s okay! The good news is even a quick, 20–30 minute “dose” of nature at your local park can be enough to see a substantial decrease in stress. 2
Blue & Green Spaces Blue & Green Spaces S tu die s s h ow t ha t “ r ec r ea t i on al v i s i ts to g r ee n , i n la n d - bl u e , a n d c o a st al - bl u e sp ace s ” ca n lead to be tt e r m e nt al heal t h a n d r ed u ce n ega t i v e e mot i ons — e v e n up to f our w eek s la t e r ! 3 Studies show that “recreational visits to green, inland-blue, and coastal-blue spaces” can lead to better mental health and reduce negative emotions — even up to four weeks later! 3
Deliberate Connection T he J a p a n e s e t e rm s hi nr i n - yo k u , w hich tr a ns la t e s to “ f or e st ba t hi n g ,” i nvo l v e s a n i nt e nt i on al postur e o f op e nn e ss to t he bea uty o f n a tur e . B e st o f all ? E v e n if you d on ’ t li v e a nyw he r e n ea r a f or e st , r e su l ts su gge st t ha t e v e n p ic tur e s o f n a tur al bea uty a r e e nou gh to achie v e heal t h be n efi ts like l ow e r c ort i so l , bl oo d pr e ssur e , a n d hea rt r a t e . 4 Even if you don’t live anywhere near a forest, results suggest that even pictures of natural beauty are enough to achieve health benefits like lower cortisol, blood pressure, and heart rate. The Japanese term shinrin-yoku, which translates to “forest bathing,” involves an intentional posture of openness to the beauty of nature. Best of all?
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