Eco-Therapy and Nature Therapy
The Healing Power of Nature
There is nothing more grounding and soothing than getting out into God’s creation. The blue of the sky, the greenery and flowers… it is all part of the larger picture. When we allow ourselves to slow down and really take notice of the beauty all around us, we find ourselves breathing more easily and deeply. We relax, and find our place as a created being amidst the largeness of Creation.
Research studies have shown what we have instinctively known all along. Our bodies respond positively when we are gazing out a window – at natural scenery. Blood pressure goes down, breathing and pulse rate slows, mental clarity sharpens.
Eco-Therapy is a relatively new term for incorporating nature into thepractice of therapy. Actually going for nature walks, attending retreats in natural settings, using natural objects (sticks, stones, plants, flowers) within the therapy office, are some of the ways we can incorporate nature into the healing experience. The skill of being mindful is more easily acquired when we are really observing, actively looking at the details, the shapes, colors, textures of a leaf or a flower (for example). In addition, digging and planting in the earth can take us back to the basics of what it means to be human, to grow things, to cause nature to yield a harvest.
Contact Sherry Collier to find out more about how she incorporates Eco-Therapy in her private practice as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.
Call Sherry at (760)445-3415.
