The Healing Power of Nature
There’s something magical about a quiet, peaceful forest. A mysterious, almost eerie feeling waves over the soul as if you have entered sacred ground. Among the tree trunks and illuminating green of the leaves and moss and undergrowth there’s an almost inaudible chatter of forest creatures playing just out of sight. The streaming sunlight warms your skin while the gentle breeze cools and soothes right to the soul. Somehow you feel as if you are being watched. As if some old, ancestral spirit is peeking at you through the growth of the trees, following closely watching your every move. The less people you have with you the more you feel around you, accompanying you on your walk perhaps brushing your skin as you walk by.
In the woods and forests and the orchards something sparks your soul, calling us to go deeper and explore more. Our bodies just feel at home like we are right where we should be. And our minds are free to roam and play talking in stunning visuals and curious tricks of the eye. As you reach out to pet the branches while walking by, each touch feels like a spark, a little bit of magic as if the plant was dying for attention.
If you’ve ever been on sacred or religious ground you may understand the overwhelming awe of the spirit, and curiosity of the mind so powerful that it rushes through your physical being nearly knocking you to your knees to call out praises of beauty and graciousness to the gods. To know and feel through and through that this is a sacred space. If forests, woods and mountains have this effect on you, you are not alone. It is in our very human spirit, our ancestral natural being to connect with God, the Great Spirit, Allah, Gaia, Pachamama, Yahweh – whatever god you follow – through nature. As it was made for us. Full of resources, wisdom, food, medicine, air, water, earth – all that was needed originally for sustainment and imagination.
EcoTherapy teaches us to understand and fully utilize the resources of the earth to live a natural, healthy, sustainable and authentic lifestyle in harmony with the environment that surrounds us. Understanding natural magic, the earth’s vast healing and sustaining powers and universal energy that rules our physical bodies and psyches. Learn how to use the amazing free resources of the earth to go beyond survival, how universal energy affects us all and how to use the natural resources of the earth to thrive in health, wealth and exultation.
EcoTherapy is much more than a walk in the woods. The invitation is to spend some time outdoors with the intention of creating a deeper connection to Nature and in the process increase our sense of well-being. A rewarding connection with nature offers healing, renewal, knowledge, life purpose, and a spiritual oasis to daily life.
The use of the outdoors for well-being is becoming increasingly popular as we discover more and more the benefits of natural medicine, clean forest air and our interaction with our environment. Everyday more studies are released on the benefits ecotherapy has on children, teenagers and adults, relieving stress, decreasing ADD, ADHD and various mental health illnesses and well as helping our bodies fight illness and dis-ease. (learn more about Forest Bathing and the benefits of nature in my next post)
You probably never realized it, but trees have and share freely a great compassionate energy. Trees around a house have been scientifically shown to clean the air, cool the temperatures, provide wind block, and stabilize the energy from power lines and grids. In cities where trees are planted amongst the houses, it has been found that the people living there are generally more peaceful, there is less crime, neighbors keep a better appearance of themselves and their environment. There are fruit trees, nut trees, Christmas trees, flower trees, trees for lumber to build houses and furniture, and medicinal trees. And that’s just trees – surrounding them and all around are plants that can heal just about everything. Learn how to survive and thrive with plants in your own backyard or how to forage for fresh and healthy foods (city or country).
The ecotherapy I use and instruct is leading edge in its use of specific activities that bring people closer to nature and in turn improves their well-being. There is a particular emphasis on mindfulness, sensory awareness and creativity. (Visit www.HeartoftheForest.co to learn more) Nature is incredibly creative and resourceful – why shouldn’t you be? You can experience ecotherapy indoors and out with nature hikes, natural nutrition, meditations and exercises that will nourish the body, soothe the soul and ignite the spirit!