What is outdoor therapy?
What is Outdoor Therapy? New Age? Not really, it’s actually a concept that’s been around for a very long time, though it was once woven into our lives in a much more integral way.
Outdoor therapy, also known as nature therapy, eco-therapy (and in Japan, forest bathing) is different than just choosing to do an activity outside. It’s not going for a hike, or setting out to walk a certain number of miles through the woods. It is being outdoors in a natural environment without an agenda other than to be present, engaged and observant of our surroundings. It’s a form of mindfulness meditation that has some unique benefits, like seeing beautiful plants and animals and breathing fresh air.
Exposure to nature helps lower blood pressure and cortisol levels (an indication of stress reduction); boosts immunity and has a positive impact on mood. What’s at work here? Researchers think it may be connected to the kind of attention nature evokes, which is called involuntary attention. This type of attention requires no mental effort and is replenishing. Many things we do require what’s called directed attention. This is not a bad thing, it’s what allows us to focus on things like reading, doing math problems or teaching a class. But this kind of attention eventually makes us tired and depleted. It’s a matter of balance of the two.
I started my career working primarily with adolescent girls who had suffered significant traumas, and who had been institutionalized often and sometimes for long periods of time. I realized very quickly that talking in the office was often not the best option for them. Too confined, too awkward and too artificial. So we would walk. Our program was located in a small city in a historic part of town. So while we weren’t exactly in a forest, we did have access to a beautiful old neighborhood with lots of big trees, interesting houses and much of the year, lovely gardens. We now know that movement really helps people process highly stressful events whether in their own mind or in conversation with others. So it wasn’t just the fact that we were out of the office that helped, it was what we were doing instead. These positive experiences built confidence and a sense of safety, and that made if possible to have sessions in the office when preferred or necessary.
There are an infinite number of ways nature can be brought into our living and working spaces. Flowers, stones collected from the beach, artwork…. Many years ago I was sick with pneumonia. I was confined to bed for over 3 weeks. My husband, who is among other things an artist, insisted on keeping the room filled with flowers, plants and artwork the kids would bring home from school. He would open the windows whenever possible to let in the sun and fresh air, and the sound of the river that ran by our house. To this day I remember the difference that made in my experience of being in that room day after day. I later learned there is well-documented research