Ahhh, the joy of being outside.
We are not talking about exercise or 10,000 steps a day, just simply spending time outside in nature. By being engaged in the world around us – listening to birds, feeling the weather and touching the earth we become less introspective and it reduces our anxiety and lowers cortisol and perceived stress- with many fascinating studies to back this up.
Green spaces and their sounds are proven to have a direct affect on our brains.
Some experiments were even conducted in Scotland during the winter so perfect environments and sunny weather conditions aren’t a factor, we can still all gain benefits from time spent in any nature.
The Japanese have a culture of forest bathing, it’s literal translation is ‘having a forest shower’. The idea is to try and connect through the senses, to stop, listen and inhale.
What a beautiful echo of our yoga practice which aims for the same sensory awareness.
Forest time is scientifically proven to boost our immune system, especially our natural killer cells (this is a broad and fascinating subject, well worth a google of these miraculous cells)
Professor Ming Kuo (University of Illinois) gives great advice about time spent in nature, she says:
It calms what needs calming and strengthens what needs strengthening.
Again, a parallel we can draw here with how we aim to interact with our nervous system in yoga.
Three day weekends outside can be great but don’t worry, the effects of nature are amazingly quick and experiments with MRI machines monitoring brain changes noted that natures benefits can even be within five minutes.
Different benefits are in different settings but all of natures settings have good benefits.
Tree lined streets, green views, improve mood and stress. In areas of soil and fields microbes change our serotonin levels and block stress.
In areas of moving water or forests there are negative air ions and the smell such as pine or cedar is actually the smell of phytoncides which when humans breathe in increase our white blood cells and their activity, fighting disease.
How incredible is that?
There are even studies on children with ADHD who are taken for 20 minute walks. There was marked improvement in concentration after forest walks as opposed to downtown walks.
Even in urban areas every city has a park, roundabouts are planted up and many streets are tree-lined.
Remember just five minutes is enough to see positive changes in our mood and on a cellular level so take advice from the Japanese and your yoga practice –
Stop. Listen. Breathe it all in.