A NATURE FIX

Most days Gregg and I take at least a few minutes in the morning to be still and silent in the presence of nature.  We sit on our deck as chickadees chatter, aspens sway, and clouds whisp into the blue.  Every morning the same practice.  Every morning a different world.

Gregory Bratman, a graduate student at Stanford, studied the psychological effects of urban living. In particular, his research looked at the impact of nature on a person’s tendency to “brood”, or to ruminate excessively about distressing situations.  Brooding is,  apparently, “disproportionately common among city dwellers compared with people living outside urban areas and can be a precursor to depression”.

Bratman’s research confirmed that a 90 minute walk through a quiet area of Stanford’s campus reduced a person’s level of broodiness, but a 90 minute walk near a busy street in Palo Alto did not have a similar effect.  Urban dwellers can, however, get a true “nature fix” by simply sitting in the presence of nature near a tree.  We don’t need an entire forest for this effect.  Even those who are housebound, and can see a tree branch through their window, have been shown to experience benefits.

The life force within us resonates with the life force around us.  No matter how perfect and beautiful our man-made world may be, it does not have the divine spark of life within it.  We also need exposure to the wild and natural world if we are to thrive.  Here’s to experiencing the breezes and the chirps and the wildflowers of August.