NATURE NOTES NATURE BATHING: A MULTI- SENSORY EXPERIENCE FOR BETTER EMOTIONAL REGULATION

I am pleased to turn this column to landscape designer Julia Wilson, who also happens to have a minor in disability studies. Julia is very interested in design projects that feature inclusivity at its core, and she completed her thesis on outdoor design for children with autism. Julia can be reached

at: juliahvwilson@gmail.com.

Thank you, Julia, for preparing a wonderful article about nature bathing.

Nature bathing does not happen in a pool or bathtub! It can happen in your own backyard, a dedicated corner of your home, or in a local park. All that’s needed are some plants and about 20 minutes. By spending time in green spaces, you and your child may benefit from experiencing a reduction in negative emotions like stress and depression (Li, 2010; Park, 2010). In fact, studies have shown children with autism who have regular interaction with green spaces typically demonstrate more positive, relaxed moods and better emotional regulation (Bradley, 2017; Larson, et al., 2018; Li, et al., 2018). Time in nature has also been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate, so, as you might be thinking, the whole family can benefit from this health-promoting practice (Ideno, et al., 2017).

Through a “bathing” practice that grounds sensation in nature, you and your child can enjoy different multi-sensory experiences. This is important because our sensory systems play a role in everything we do in our lives, so why not involve them in nature bathing? You can do this by inviting your child to interact with plants as they best tolerate, to describe, or to describe for them, different plants they encounter as they “bathe” in any nature setting.

You can ask, “Which leaves are rough, and which are smooth? What color are the flowers (leaves, bark, etc.)? What does it smell like?” You may even invite your child to shake the plant very gently if it is hardy, to hear what sound rustling leaves By Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR/L, SCEM, EDAC, FAOTA make with movement. This is a good way to start incorporat-

ing plants into any type of sensory routines you may already have. You can also take nature bathing to the next level by asking your child which plants they like the best and why they like it. This is an excellent way to learn about their preferences and include them in the process of one day building or expanding a garden that your whole household can enjoy.

Here are some practical ways you can implement nature bathing at home or in the community:

OPTION 1: BACKYARD A backyard is accessible, familiar, and a controlled environment, making it a good starting point to introduce your child to nature bathing. Using raised bed planters and pots that are already planted, you can slowly acquaint your child with different plants. After spending some time exploring plants with diverse smells, textures, and appearances, if it is appropriate, think about designating a planting space in your backyard for your child to decide what to plant (provided the plants are safe and pose no health risks). It could be a separate planting bed or pot, whatever works best for you and your child.

Based on your child’s needs and skill level, the next step would be working with them to learn to tend and care for their special garden. This fosters not only a sense of responsibility for living things but also independence, as they will have control to make decisions about their space. If this level of responsibility is not on target for your child, activities like picking flowers and pressing them in old books to later be used for crafts projects or choosing one plant they like to observe throughout the seasons provide meaningful nature interaction. Other nature bathing backyard activities include laying a blanket down near some greenery and either sitting and looking at the plants or laying down and listening to the sounds of the garden. When you get quiet, you see and hear so much!

OPTION 2: LOCAL PARK OR COMMUNITY GARDEN If backyards are not available, a local park can also be used to nature bathe, as most things you can do in your backyard can also be done at the park. Setting up a show and tell puzzle game is one activity you can do in a park, garden, or backyard. With your child, collect some pieces of plants (guiding them so they don’t harm the local flora). You can collect plant pieces from right where you are or throughout the space, depending on your child’s interest level and ability. Together, talk about what parts of the plant you have found and how they come together, what each piece looks, feels, and smells like, while at the same time, “reassembling” the plant or leaf.

OPTION 3: INDOOR GREEN SPACES You can also nature bathe inside. This indoor green space can be a potted herb garden near a sunny window in the kitchen or any other place inside that gets at least six hours of sunlight per day. To prepare your indoor nature bathing, work with your child to spend a day or two observing the lighting in different areas, noting them “direct light,” which means the sun shines directly on the area without anything blocking it, or “indirect light,” which means that the light does not shine on the area directly and is typically partially blocked by either a tree or wall. Light can also change depending on the orientation of your home and the time of day. You can also get more detailed and note features in each potential planting area such as whether it is next to an air vent, which will make the area drier, or if it is next to a sink or shower, which would make it slightly more humid. These conditions will help you make the best choices of where to nature bathe. Then, after

you determine the best places, get plants potted up and let the fun begin!

In the same way you offer your child a designated area to garden, giving them a specific houseplant to take care of or observe over time encourages them to learn more about one specific plant. In fact, this might be a good starting point before giving your child the bigger responsibility of their own outdoor garden, if that is an option and desired outcome.

To create a dynamic and flexible indoor nature bathing experience, trailing plants like pothos can be a nice experience for your child to walk or roll under or reach up towards and touch. Wall planters can maximize space efficiency but also be used to feature different textured plants as a mini green wall. With a wall planter, your child can practice reaching up to the top or to the side as you put in a request to “pinch off some parsley for dinner!”

Nature is healing and hopefully it can be something you can all take part in regularly. So, if you’re looking for something good for your child and the whole family, why not try some nature bathing?

References

Bradley, K., & Male, D. (2017). “Forest School is muddy and I like it”: Perspectives of young children with autism spectrum disorders, their parents and educational professionals. Educational and Child Psychology, 34, 80–96.

Ideno, Y., Hayashi, K., Abe, Y., Ueda, K., Iso, H., Noda, M., Lee, J.-S., & Suzuki, S. (2017). Blood pressure-lowering effect of Shinrin-yoku (Forest bathing): A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-017-1912-z

Larson, L. R., Barger, B., Ogletree, S., Torquati, J., Rosenberg, S., Gaither, C. J., Bartz, J. M., Gardner, A., Moody, E., & Schutte, A. (2018). Gray space and green space proximity associated with higher anxiety in youth with autism. Health & Place, 53, 94–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.07.006

Li, D., Larsen, L., Yang, Y., Wang, L., Zhai, Y., & Sullivan, W. (2018). Exposure to nature for children with autism spectrum disorder: Benefits, caveats, and barriers. Health & Place, 55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.11.005

Li, Q. (2010). Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 15(1), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199008-0068-3

Park, B. J., Tsunetsugu, Y., Kasetani, T., Kagawa, T., & Miyazaki, Y. (2010). The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): Evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 15(1), 18–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199009-0086-9

Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR/L, SCEM, EDAC, FAOTA, is Principal of Amy Wagenfeld | Design and Lecturer in the PostProfessional Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program at Boston University. She is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and the Center for Health Systems and Design at Texas A&M University and holds EvidenceBased Design Accreditation and Certification (EDAC) through the Center for Health Design, Specialty Certification in Environmental Modifications (SCEM) through the American Occupational Therapy Association, and certification in Healthcare Garden Design through the Chicago Botanical Garden. Amy presents and publishes widely on topics relating access to nature and is co-author of the award-winning book Therapeutic Gardens: Design for Healing Spaces published by Timber Press. When not designing gardens, researching, or developing garden and nature programs, Amy can be found happily digging in the dirt.

Website: www.amywagenfelddesign.com Blog: http://workjournal.org/nurture-through-nature Email: amy@amywagenfelddesign.com