Nature’s Healing Gifts The benefits of reconnecting with the natural world and spending more time outdoors BY DA N N Y F R A Z E R
Here in the Four Corners region, the majority of us have experienced the benefits of nature firsthand. Perhaps it’s why some of us are here in the first place. It’s no secret that it’s healthy to get outside and breathe in the fresh air. In our increasingly digital and urbanized modern world, why do we — or should we — choose to venture out-of-doors? How can nature be a helpful remedy to any number of relational, emotional, mental, physical or spiritual challenges we face today? A NECESSITY FOR DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH Nature benefits our health through even the most basic level of interaction: viewing it. Studies have shown that hospital patients with views of green space, flowers or water from their hospital bed experienced healthier outcomes in recovery time and anxiety levels than those who look out at a brick wall instead. Research from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign on Chicago’s public housing neighborhoods found that those with trees outside their windows or near their doorsteps knew and socialized more with neighbors, had a stronger sense of community and felt safer than those in buildings without trees. Another study from the journal Landscape and Urban Planning found that views of nature from the classroom had more positive impacts on both
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cognition and stress recovery for students than views of parking lots or urban settings. Going a step further, research indicates that being in nature is beneficial mentally and physically. I’m particularly drawn to the work of journalist Richard Louv, who coined the term nature-deficit disorder in his book, "Last Child in the Woods." Though not a formal medical diagnosis, this term describes the human costs of being more and more alienated from nature. Louv brings together new — and ever-expanding — research that links decreased time in nature with increased obesity, attention disorders and depression in childhood development, as well as increased harm to mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health. Through his research Louv concludes that, in essence, access to nature is a human right and a necessity for healthy development, emotional health and physical health for both children and adults. What is so compelling about the findings above is that interaction with natural stimuli at any level will benefit our health. Many people are drawn to the Four Corners by the access to nature experiences such as hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, skiing and biking. Arguably, there are also a lot of people who live here simply for the view of the mountains, or the ability to walk to the river and listen to the rapids. A person does not have to move to Walden Pond like Henry David Thoreau to begin healing from nature.
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