When you take in a natural scene, like a sunset, a view from a hike, or a rainbow, your physiology is affected. Your brain waves when taking in things in nature are much different from viewing an urban setting. What we observe can influence our heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones and other physiological functions in the body.
Smarty Pants Quote:
“‘People with access to nearby natural settings have been found to be healthier overall than other individuals. The longer-term, indirect impacts (of ‘nearby nature’) also include increased levels of satisfaction with one’s home, one’s job and with life in general’ [Kaplan and Kaplan, 1989 (p. 173)].”
I’m not saying we all have to live in the middle of the woods, but it is important to get outside, be around the amazing things that naturally exist in this world, and breathe in the fresh oxygen that greenery provides. Even during the most stressful periods of my life, going to a mountain or lake always seemed to take the edge off. I didn’t need the research to back up how I felt, but it is interesting to read the latest studies on this further emphasizing the point.
I hope this post inspires you to go exploring in a field of flowers. I can’t wait to jump in a stream!
Increase your health and lower stress by simply going to a park, hugging a tree, hiking a mountain, swimming in a lake, or hanging on the beach. Do all of those this weekend if you can!
Advice I Give Myself 
Hi Andrea,
You have done it again. I have two chairs in my backyard. And this year I’ve turned around one to look into my woods and all the tall and so amazing trees! I call the one facing my home “My To Do” Chair, which makes me face that never-ending To Do list concerning it, but never, ever seems to be satisfied, whereas the other one is called “My To BE” chair. This chair is my sacred chair, which gives me full permission to just Be, without the guilt of not Doing my to do list! I sit in stillness and sometimes touch the tree next to me to connect. It really does help to calm me and brings me to that place of peace in which we all are searching for these days. I’ll try to take a picture of my chairs to have a visually of what it looks like. Hope everything is going well with you and really love your blog!! Namaste!!