Proximity is certainly a factor, with deprived communities least likely to live near a high-quality nature space. Perhaps unsurprisingly, our poll found that people living in urban areas were less likely than rural residents to connect with nature as much as they wanted. People without gardens were less likely than those with gardens. Younger adults, in particular, may face many barriers to connecting with nature. If it’s true that we’re intertwined with all living things, including our planet, it may be worth considering our actions on a day-to-day basis.

10 Healing Herbs with Medicinal Benefits - Verywell Health 10 Healing Herbs with Medicinal Benefits - Verywell Health

Badri O, et al. (2017). Combination therapy using evening primrose oil and electrical stimulation to improve nerve function following a crush injury of sciatic nerve in male rats. DOI: Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS. Curcumin: A review of its effects on human health. Foods. 2017;6(10):92. doi:10.3390/foods6100092Park, S., & Mattson, R. (2009). Ornamental indoor plants in hospital rooms enhanced health outcomes of patients recovering from surgery. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 15(9), 975-980.

Natural Healing Natural Healing

Tenby in 1895 … sea-bathing, an upper-class health fad, inspired the first seaside resorts. Photograph: Print Collector/Getty Images Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian J Psychol Med. 2012;34(3):255-262. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.106022 According to a series of field studies conducted by Kuo and Coley at the Human-Environment Research Lab, time spent in nature connects us to each other and the larger world. Another study at the University of Illinois suggests that residents in Chicago public housing who had trees and green space around their building reported knowing more people, having stronger feelings of unity with neighbors, being more concerned with helping and supporting each other, and having stronger feelings of belonging than tenants in buildings without trees. In addition to this greater sense of community, they had a reduced risk of street crime, lower levels of violence and aggression between domestic partners, and a better capacity to cope with life’s demands, especially the stresses of living in poverty. When I touch the Earth, it’s really a sense of deep connection,” Dault said. “There’s a sense of a shared connection, of receiving support from the Earth.”

Nature is good for us

Notice your posture. Start by noticing your posture and how you’re holding yourself to help invite relaxation into your body. Sitting next to the pond, he began to think about what lay underneath the ice. The fish and frogs and larvae that normally thrived under the water were all sleeping, he realized. As the snow began to fall on his own body, he realized that he was not separate from the sleeping animals and organisms below the surface of the pond. “I realized that my depression is like the snow,” he said. “It covers everything in me, and it’s like my heart has gone to sleep…but I’m not dead inside. I’m resting.” You don’t have to be face to face with your healer for this as they send healing energy to you from a distance.