Monday, September 5, 2016

The Healing Art of Nature

Nature Bound, small collage by Donna Watson

Recently, some Japanese researchers set out to discover whether something special... and clinically therapeutic... happens when people spend time in nature.  In the early 1980"s the Forest Agency of Japan advised people to take a stroll in the woods for better health.  This practice was called forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku... and it was believed to lower stress.  Since then, a large body of evidence has shown that spending time in nature causes beneficial changes in the body.


I live on a cliff over looking a large body of water... and there are wooded trails around my home that lead down to the beach down below.  I also have created beautiful Japanese gardens that surround my home.


Studies have found that the quiet atmosphere, beautiful scenery, good smells and fresh, clean air in forests all contribute to lower stress, lower anxiety, and help symptoms like depression, heart disease and even cancer.


This is part of my moss garden...  there is a circular path around this moss garden where one can walk and meditate.  Plants and trees release compounds that protect them from pests; when humans inhale those compounds, it promotes healthy -- and measurable-- biological changes.


When I walk through my woods around my home, I love to forage and collect moss covered sticks,
fallen leaves, weathered wood, lichen...  and take to my greenhouse (Zen House).  This is where I also keep my fossil collection, rock collection, driftwood collection, bird nest collection....  and small bonsai collection.
Inside my Zen House


This is where I keep my moss covered sticks with a small bird's nest and ferns.  Research has shown that bringing bits of nature inside can also be very beneficial... even a plant in your room or just looking at trees through a window.

Here are some ferns with my crystal rock collection.

I planted bee balm in my herb garden this year, not realizing I would get these beautiful flowers.
Jizo, the protector of women, children and travelers

"The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it.  If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore; if a river is one of the veins of the land, not potential irrigation water; if a forest is a sacred grove, not timber; if other species are our biological kin, not resources; or if the planet is our mother, not an opportunity -- then we will treat each one with greater respect.  That is the challenge, to look at the world from a different perspective."  David Suzuki

16 comments:

Judy Shreve said...

Beautiful post Donna - you are an inspiration!

Debbie said...

Your garden is just beautiful so mediative and your collections perfect.

Unknown said...

Thank you for a beautiful walk through Nature this morning.

Nancy said...

So peaceful and calming...I just had to share! Thank you for starting my work week with such beauty :)

Caterina Giglio said...

Your photos are so serene, I feel as though I have been forest bathing right here at my computer...

Marisa said...

Wonderful garden. Love it! ♡

Sharmon Davidson said...

I learned about shinrin-yoku recently while participating in an art challenge with that theme... It's interesting that scientific research has been done which validates the healing power of nature, though I daresay there are many of us who know it exists because we've felt its effects. I love seeing your exquisite yard and gardens; it looks like a perfect place to meditate and experience shinrin-yoku. "Nature Bound" expresses it perfectly...

Barry said...

D - totally agree that creating uplifting and creative spaces is healing. B

Tammie Lee said...

such a lovely garden you have created.
wonderful details and earthy beauty.
bee balm grows wild here, a slightly different color.
I have to agree about what nature does to us, such a lovely way to come back to center.
lovely to see a post from you.

trish quilty said...

What a lovely yard you have. I would love to wander thru to inhale its scents, feel its quietness & absorb its healing properties. Thank you for sharing.

Susan said...

Thank you for sharing Donna...I LOVE your work, and your words, you are such an inspiration to me. So happy to find your blog.

annell4 said...

Thank you for another beautiful post.

Kelly M. said...

I believe my heart rate slowed down as I read your entry and gazed on your photos. I love my own garden -- more the blowsy English style garden with roses and clematis, hydrangeas and such -- but still a small haven in a busy world. It's beginning to fold into itself for the coming winter, but I know it's resting and will return in the spring! Thank you for sharing, Donna!

by land by air by sea said...

I can't remember if I ever asked if you know Green Gulch Zen Center in Muir Beach. I live just beside it.
I can't help but think how blissfully happy you would find the place.
I've pretty much stopped blogging, although i miss it.
cheers
Beth

ELFI said...

une porte rouge vif qui ouvre sur du vert apaisant :)))

Daniel Bryan said...

Really inspirational to hear someone pursuing their dreams and becoming successful instead of following the traditional path. I have read your article about This topic. I think it's good and impressed to know your service. Thanks for share this Information.
healing crystals online || pencils for sale