Hi everyone! How are things in your neck of the woods? I hope you have had a chance to soak up some Vitamin D! Thank you for your support and for subscribing to my nature blog!

This week’s blog is about- How Nature is healing for us, part 2. Also, I wanted to include a new book, which describes something we can do to connect with Nature more!

Let’s get into how Nature heals us. First, I want to say that every article that I have read on this subject comes to the same conclusion- NATURE IS HEALING! The bottom line is that spending time outdoors in any environment helps all of us with many health issues! It is something that we can do for ourselves that is no cost, no serious side effects and usually does not need an appointment!

In a recent article that I read in Psychology Today, by Leslie Korn PhD. May 9, 2025, called “The Healing Power of Nature”, she discusses how Nature and Ecotherapy can strengthen emotional wellbeing and resilience.

Nature assists with the neurochemistry in our brains. She discovered that by being in nature can change and increase important chemicals in the brain that regulate mood, sleep, memory and also decreases stress and anxiety.

“Nature can reset our nervous system.” (Korn 2025)

As I have talked about before in previous blogs, that by being outside can help improve eyesight by exposure to natural light. (Berman 2025)

Korn reports in her article, that an immediate effect from being out in nature is the effect of color and light on the brain. When you think about the major colors in nature, it is of the green to blue green color range of the spectrum, and it is this particular wavelength that is so important for the chemicals Serotonin- for mood and Melantoin- for sleep. So just by being in a forest or an ocean, it can help boost your mood, decrease anxiety, and help you sleep better at night! It is interesting to note that these effects cannot be reproduced in fake environments. (Korn 2025)

Another major reason for feeling good when you are near an ocean, river, waterfall, any moving water are because of negative ions. This statement has been scientifically discussed, and it has been found to have helped people with many depressive states and cognition issues.

What exactly is a negative ion? It is a molecule with an extra electron and when you are near moving water there are very high concentrations of these in the air. They are created naturally by the sun, wind and moving water. (Korn 2025) The exact mechanisms as to why negative ions work are still being researched, but it has been found to boost oxygen flow, increase Serotonin, and improve memory and concentration.

The author- Leslie Korn, states that the following 6 ways can support our mental health by using nature:

1. Create a nature inspired environment at home- use plants or herbs, around your home. You don’t need a lot of space – use windowsills, balconies. also, you can use waterfalls indoors. there are many choices available.
2. Plan outdoor trips/excursions- walk, hike, swim, boat, birdwatching, camping are all great activities.
3. Experience small daily moments in nature. lunch outdoors at work, upon arising get out in the morning light, if you have only 5 mins pause outside and look around in a natural setting.
4. Ground yourself- make physical contact with the earth, barefoot. This is a great topic which I will be talking about further in future blogs.
5. Experience Forest Bathing- which is a practice of being in the forest and being mindful. I plan on talking more about forest bathing in another blog post.
6. Become active in the community by helping with clean up days, community gardening or others.

In the next part of the blog, I want to talk about a daily practice which is new to me, but it is not a new concept. It’s called the Sit-Spot Practice. I am currently working on my own practice, and I think it is a great idea to be able to feel more connected to nature. The book that I have found is, Living Nature Connected, 2021 by Hub Knott, a 30-Day Sit Spot Practice. The author is well educated regarding the practice. He has been doing this practice for over 25 years. He has educated kids and adults about nature and has an award-winning school in the Blue Ridge Mountains called The Living Earth School. The following is a paragraph from the book by Hub Knott-

“Having a regular sit spot is one of the best things you can do to connect with the earth. It is kind of like making tea: when you steep yourself quietly in nature, ideally a little every day, you will start to feel nature infuse your whole being. You will begin to really feel the many health benefits in mind, body and soul that this practice provides.” Sit spot sitting can quite the mind, help build listening skills, feeling more in balance and improve observations.

His book is informational, gives you tips, how to find the best sit spot, frequent asked questions and challenges you may have and how to help you. The 30-day practice is a series of daily nature activities to assist you with your progress and focuses on different subjects. Remember this is a sitting, being present and mindful activity, not an active one. If you need to walk, then walk in the area you chose. So far, I am enjoying the book, and I have just chosen my sit spot. I wanted to make sure I chose a good spot and this took me a couple of days. He provides a space to write notes of your experiences, within the book.

I will let you know how my sit spot journey is going! If you need any more information about anything, please let me know!

Until next week, Get outside!

Ann Marie