Set amongst some of the world’s most precious landscape, visitors to Cabot Shores often describe unique sensations of “calm” during their stays. This visceral, connected energy is part of the larger force that surrounds us- the trees, the stars, the open land and waters. Its an amazing and simple truth that we humans are so innately connected to our environments.
The pull of nature can be profound. Today’s world runs with an urban pulse. Technology has created faster, more connected modes of living, and provides accessibility that both gifts and hinders the human state of being. Research in health, medicine, and psychology supports the theory of nature bearing positive effects on physical and psychological wellness. Not only has nature been connected to mental restoration, stress reduction, and relaxation in humans, but self sufficiency and esteem as well.
Howard Frumkin, director of the National Center for Environmental Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discusses the many positive health effects of environmental exposure, in the April 2001 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Frumkin said that wilderness experiences, such as hiking, have health benefits such as the feelings of vigor and appreciation for others often reported by participants in so-called wilderness therapy programs. Frumkin also comments on where fact meets theory: “Our standard clinical paradigm involves medications more than non-medical approaches, treatment more than prevention. But many people are intuitively drawn to this idea. They feel restored and healthier in a beautiful landscape, for example.”
Switching from complex environments to more natural environments is said to be valuable for calming, healing, re-connecting, and strengthening human beings. As the world advances, our quest towards happiness remains the same, but perhaps more aware, as it was years ago. Its the fickleness of human nature, and global trends reveal such hunger to connect. Health and Fitness industries sky-rocket through recent years; self-help book sales are a whirlwind; ancient healing systems of the Eastern world have migrated, and preventative medicine is now more widely accepted and explored.
What does this all come down to? The simple human connect.We aim to model our lives to best we can, and the tools of modern day often lead the way. However, reeling it back to the fundamentals- to nature- is one of the most basic and healthy ways to improve overall health. I implore you ponder this concept, and keep yourself in mind. Whether its a daily walk outside or a bi-yearly vacation to get away, taking the time and refuge in natural surroundings is a feel-good approach for the records.