Nature Visualization, health and ecotherapy research

  


  Nature guided imagery is more effective than guided imagery based on urban settings. A study published by Frontiers in Psychology assessed the effects of two different types of guided imagery to learn if one was better than the other (1). To qualify for the study participants had to be 18 years of age or older, and they had to suffer anxiety symptoms. A score for their anxiety was obtained before and after the guided imagery.

  Participants had to do both types of guided imagery (the nature-based imagery and the urban type of imagery). A specially trained psychologist collaborated with the researchers. The study concluded that both types of imagery were of benefit to reduce anxiety, but nature-based guided imagery was found to be even more effective than the urban-based imagery (1).

 Yoga is a mindful holistic practice that awakens the awareness of union and connection with nature. Hence, yoga acknowledges the need to establish a healthy relationship with the environment. From an ecotherapy perspective the mental and physical health of a human being is connected with the health of the earth and its natural ecosystems (2). The preservation of ecosystems, the quality of air, water, soil and climate are all related to human health.

Interaction with nature is also of vital importance to support cognitive and emotional health (3, 4, 5).

  Several studies have shown that contact with nature helps to prevent stress and soothe anxiety. Even viewing scenes of nature is associated with increased levels of serotonin. Serotonin has an antidepressant effect in the body. Viewing scenes of nature also reduces aggression and post-stress anger. It should not come as a surprise that there is more crime in cities with less green spaces (10). Studies have shown that a simple walk in nature can reduce anxiety, enhance the mood, and improve memory. EEG devices were used to study brain waves during a walk in nature compared to walks in indoor spaces (6, 7). Participants were more likely to experience meditative-like brain waves and to exhibit less frustration if they were walking in a green space compared to a shopping street or a busy business area. Research also showed better cognitive performance when the walk is done in green spaces instead of indoors.

Flowering plants and foliage in hospital rooms were associated with better physiological responses, greater patients' satisfaction and the use of less pain medication when compared with a control group of patients (2).

  The use of green care as an aspect of ecotherapy is also emerging as a field of research. Green care includes care farming, animal-assisted interventions, social and therapeutic horticulture, healing gardens and facilitated green exercise (2, 8).

  A systematic review and meta-analysis published by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that nature-based mindfulness has positive effects on physical, psychological and social conditions (9). According to their research nature-based mindfulness was also found to be superior to non-nature mindfulness (9).

  When human health is understood from an integrated perspective that includes social and environmental interactions, the science of medicine may be more open to address public health issues that require research, actions and policies to protect both human health and the environment.

 

References:

1)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6176042/

2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6085576/

3) https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature

4)https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/7/eaax0903

5) https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0155614

6)https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/16078055.2018.1445025

7) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19438150903378425?src=recsys

8)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5406676/

9) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6747393/

10) https://neurosciencenews.com/greenspace-crime-reduction-15813/




Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for commenting.

Popular posts from this blog

Can mindfulness and guided imagery help patients after surgery?

Image
    Guided imagery is the conscious use of the imagination to create positive images to support mind and body in their healing process (1). Mindfulness is a kind of meditation during which we focus on the present moment and become aware of our thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment without criticism and judgments (2). We adopt an open curious attitude to what flows in the present moment, without getting attached to sensations, thoughts and emotions. Yoga, for example, is a mindful practice. Guided imagery has ancient roots. In Eastern medicine envisioning well-being is considered important for healing. The Greeks Aristotle and Hippocrates used the power of imagery to help heal their patients. Over the last decades, techniques of relaxation have been researched to attain relaxation and control of bodily processes. The use of biofeedback is an example of this (3). Guided imagery and mindful meditation in the preoperative period support the patients' re
Read more

Yoga as Antihypertensive Lifestyle Therapy

Image
   The 2017 American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (AHA) Guidelines redefined hypertension to a lower blood pressure threshold of 130 mm HG for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 80 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure (DBP).  Considering these guidelines, 46 % of US adults now present with hypertension. The 2017 American College of Cardiology /AHA Guidelines highlight the importance of regular exercise for the management of hypertension along with the DASH diet.  A meta-analysis published by Mayo Clinic Proceedings in March 2019 found that when yoga is practiced with breathing exercises ( pranayama) and meditation-relaxation techniques it is a viable antihypertensive lifestyle therapy that helps to reduce blood pressure (1).  The study showed that the practice of yoga three times a week reduced systolic blood pressure by 11 mm Hg and 6 mm Hg in the case of diastolic pressure. These reductions of blood pressure equal or exceed the decrease reported by aerobic ex
Read more

The need to keep muscles healthy

Image
     Physical exercise helps to prevent the loss of muscle mass associated with aging. Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass, muscle strength and function (1). When sarcopenia progresses due to a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition, the quality of life is affected. The risk of falls, fractures and hospitalizations increases. Falls in seniors lead to greater healthcare cost; millions of dollars are spent every year in America due to falls (2). Strong muscles are crucial to support the health of bones. (The need to keep bones healthy will be the focus of a future entry). Sarcopenia is associated with chronic inflammation. The good news is that physical exercise can counter the effects of inflammation on muscle. A new study published by Science Advances found that exercise helps muscle cells to counter chronic inflammation (3). Researchers at Duke University used muscle cells in the laboratory to investigate this. They exposed muscle cells to chronic inflammation by using interfero
Read more