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Nature Therapy - Therapeutic Walking or Hiking - Green Therapy

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Walking in Nature to Promote the Health of the Mind, Body and Spirit

 

John Muir once wrote, In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.

Walking in nature can have many therapeutic benefits for the person walking. Taking a walk or a hike to enjoy the scenery, the fresh air and the activity can help in calming and clearing the mind, managing stress and depression and improving one's overall health.

Other more focused techniques such as a walking meditation, walking a labyrinth or grief walking can be beneficial for the body and the spirit as a way to promote health and well-being.

Robert Sweetgall remindes us of one of the other benefits of walking:

We live in a fast-paced society.
Walking slows us down.


Simply slowing down the pace of life by spending more time walking helps reduce the stress and improve your overall health and well being.

Photo Source: Modified Microsoft Image.

Therapeutic Ways of Walking in Nature 

Walking to Promote Health and Well-being

Some of the different ways that walking can help either informally, or more formally to benefit the whole person--mind, body and spirit include:
  1. Nature Therapy
  2. Using Quotations to Enhance a Walk
  3. Walking Meditation
  4. Therapeutic Walking or Hiking
  5. Walking the Labyrinth
  6. The Walk - a Metaphor for Challenge
  7. Walking for Inspiration - Nature Examples of Surviving and Thriving
  8. Grief Walking
  9. Virtual Walking
  10. Ready to Grab Some Walking Shoes?

Walking at A Pace that Reminds You to Slow Down 

Slowing Down to Enjoy Life


    Slow down and enjoy life.
    It's not only the scenery you miss by going to fast -
    you also miss the sense
    of where you are going and why.

    Eddie Cantor

Photo Source: Modified Microsoft Image.

Nature as the Therapy 

Nature is One of the Best Prescriptions for Promoting Health

There is a healing quality to nature, which has been known for centuries be it taking time to smell the roses, meditating on a mountain, lying in a wildflower field, strolling by a meandering stream, or hiking in ancient redwood groves. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, recognized this powerful attribute in his humbling statement, Nature cures-not the physician.

People instinctively turn to outdoor and nature-loving activities as a way of relaxing and enhancing their well-being. Nature can aid in facilitating self-awareness and promoting healing. For many the outdoors is a source of inspiration, solace, guidance and regeneration.

Time spent outdoors can be restorative and healing. Whether running through a canyon, walking on the sunny beach, hiking through a fern-filled forest, scrambling over rocks along a creek side, watching the last few rays of the setting sun, strolling along a moonlit night, or just sitting breathing fresh clean air, being out in nature is one of the best prescriptions for promoting health, well-being and encouraging healing.

Source:
Dyer KA. 2002. Nature Awareness as a Therapeutic Modality:
Part 1: The Healing Qualities of Nature
. Resources. Journey of Hearts.

Walking a Balance between Spirit and Humility 

Quotes on Walking

    Walking is the great adventure,
    the first meditation,
    a practice of heartiness
    and soul primary to humankind.

    Walking is the exact balance
    between spirit and humility.

    Gary Snyder
    The Practice of the Wild

Photo Source: Modified Microsoft Image.

Using Quotations to Enhance a Walk 

Quotes for Reflecting and Contemplating While Walking

Naturalist Sigurd Olson would bring quotations, poems, words of wisdom or philosophy copied on scraps of paper along on his canoe trips.

Once in the wilderness, he would pull out the paper scraps, read the thoughts and think about what the words meant to him.

I have scattered a collection of quotations about walking throughout this lens that can be copied on pieces of paper and used to inspire your next walk.

Photo Credit: Thorsten Epping. One Moment. Used with Permission.

Walking Haiku 

Quotes on Walking


    Walking around
    an early spring garden
    going nowhere.

    Kyoshi


Photo Source: Nat Arnett. Spring Garden. Royalty Free Use.

Green Therapy Has Many Benefits 

Improving Mood, Helping with Depression and ADHD

Green therapy is being exposed to natural settings or being out in nature. It is about getting out of doors and becoming active in a green environment to boost mental health. This includes taking regular walks in the countryside or the park, flying a kite, or taking part in a gardening therapy project.
ADHD: Nature Therapy Helps Kids
Green therapy-exposure to natural settings-appears to help reduce symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, say researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Green peace of mind
The growing eco-therapy movement is encouraging people to embrace Mother Nature to improve their mental health. From globeandmail.com.
Green Walking Beats The Blues
A New Study is recommending ecotherapy or green therapy for Depression> Going for a green walk in a park or countryside where one is surrounded by nature reduces depression whereas walking in a shopping centre or urban setting increases depression.
Ecotherapy - the green agenda for mental health
PDF file of the report from Mind (National Association for Mental Health). With this report Mind calls for a new green agenda
for mental health, following growing evidence in
support of an accessible, cost-effective and natural addition to existing treatment options - ecotherapy.
Depression and anxiety: Exercise eases symptoms - MayoClinic.com
This article from the Mayo Clinic includes tips for exercising to improve the symptoms of depression.

Walking One of Life's Simple Rewards 

Quotes on Walking

    To find the universal elements enough;
    to find the air and the water exhilarating;
    to be refreshed by a morning walk
    or an evening saunter;
    to be thrilled by the stars at night;
    to be elated over bird's nest
    or a wildflower in spring -
    these are some of the rewards of the simple life.

    John Burroughs
Photo Source: Anthony Thomas. Pre-dawn walk. Royalty Free Use.

Ecopsychology, Ecotherapy - Combining Ecology and Psychology 

Exploring the Therapeutic Benefits of Ecology

Ecopsychology or Ecotherapy are the more formal definitions being used to describe the study of the emotional bond with the Earth or how the nature can have a therapeutic benefit and aid with a healing process.

Ecopsychology explores how to make links and bonds with nature. It is a way to take psychotherapy out of office buildings and into the open.

A simple walk in the woods, even in a city park, is refreshing, because that's what humans have over thousands of years evolved to do. The beneficial effects of natural settings, and even of looking at pictures of landscapes, can be measured. They have been verified in psychological studies.

Ecotherapy helps people find balance, connection, guidance, and healing through deepening their relationship with the natural world.

This could be as simple as taking a walk every day, paying attention to seasonal changes; or joining with others to clean up a local stream--all the way up to solo fasts in the wilderness.

Sources:
Ecopsychology. Wikipedia. Term Credited to Theodore Roszak.
Mackey J. Ecotherapy.

John Kabat-Zinn on Walking Meditation 

Quotes on Walking

    We carry our mind around with us when we walk, so we are usually absorbed in our own thoughts to one extent or another. We are hardly ever just walking, even when we are just going out for a walk.

    Walking meditation involves intentionally attending to the experience of walking itself. This brings your attention to the actual experience of walking as you are doing it, focusing on the sensations in your feet and legs, feeling your whole body moving.

    John Kabat-Zinn

Photo Source: Modified Microsoft Image.

Walking Meditation 

A Way of Walking to Focus Your Mind

Walking is an effective addition to traditional meditation. With a walking meditation the experience of walking becomes the focus.

While walking you are able to become more mindful and more aware of the entire process as you bring your attention to the actual experience of walking.

Try the following techniques when walking:
  1. Focus on the body's sensations. Become aware of the movement throughout your body.
  2. Focus on counting. Count each step: 1, 2, 3... until 10. When you reach 10 start over again.
  3. Focus on noting the movements. Concentrate on the activity and each phase of a foot's movement.
  4. Focus on the breath. Breathe normally. Notice the steps that are taken as you inhale & exhale.
  5. Focus on the energy. Feel the energy flow, up from the ground to you, from you to the earth.
  6. Focus on a mantra or an affirmation. Repeat a phrase in rhythm with your steps. "I am calmer."
  7. Focus on the shifting of weight. Feel the body weight as it transfers from one part to another.
  8. Focus on the mental processes. Become aware of the thought that initiates moving your foot.

Walking in the Present Moment 

Quotes on Walking

    Our true home is in the present moment.
    To live in the present moment is a miracle.
    The miracle is not to walk on water.
    The miracle is to walk on the green Earth
    in the present moment...

    Thich Nhat Hanh
Photo Source: Michal Zacharzewski. Tourists in the mountains. Royalty Free Use.

Walking Meditation 

Walking Meditation

Walking Meditation - a meditation in action. Soundtrack courtesy of Ven. Pannyavaro at Buddhanet.net

Runtime: 3:12
756 views
1 Comments:

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Therapeutic Walking or Hiking 

Focusing on What Surrounds You in Nature

Walking, hiking or getting out in nature can provide many restorative benefits and, as Paul White points out, "do more good for an unhappy adult than all the medicine in the world".

With therapeutic walking the walker is encouraged to focus on nature, to look at the little things under foot, to notice the surrounding environment and to pay attention to the journey--the many things that are missed when walking lost in thoughts. Taking time to slow down, to notice and reflect on the surroundings-trees, plants, animals, rock formations and wildflowers-can be very restorative and worthwhile.

Therapeutic walking can have healing effects. Simply take the time to notice the many examples of how nature has survived tragedy and healed. Wounded trees are powerful examples of life continuing despite disaster or tragedy and the recuperative abilities of nature.

In nature death is a natural occurrence and accepted. Plants and animals die, decay and new life grows from their dying. Being more attuned to the survival cycle of nature provides a person struggling to cope with profound insights into coping with his or her problems, life challenges and struggles.

Adapted from Source:
Dyer KA. 2002. Nature Awareness as a Therapeutic Modality:
Part 1: The Healing Qualities of Nature
. Resources. Journey of Hearts.

Walking Serenely 

Quotes on Walking

    I stroll along serenely,
    with my eyes,
    my shoes
    my rage,
    forgetting everything.

    Pablo Neruda
    (Translated)

Photo Source: Nitin Ale. Solitude. Royalty Free Use.

Walking the Labyrinth 

An Ancient Spiritual Tool

In the past 10 years there has been an increased interest in Labyrinths. These archetypes are being used as a spiritual tool, or a healing modality in a variety of settings from churches and schools to hospitals and prisons.

By blending visual symbolism with the process of walking, labyrinths create a walking meditation that can be used to enhance awareness, reduce stress, quiet the mind and open the heart.

While following the ancient pattern, the walker's attention is focused on the process of stepping, placing one foot in front of the other and breathing in controlled, regulated manner.

Four different paths for using the labyrinth have been described. Each path revolves around a different focus of meditation:
  1. The Path of Image: The walker follows whatever memories, dreams or images that the mind or imagination brings forth.
  2. The Path of Silence: The walker opens his/her mind and heart by emptying the agitation of the outer world. This allows the walker to move into the present moment and become more centered.
  3. The Path of Prayer: The walker recites a traditional prayer, scripture or verse, line of poetry, or original prayer. The pattern can be repeated over and over, be rhythmic or not.
  4. The Path of Questioning: The walker poses a question and seeks an answer upon entering the labyrinth. Walking allows him/her to more deeply explore or become aware of possible solutions.

Looking for Truth Outside Yourself 

Quotes on Walking

    If you look for the truth outside yourself,
    It gets farther and farther away.

    Today walking alone, I meet it everywhere I step.
    It is the same as me, yet I am not it.

    Only if you understand it in this way
    Will you merge with the way things are.

    Tung-Shan
Photo Source: Simona Jakov. Step. Royalty Free Use.

The Walk as a Metaphor for Challenge 

Coping with the Journey One Step at a Time

There is an Ancient Chinese Proverb that about a journey...

A journey of a thousand miles
must begin
with a single step.

The walk itself can become a metaphor for coping with difficulties or life challenges. One moves along the footpath and begins the journey through life by taking the route one single step at a time followed by another and another.

During a walk (or when facing a challenge) the walker must pace him/herself to make it to the end of the trail or the top of the mountain.

Along the way challenges may be encountered and fears about the journey may surface. These fears may at first seem insurmountable, but they are met and conquered.

Mountain climber Jim Whitaker, who ascended Mount Everest, points out:

It is not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves.
You never conquer a mountain.
Mountains can't be conquered;
You conquer yourself
Your hopes, your fears.

Adapted from Source:
Dyer KA. 2002. Nature Awareness as a Therapeutic Modality:
Part 1: The Healing Qualities of Nature
. Resources. Journey of Hearts.

Walking the Labyrinth - Trusting the Path 

Opening Up to a New World

    Through the act of trusting the path,
    of giving up conscious control
    of how things should go
    and being receptive to our inner state,
    we can be opened up to a whole new world.

    Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress

Photo Source: Modified Microsoft Image.

Squidoo Lenses on Walking the Labyrinth 

Walking the Labyirinth

Links to Online Labyrinths 

Labyrinth of the Lake
The Labyrinth of the Lake is located in Canyon Lake, Texas, between Austin and San Antonio. This includes a short photographic tour of the labyrinth.
Finding Guidance through the Labyrinth - online practice
An online activity, guiding you through the Labyrinth from Gratefulness.org.
Online labyrinth introduction
The Online Labyrinth is an online translation of the Cathedral Labyrinth created by London alternative worship groups Grace, LOPE, and Epicentre.
Online Finger Meditation Tool
From Veriditas The Voice of the Labyrinth Movement
at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.

The Cycle of Life Playing Out in Nature 

A Reminder that Death is Inevitable

    In the forest the seasons came
    and went and with them,
    death came to the flowers,
    trees and animals.

    It was all part of the life cycle.

    Death is an inevitable part of life.

    Sharon Kidd

Photo Source: G & A Scholiers. Fall. Royalty Free Use.

Walking for Inspiration During Times of Challenge 

Discovering in Nature Examples of Surviving and Thriving

Walking with awareness allows the walker or hiker to notice the all parts of life cycle, from birth to death. When in nature-you see examples of decay and death but also of restoration and renewal.

Being in nature one becomes aware of the infinite circle of life. There is evidence of decay, destruction and death; there are also examples of rejuvenation, restoration, and renewal. The never-ending cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth can put life and death into perspective and impart a sense of constancy after experiencing a life changing loss or a death.

Nature has strong regenerative capabilities to heal damage caused by fire, lightening, flood, earthquakes or blights. Looking closely amidst the ruins of fire or flood affected areas one can find signs of new growth and new life. Nature demonstrates the ability to survive despite strong forces that challenge her.
    If you watch how nature deals with adversity,
    continually renewing itself,
    you can't help but learn.

    Bernie Seigel, MD
If observant, you can find countless examples of a natural inner strength by looking at how nature copes with challenge-the ability not only to survive disasters, destruction, hardship and loss, but to grow and thrive.

Some notable examples:
  • Roads may lie hidden under the snow, yet the path is still there, visible above the snow.
  • Trees and plants grow from rocks where their roots have pierced through small bits of soil to find water for their survival.
  • Wildflowers grow protected under a canopy of tree and plant leaves.
  • Over time, trees change their growth patterns, being molded by the wind, forces of nature and other challenges.
  • Wounded, damaged or burnt trees keep growing despite missing pieces or falling over. The trees heal over the wounded part and learning to keep growing (or going) despite the damage.
  • New life-plants, ferns, foliage, trees-arises from old-growth trees, cut down or burned.

Walking the Proper Pace to Travel through Grief 

Quote on Grief Walking

    We can't escape
    or walk away from grief;
    we walk through it.
    And walking,
    not running,
    not crawling-
    is the proper pace
    to be traveling.

    Linus Mundy

Photo Source: Brian Lary. . Royalty Free Use.

Grief Walking 

A Variation on Walking Meditation

A variation on walking meditation is grief walking, as a means of using a physical activity to counter balance the strong emotions exhibited during grief.

Walking can be used as a way of healing the grief following a loss-step by step. It can be a way of "being" with the essence of a person lost to death by remembering him/her while walking with them in a spiritual sense.

The grief walking process involves four basic segments:
  1. Breathing: Being consciously aware of the air moving in and out of the chest. Focusing on breathing helps center a person, make them more mindful, attentive and feel connected.
  2. Counting: Counting provides the tempo, rhythm and beat to the walk. One counts the steps in cadence with each breath.
  3. Stepping: Stepping is the physical part of the process, placing one foot after the other.
  4. Utterance: This is the mantra, message, meditation that is used as the focus of the process. The utterance should be one that has meaning to the grief walker-the name of the person lost, a traditional phrase, a brief prayer, or a favorite quotation. The utterances may need to change with time and circumstance.

A Squidoo Lens on Virtual Walking 

Take a Walk in Nature Online

While the virtual walk is not the same as a real walk, your mind can still feel the relaxing benefits by taking a little mini vacation to walk in a forest and clear your thoughts and feel refreshed.

Books to Motivate Your Walking Available on Amazon 

Walking: The Ultimate Exercise For Optimum Health

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/25/2008)

Walking Your Blues Away: How to Heal the Mind and Create Emotional Well-Being

Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 07/25/2008)

Walking Meditation w/DVD & CD-ROM

Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 07/25/2008)

The Spirited Walker: Fitness Walking For Clarity, Balance, and Spiritual Connection

Amazon Price: $15.00 (as of 07/25/2008)

Chi Walking: The Five Mindful Steps for Lifelong Health and Energy

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/25/2008)

Walking Like Churchgoing 

    My father considered
    a walk among the mountains
    as the equivalent
    of churchgoing.

    Aldous Huxley

Photo Source: Andreas Ley. Sunbeams through trees. Royalty Free Use.

More Squido Lenses on Walking 

Benefits of Walking for Health

Men's Walking Shoes Available on Amazon 

I wore Rockports during my residency days to be able to stay on my feet for hours at a time.

I lived in my Venice Keens all summer as great walking shoes or walking sandals.

Rockport Men's World Tour Classic Walking Shoe

Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
List Price: $89.95

Men's Keen Venice H2

Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
List Price: $89.95

New Balance Men's MW644 Walking Shoe

Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
List Price: $69.95

Men's Keen Newport

Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
List Price: $95.00

New Balance Men's MW749 Walking Shoe

Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
List Price: $79.95

Women's Walking Shoes on Amazon 

I wore Rockports during my residency days to be able to stay on my feet for hours at a time.

I lived in my Venice Keens all summer as great walking shoes or walking sandals.

Amazon Error: Could not open remote connection

Sorry, there are no results available from Amazon.

Resources Used Alphabetically 

From an Earlier Article on Nature Awareness as a Therapeutic Modality

Anglund, Joan Walsh. Crocus In the Wind: A Book of Poems. Random House, 1990.
Artress, Lauren. Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool. Riverhead Books, 1995.
Backes, David. The Wilderness Companion: Reflections for the Back-Country Traveler. Northwood Press, 1992.
Browning, Peter. John Muir, In His Own Words: A Book of Quotations. Great West Books, 1988.
Burns, George. Nature Guided Therapy: Brief Integrative Strategies for Health and Well Being. Brunner/Mazel Publication, 1998
Cohen, Michael. Reconnecting with Nature: Finding Wellness through Restoring Your Bond with the Earth. Ecopress, 1997.
Cornell, Joseph. Listening to Nature: How to Deepen Your Awareness of Nature. Dawn Publications, 1987.
Cumes, David. Inner Passages Outer Journeys. Llewellyn Publishers, 1998.
Hanh, Thich Nhat. The Long Road Turns to Joy: A Guide to Walking Meditation. Parallax Press, 1996.
Hickman, Martha Whitmore. Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations for Working Through Grief. Avon, 1994.
Lindberg, Anne Morrow. Gift from the Sea. Pantheon Books, 1975.
Mundy, Linus. Grief Walking: Four Prayerful Steps to Healing After Loss. Abbey Press, 1998.
Stern, Ellen Sue. Living with Loss: Meditations for Grieving Widows. Dell Publishing, 1995.
Tinsley, Sonya. First Aid for the Soul. Peter Pauper Press, Inc. 1998.
Zadra, Dan. Forever Remembered. Compendium Inc. 1997.

Copyright Information 

Creative Commons License. Some rights reserved.



Creative Commons License © 2002-2007 Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT. Some rights reserved. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

The material in this article may be copied and reproduced on websites or in newsletters, ezines provided that the Author's Biography information is included with any article.

Longer excerpts from this online article may not be copied, duplicated or reproduced for use in a for-profit setting without prior written permission by the author. Contact the Author at the Contact Me link above.

Reader Feedback on the Walking in Nature lens 

Your place for comments, messages, suggestions, ideas and feedback

Be sure to leave your tips, comments, rank the site, pass on the word about the site (email) and leave a message (Reader Feedback).

RinchenChodron

What a fun, educational and useful thoughtful lens - FIVE BIG STARS.

Posted July 15, 2008

Wordilydoc

I liked the way this lens is designed. It is just as peaceful as the points you are bringing across. You are a true master of your profession. Thumbs up!

Posted July 02, 2008

AnnieBankss

Great Lens!!!
"do more good for an unhappy adult than all the medicine in the world".
It is true, I think more people need to know the miralces of Walking. It even helps in Overcoming Depression .

Posted May 12, 2008

spirituality

Great idea for a lens, though I cannot imagine buying shoes online... That's perhaps just me...

Posted April 14, 2008

FurnaceFilterGuy

A 5 star lens if I ever saw one.

Posted April 13, 2008

 
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About Comfortdoc

Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT enjoys walking and hiking with her family.  She is respected physician, an expert in life challenges, loss, grief and bereavement, professional health educator, professor, lecturer and author.

She also teaches Nutriton and Wellness at the College level, encouraging her students to be more active and eat healthier foods.

For more even info see her longer lensmaster bio.

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