Thoreau’s Office
“When a traveler asked Wordsworth’s servant to show him her master’s study, she answered ‘Here is his library, but his study is out of doors.’” Thoreau, Walking
One of the more surprising aspects of moving my counseling practice from an office setting to one that is out of doors is feedback I receive from couples in retreat about how comfortable and at ease they are outside of an office, and how much more effective this is for them. I have yet to determine which aspect of the retreat is having the greatest impact on a marriage or relationship, and I suspect it is a combination of being in a group, being out of the therapy office, the selection of activities, and contact with the natural world. For this post, I will focus on how the outdoors impacts our sense of health and well-being–recognizing that this is far from being a novel idea–it’s just one many of us seem to have lost touch with.
Thoreau believed his health was in jeopardy unless he spent a certain amount of time in the woods every day: “I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits unless I spend four hours a day at least — and it is commonly more than that — sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields absolutely free from all worldly engagements.” These strong words underline how essential meaningful contact with nature was to his mental health, and are validated today by scientific studies, such as one done in hospitals*, that further prove this contact improves physical healing. Thoreau’s words ring especially true for me, as I also discovered that too little time outdoors was taking a toll on my health and well-being, and the only cure was going outside and moving around in the natural world.
More than just being outside, Thoreau advocated for being present as much as possible while in the woods. Carrying his preoccupations about town life out on his walks was disturbing to him, and he chastised himself when this happened. Part of the work we do with our Nature Therapy Retreat clients is to help establish a sense of connection with the natural world as soon as possible. Using various walking meditation techniques creates an immediate focus, and also assists in the process of slowing down and “arriving” at the retreat. Since these retreats are very short, bringing people into the spirit and calm of nature quickly is essential, although sometimes people can experience a bit of whiplash from slowing down so quickly! The shock of this however, creates its own impact, and often people resolve to change their lives. One couple remarked in tears about a hammock they had purchased, hung with care on their back porch and then used exactly once. Each time they passed the hammock on the way to take the garbage out they were reminded of the pace and rush of their lives. During the retreat, they resolved to slow down and use the hammock.
Why is nature so healing for us? As I walk through the woods, I can’t help but notice how patient the earth is, and how forgiving. To be held in this patience and forgiveness evokes a sense of tenderness in me, and it is easy for my feelings to shift from grief or despair to openness and ease. I am reminded of larger processes of which I am a small part. My sense of aloneness is alleviated. This is but one of the reflective qualities that feeds me during my walks in the woods. For Thoreau, the woods were life itself, and imagining himself locked indoors in an office many hours a day was the equivalent of slow death. But perhaps just getting people out of their routines for a weekend or a day is enough to rekindle that kind of connection with life–seeing the world we inhabit away from our distracting devices, habits, personal dramas and shopping malls can restore our perspective and give us the mental freedom and energy to find our priorities again. –posted by Laurel
(From http://www.sereneview.com/research.php: *Healing by Design, New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 333 (11). A retrospective study of patients who had undergone cholecystectomy showed that those assigned to rooms with a view of a natural setting had shorter postoperative stays and took fewer analgesic drugs than those whose rooms looked onto a brick wall. In a hospital study, views of nature were associated with reduced employee stress and fewer health-related complaints; students under the stress of examinations felt better after viewing nature scenes; prisoners with a view of nature were less likely to attend sick call.)
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