Nature Practices for Brain Health

By Juliet Batten

Do you ever suffer from an over-worked brain? When the mind is stressed, thoughts charge round and round, getting nowhere. It can be difficult to break the circuit and find relief. Most of us know how painful and frustrating these times can be. However, help is closer than you think.

Nature is a great resource, and it’s free. Nature breathes in a bigger way than we do. Nature is expansive. While stress makes us contract, being in nature is expansive and can open us up to energy and joy.

Many of you will have heard about the Japanese practice of forest bathing — Shrinrin-yoku — which has been demonstrated to relax an overworked brain, induce restful sleep, and enhance vitality and wellbeing.

Did you know there are other ways to access these benefits without going deep into a forest for a lengthy time? We can’t always take the time to immerse ourselves in a forest, but most of us will have access to at least one tree — in a park, a garden, or along a quiet street.

THREE WAYS TO ACCESS NATURE EFFECTIVELY IN FIFTEEN MINUTES

Here are three practices that will open your senses and bring fresh energy into your brain and body. Maybe you have felt some of these benefits in an indirect way when walking along a bush path or working in your garden. They are:

1) Connecting with a tree,

2) Releasing your troubles into nature, and

3) Developing expanded awareness by keeping a nature journal. Let’s take a look at them.

One: CONNECTING WITH A TREE.

This is a direct way to renew your brain and body by tapping into the energy that moves inside a deeply rooted, healthy tree. It can be done in ten to fifteen minutes. Here are the steps:

1. Choose your tree. Find one that is flourishing, green, and healthy. If you can, find one where you have privacy.

2. Now find a way of connecting with the tree. You may place a hand on the trunk, sit at the base and lean your back into the trunk, or any way that works for you.

3. Start breathing as if you are breathing into the tree. Imagine the tree is breathing with you. This may be a new idea, but go with it and see what happens.

4. Let your breath deepen into the roots of the tree. Feel the depth of those roots and how they are drawing up water from the earth. Feel the sap rising up through the tree until you can sense it in the branches. (This sensation will be stronger in early spring and summer).  Breathe into the whole tree, from deep in the earth to high into the uppermost leaves. Do this for ten breaths, or more as you become adept at the practice.

Afterwards, notice how you feel. At first you may think nothing is happening, but be prepared for a surprise after you have settled into this practice for a number of days.

Two: GIVE YOUR TROUBLES TO A TREE

When we are full of worry our minds feel heavy and clogged. This practice will help to clear your mind and brighten your brain so you can see your world afresh. It will take about ten to fifteen minutes.

Once again, connect with a healthy tree. Think of it as a friend, one who is filled with vitality and regenerative energy. Tell the tree about something troubling you (this can be done internally, in a whisper, or in whatever way works for you).

Imagine your troubles releasing deep into the earth. Let the tree absorb any stress and replace it with calm and assurance. You may find your brain being refreshed, or a feeling of peace and letting go.

Try this practice and see what happens. You may feel relief and a sense of unburdening, followed by filling up with fresh, clear energy. Your brain may relax and open to new ideas and hope.

Three: KEEP A NATURE JOURNAL

This practice will deepen and expand your connection with nature in ways that may surprise you. In the epilogue of my new book The Pōhutukawa Journal I give three steps for keeping a nature journal.

The first step is observing. Each day, walk in nature. Notice one thing that awakens your senses, and when you come home, record in your journal what you noticed. Open to surprise with each nature walk.

Observing and recording can have a profound effect. Nature ceases to be a backdrop or a piece of scenery and becomes a generative and interactive presence in your life that lifts your mood.

Open to nature smells.

Look for something new.

Feel nature’s textures.

Listen for nature sounds.

Perhaps you pause to notice how the wind moves in different trees, and the sounds the trees make. The nineteenth century writer Thomas Hardy came to know the voices of different trees and bushes — the ‘whistle’ of the holly, ‘sob and moan’ of the firs, ‘hiss’ of the ash, and ‘rustle’ of the beech — so well he could identify them even at night when they couldn’t be seen.

The more you practice this, the more you will build awareness of nature. Your brain and body will benefit from connecting with an immense source of health and wellbeing. You will develop a reciprocal relationship with plants, birds, and wildlife, whether in remote nature or your own garden.

You may read about other steps for keeping a nature journal in The Pōhutukawa Journal. The book is full of examples of nature connection, which will show how simple and effective they are. Reading the book will slow you down, bring comfort, and inspire you to tap into the beautiful resource of nature to bring solace and good brain health into your elder years.

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THE AUTHOR: Juliet Batten has a PhD in English and taught English, Women’s Studies, and Environmental Studies at the University of Auckland, before working for twenty-six years as a psychotherapist.  She is the author of twelve books on the seasons, life stages, and sacred connection with nature. Her newest book The Pōhutukawa Journal (rrp $42) goes on sale on 17 September 2024.