The Nature Cure
By Amelia Arveson
Many of us have been forced to cancel our big summer plans until it’s safer to travel, but all is not lost. Even a small trip into the garden or a local pond can be self-care and a remedy for restlessness. As skiers, hikers, cyclists, climbers, campers, and backpackers, we’re familiar with the magical healing powers of nature. And many people newly incorporating the outdoors into their daily routines are rediscovering the joys of playing in the dirt or taking a stroll through their neighborhood.
Nature’s healing properties are even more important now during the ongoing global pandemic and period of social and political unrest. Open Sky Wilderness Therapy, based in Durango, Colorado, is using its platform and expertise to share resources with the general public about how to experience nature during COVID-19, how to take care and manage stress, and how to connect in the digital age. Founded in 2006, Open Sky is experienced in healing through connection with the natural world; it helps adolescents, young adults, and their families deepen relationships and find strength by connecting with the trees, the sky, and the land.
“There is more research and encouragement coming out about spending time outside and it being actually a good setting to be in during the pandemic,” says Emily Fernandes, Open Sky’s co-founder and executive director. “It could be as simple as just opening the window and looking outside. Connection with fresh air and the larger sky—connecting with something bigger than ourselves—is so powerful.” Amid isolation, connection is what we’re all yearning for and needing right now, Fernandes says.
Fernandes suggests developing daily rituals like waking up with the sun or taking a nightly walk, which have been shown to help people feel more grounded and settled. “One of the forced opportunities at this time has been to require us to slow down and listen, to ourselves and to each other,” says Fernandes. “When we listen, that builds empathy. Building empathy builds connection, and those are the ingredients we’re going to need as a society to move through and to heal the pain and the wounds, whether it’s racial injustice or fractures in the family system.”
In a recent blog post on its website openskywilderness.com, Open Sky clinical therapist Chris Blankenship pulled together an outdoor, indoor, and online guide to experiencing nature during the pandemic. Some of the ways he suggests boosting your health outside include:
- walking the dog in your neighborhood or local open trail
- riding your bike around the block
- stretching in the backyard
- jogging down the street and back
- using binoculars to catch glimpses of birds
Colorado Governor Jared Polis gets it. His latest order to slow the virus’ spread is titled “Safer at Home and in the Vast, Great Outdoors.” Even the American Public Health Association (APHA) is urging people to step outside. In April the organization released a list of tips for getting the most out of nature, including going out to your backyard or taking a virtual tour of a national park. It also emphasized that moving throughout the day is an important part of taking care of yourself, and that could include a walk, hike, or run in a neighborhood, park, or trail
“Our natural spaces are sacred spaces,” says Lisa Carlson, president of the APHA. “Getting outside to breathe fresh air, see the sun rise, feel the breeze—these can be centering experiences that are vital to our mental wellness. It’s good medicine, and time with nature doesn’t require a prescription.”