Treat yourself to the best medicine in the world
Imagine going to the doctor and coming away with a prescription for at least two hours of nature immersion a week, to be ‘taken,’ with or without food, no less than 20 minutes at a time. That’s exactly what doctors in Canada have started doing: prescribing patients an annual pass to their nearest national park.
The idea is that a dose of nature can bring healing to the human mind, body and soul. This in itself is not a new idea, but mandating regular nature doses as part of a patient’s recovery plan certainly is. And indeed, studies have shown that spending time in nature can lower the level of stress hormones, promote exercise, and have a positive effect on mental health issues such as anxiety. Arguably, humans have always had some awareness of these benefits, but as the world has become busier, noisier, faster-paced and more crowded, perhaps we’ve neglected our vital connection with nature’s healing power.
So, it’s time to prescribe yourselves a dose of nature. To reconnect with its beauty and wildness on every level, and using every sense. Thrust your hands into the soil, feel its weight and texture. Wander among the eucalypts in your nearest park, breathe in their minty, citrusy, honeyed scent, and listen to action of the wind or rain on their leaves. Plunge into the ocean and feel the tingle of salt when it dries on your skin. Sit and watch the sun go down, or come up, in a glow of rose-gold.
Koala Eco’s partnership with People and Parks Foundation’s 2022 #NaturePact campaign is all about encouraging people to take that vital healing dose of nature. The more we connect with and love nature, the more we want to protect it. This is one form of self-medication that promises to do us the world of good … and do a bit of good for the world.
Koala Eco is the principal partner and supporter for the People and Parks Foundation’s 2022 #NaturePact campaign, which aims to encourage as many people as possible to spend more time connecting with the outdoor world during September. To sign up, or find out more go to: https://peopleandparks.org/nature-pact/
