The Beauty of Nature Immersion

Albert Einstein once stated,
‘Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better’.

Have you ever been enjoying the outdoors, taken a deep breath and felt a feeling of peace, or happiness, and presence? You may not have realised – but you are receiving benefits from your body and spirit’s biological need to connect with nature, known as biophilia. Heck, you may even experience this when you add a new plant baby to your home!

Growing up, my Dad was always taking us outdoors – he had so much curiosity towards nature. He enjoyed watching all animals interact and how plants grew. This love of nature led me to study a Bachelor of Science in Ecotourism where I learnt about the process of plants and animals, geographic formations; from microscopic… to the universe. I had great pleasure in learning about what I had been brought up to watch. After years of being a tour guide in stunning remote places around Australia, I witnessed people falling in love with natural beauty – the same as I had. 

Since then, I’ve moved to the Sunshine Coast, started working in mental health and completed my Yoga Teacher Training. I’ve decided to combine all my learnings into one practice – the beauty of Nature Immersion. 

I know from experience that I can feel different after spending time in nature and I want to show you how you can have that too. My ultimate goal is to help people help themselves to feel better.  

Nature immersion is sometimes known by many other names; forest bathing, nature therapy, ecotherapy or shinrin yoku. Shinrin in Japanese means “forest,” and yoku means “bath.” Doesn’t that feel so relaxing already? Although it’s not as literal as it sounds. You don’t need to bathe in a waterfall, or rub against a pine tree, it’s about basking or bathing all of your 5 senses, it’s about feeling.

Nature immersion is an ancient practice stemming back many thousands of years. In the 6th century BCE, Cyrus the Great planted a garden in the middle of a city to increase human health. In the 16th century CE, Paracelsus wrote: “The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician.” Although it regained popularity as a therapeutic method in the 1980’s.

So what benefits can we hope for when we spend a few hours in nature?

Potential Physiological benefits:

• boosted immunity
• increased energy and vitality
• improved sleep
• lowered blood pressure
• reduce inflammation
• lowered rate of obesity
• improved development of vision and the
• possible anticancer effect
• positive effect on longevity
• possible accelerated recovery from surgery and illness.

If we think about how many times we checked our phones today, or counted our minutes in front of a screen, we can definitely find time to get grounded in nature – even if only for a few minutes a day or a dedicated time on weekends. Practice using all five senses, no matter if you’re under a tree in your backyard, at the beach, park or on one of Grounded Explorer’s experiences. What sounds can you hear? What scents can you smell? How does the ground feel underneath your feet? (Bonus points for going barefoot!) What colours do you see? Even practice how the air tastes in your mouth.

We’d be honoured to join you as you experience nature immersion.