#nature therapy

[downfalldestiny]

Let the gentle flow of nature wash away your worries and bask in the golden light of serenity🍃🌊 !.

[richs-pics]

Kestrel mid-dive

[sosadhereaboutmai]

[belovedapollo]

my autumn walk in the forest 🍁 reblog is ok, don’t repost/use

[rebeccathenaturalist]

One of the toughest things I have to balance out as someone who is trained in and advocates for ecopsychology and ecotherapy is the use of the restorative properties of nature versus the impacts our time in nature can have on other living beings. There are scads of studies that support the many mental and physical benefits for us when we spend even a little time outdoors.

But I think this article (which you can read in full here) does raise some important points. Almost all wildlife are dealing with some level of habitat loss and fragmentation, and if sensitive species are being pushed out of what's left due to human presence, then that puts them at greater risk of extinction. There's still more research to do on this subject, of course, to include seeing which species are most heavily affected and which activities have the greatest negative impact. The results could help us to be more judicious in where and how we engage with the outdoors, especially in less populated areas.

I don't think we should just stop going to any place wilder than a city park. Part of how we ended up in our current situation with widespread ecological devastation is an increasing perceived separation from the rest of nature. The more time we spend in direct contact with other non-domesticated species, the more we learn about them and the more responsibility we feel toward them. And there's something very healing about the awe one experiences when seeing an elusive wild animal, even at a distance, or being immersed in a wild place that makes us feel we are a part of something so much greater than ourselves.

But we really do need to be paying attention to and asking questions about the side effects of our journeys into wilder nature, and then using that to help keep adjusting the balance between our needs and those of other living beings. I look forward to seeing more studies on this topic.

[gaiasfaevorite]

[lysarria]

Cardinal ♥️. Photo taken by me.

[sassyredheadedmess]

My happy place 😌

[tfeesloth]

🍃 𝕹𝖆𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖊 𝖎𝖘 𝖘𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖕𝖊𝖚𝖙𝖎𝖈 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖔𝖚𝖑. 🌱

[eljayetc]

Today, during my forest therapy session, we picked black raspberries and made tea out of them

Nature is magic ✨

[sexplosion]

Getting to know my neighbours a bit better, featuring one of the most photogenic stellar's jays I've ever met.

[richs-pics]

Siskins

[poetofthefallenmoon]

walk barefoot on grass today. speak to a tree. gaze at fungi in awe, how they connect and support their own. find a glistening stream. tell a bird you're listening to its calls. remember to stop and breathe. know that you're a wonder in a world filled with wonders. know that you are loved.

[hebrewbyinbal]

“Just Breathe” in #hebrew ❤️

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Can't wait for 2025 for the release of The Everyday Naturalist? I have plenty of reading material available right now, to include my shiny new chapbook, Returning to Nature: A Quick Introduction to Ecopsychology! If you've ever wondered how nature intertwines with our mental health, or have heard of ecopsychology and are curious about it, this is a great starting point. Unlike a lot of books on the topic that are written for an academic audience, Returning to Nature is meant for a more general readership.

The paperbacks have landed, and I have ebooks as well--head over to https://rebeccalexa.com/chapbooks/ to find out about all of my natural history chapbooks on foraging, birdwatching, habitat restoration, and more!Can't wait for #TheEverydayNaturalist in 2025? I've got great #reading material right now, including my new #chapbook Returning to #Nature: A Quick Introduction to #Ecopsychology as #paperback and #ebook, at https://rebeccalexa.com/chapbooks/

[gaiasfaevorite]