This is Your Brain on Nature

“Scientific studies have already begun and continue to demonstrate the powerful healing aspects of Nature. One of the earliest studies, published in 1984 Science, noticed that patients who were recovering from surgery healed more quickly and required less pain medication when placed in hospital rooms that had views of Nature, versus patients placed in rooms facing brick walls. Why is that? Perhaps it is due to when we are in Nature, our brain goes automatically into the involuntary, indirect attention-mode that is connected with the healing alpha-wave brain state. Research suggests that even a short walk in the park during your lunch break, touching a tree on your walk to the office, or literally “stopping to smell the roses” once in a while is beneficial, as it is an evolutionary trait that our brains evolved to do. Furthermore, even passive contact with Nature such as viewing an open pasture in your car or hearing the sound of birds chirping from your window can have the same powerful benefits as an actual immersion in Nature.”

To read the rest of the article, go to    http://livingyourlight.posterous.com/how-nature-heals   .