Tamed by Nature

"And herein lies the very roots of our viability as a species: we must know what it means to be in right relationship. We humans have excelled at taming nature; but we must let this be a reciprocal process. We must let nature teach and tame us; thus, creating a viable human culture should be a joint project that includes the voices of the land and waters and sky and all who live there." M. Amos Clifford

'Letting nature teach and tame us.'

Known to foster calm and relaxation, a forest therapy walk can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression; bolster the immune system; fortify cardiovascular health; and boost an overall sense of well-being. The slow pace invites participants to be fully present in the moment and experience the pleasures of connecting with nature through their senses. By reviewing the studies, we know that science substantiates forest therapy, but it is in experiencing forest therapy for ourselves that we are brought back into relationship with the more-than-human world of which we play an integral part. While humankind has so often seen itself in the role of taming the world for our purposes, and we have, in turn, been tamed by the cultural and built environment around us, it is in quietly and intentionally stepping back into an open, communicative relationship with the more-than-human world can we find ourselves at peace and in place. To hear what nature has to share with us, we must surely slow down and truely listen to "the voices of the land and waters and sky and all who live there".