Nature heals

Read ye, read ye! Ever wondered why we feel so relaxed, peaceful, happy when we go out of town? According to scientific studies, occasional contemplation of natural sceneries does good to man’s health, vigor and well-being. Being with nature allows our brain’s command center, the prefrontal cortex, to rest and recover, just like an overused muscle.

Centuries ago, Cyrus the Great built gardens in the busy capital of Persia for people’s relaxation. In America, Ralph Waldo Emerson built the case to create the world’s first natural parks, claiming “nature has healing powers for both mind and body.” In England, medical researchers from University of Exeter concluded: people living near verdant parks and lush trees have less distress, less diseases, fewer deaths. Green spaces have restorative effects on mind and body.

Some Japanese researchers quantified nature’s effect on the brain by proving volunteers, who strolled in the forests, had 16 percent decrease in their stress hormone cortisol, vis-a-vis those who walked around the city malls.

Our minds and bodies relax better in natural surroundings. For when God created man, He created nature for mind and body sustenance.

Peace, good health, safety and abundance to us all!