The Surprising Benefits of Doing Yoga - or Nearly ANYTHING - In Nature!

Time spent in natural environments signals our brain to relax. It employs the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), often referred to as the “rest-and-digest” branch of the nervous system. The PNS allows us to calm and observe the beauty of nature’s surroundings, inviting us to become “mindful” while we are outdoors. This benefit can carry over into our commutes or daily activities if we simply take the time to notice nature, to “stop and smell the roses”. Though not to the same degree, health benefits have been noticed in people who may have limited mobility or live in a city simply through access to nature viewed through a window -or even virtually. Like many things we learn in the practice of yoga, this mindfulness is a skill that can be honed with repetition, but when it comes to being in nature - NO skill is required. So read on to learn the various ways we benefit from that time in nature.

We may become happier.

Just a 5-minute walk in nature improves mood and self-esteem, while consistent exposure to nature reduces anxiety and depression, promoting a sense of relaxation, well-being, and fulfillment. Physical activity in a “green space” can reduce stress and lowers cortisol levels by up to 15%.

A new study finds quantifiable evidence that walking in nature could also lead to a lower risk of depression. In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, two groups of participants walked for 90 minutes, one in a grassland area with oak trees and shrubs, the other along a traffic-heavy four-lane roadway. The researchers measured heart and respiration rates, performed brain scans, and had participants fill out questionnaires before and after. The researchers found little difference in physiological conditions but found significant changes in the brain. Neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, a brain region active during rumination – repetitive thought focused on negative emotions – decreased among participants who walked in nature versus those who walked in an urban environment. These results indicated decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with depression. This is especially important because more than half of the world’s population lives in urban settings, and disconnection from nature may be linked to the rising rates of mental disorders, including depression. City dwellers appear to have a 20 percent higher risk of anxiety disorders and a 40 percent higher risk of mood disorders when compared to people in rural areas. Those who were born and raised in cities are twice as likely to develop schizophrenia. This may be because in urban environments we are often bombarded with threatening or stressful stimuli. Being in nature has us in a low-density population environment where there are low levels of noise, movement, and a slow rate of change. Patterns are random, which better stimulates our brain.

"One simple way to increase your time in nature is to do things you already are doing – but do them outdoors when possible!"

We may become stronger.

Exercising in nature leads to greater health benefits than performing the same activity indoors. Outdoor terrain is variable. Movement is “self-powered”, which means even walking and cycling are more challenging -utilizing muscles that help propel us, maintain balance, stabilize our spines, and even move our eyes and heads in a fuller range of motion. Slopes, steps, and uneven surfaces build endurance, balance, and strength in a way a moving, flat treadmill surface or fixed bicycle cannot. Outdoor activities are also more visually interesting, with constantly changing panoramas, encouraging consistency with exercise in a natural environment.

We may become more connected.

Communities located nearer to nature (walking trails, community centers or parks, town squares) are also more likely to have stronger ties with their community members. Groups created around an activity (walking? biking? hiking? cross-country skiing?) not only improve compliance but make the outdoor activity more enjoyable - while cultivating connection at a time when we so desperately need it. Studies have clearly shown that physical and emotional connections are vital to happiness and health, yet families have become so geographically fractured, not to mention philosophically and politically divided as well as socially distanced during COVID-19, that this has become more crucial than ever.

"Neural activity in the brain region active during rumination – repetitive thought focused on negative emotions – decreased among participants who walked in nature... These results indicated decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with depression."

We may become smarter.

Studies indicate that just 20 minutes in nature improves concentration and reduces the need for ADHD and ADD medications in children. Walking through nature also improves cognitive function and memory. These benefits can greatly improve performance in school, and at work. And those benefits are not only found in children!

We may become healthier.

A 30-minute stroll on a trail or park path can improve heart health and circulation while lowering cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure. Just 5-15 minutes of sun exposure during the correct hours can maximize your Vitamin D levels. Walking in nature reduces inflammation and boosts your immune system, which decreases the risk of many diseases, including colds, viruses, and cancers. Interacting with a “green space” increases social interactions that may fend off diseases like dementia.

Just listening to birdsong and observing animals in nature have been shown to promote well-being, reduce stress, improve mood, and reduce attention fatigue. Natural aromas from wood and trees and plants have calming effects. Nature's aromatherapy at work. Simply viewing nature reduces mental fatigue.

We may become more productive.

Physical activity in a “green space” can improve cognitive control, short and long-term memory, and overall brain function. Children who walk 20 minutes in a park concentrate in school longer and have better participation. The mental and attention restoration achieved from walking in nature can improve performance on tasks in school and at work.

According to the National Park Service, just having views of nature at work or school increases direct attention, well-being, and life satisfaction, and increases working memory and concentration. Simply living within 1/2 mile of a green

space decreases mental distress and anxiety while boosting heart and metabolic health.

HOWEVER:

Americans today spend 92 percent of their time indoors, and their physical and mental health is suffering. For many, this "indoor" trend was exacerbated by the lockdowns and changes wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the few positive things I incidentally experienced with the pandemic is that I was forced in the early stages to host regular yoga classes outdoors to accommodate the safety restrictions while providing a very much-needed outlet for the unrest, anxiety and melancholy many were experiencing. I have even heard it described as "languishing". The experience has been so positive that many of my students requested we keep at least one morning and evening “Yoga in Nature” class on the schedule even when "things return to normal". The sounds of birds and crickets and cicadas and windchimes serenade us instead of music, allowing for a practice that is truly breath-guided. We deepen our awareness of our physical body while noticing the sensations of dappled sunlight, a breeze, a gust of wind on our skin. Balance is challenged on an uneven surface, as is our ability to concentrate when we find ourselves observed by – and observing- a nearby bunny, a chipmunk, a squirrel, a persistent bird. We learn to tune out thoughts that don’t serve us at the same time we learn to ignore the far-off sounds of a barking dog, a lawnmower, squealing children. Our eyes delight in vivid colors, a more distant horizon, and our ceiling is the everchanging sky. Evening classes have a calming ambiance thanks to moonlight, lanterns, tiki torches, and candles. And despite what could be sensory overload, we somehow feel focused, grounded, centered...and we especially learn to stay in the moment. There is a sensation of calm and connection that runs deep. I almost regret the inevitable return to indoor classes, but winter is coming and the weather doesn't always cooperate.

So, one simple way to increase your time in nature is to do things you already are doing – but do them outdoors when possible! You might not get ALL of the benefits if you are walking and talking on the phone, sitting and reading outside, playing cards or board games with the kids, or having a meal at an outdoor table, but you will still reap many of them.

NEXT: Your “prescription” to Optimize ALL the Benefits of Being in Nature.

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