“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”

-Rachel Carson

I dig my heels into the balmy sand, feeling connected to and grounded by the solid land beneath me. The sound of waves crashing on nearby rocks before receding resolutely back into the brine, never to be drowned out by the competing cacophony of seagull calls, envelopes me like a warm hug from an old friend. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, feeling the resplendent sun harmonize with the salty ocean breeze as it washes over my face. Time to create. The natural landscape presents a sea of opportunities. Shall I build a sandcastle utilizing the shore as my modeling clay or a mosaic composed of shells and skipping stones? Or perhaps I will use the ebb and flow of the water as my trusty breathwork guide.

Since the dawn of time, humans have relied on nature not only for survival but also for inspiration and healing as prehistoric cave paintings have illustrated. As children, we organically harvested the environment’s gifts to engage in play – rolling down grassy hills, digging through mud and dirt, swimming across a community lake, or even jumping into a pile of raked leaves in the backyard. With the end of summer approaching, there is no better time to get outside and integrate natural elements into your artistic and self-care practices.

Nature Immersion Benefits

Mindful immersion in nature has a plethora of reciprocal benefits. Humans finding rehabilitation in nature is also healing for the ecosystem itself because it cultivates a sense of deep respect and care for the earth and sustainability practices while also reminding us we are one small part of nature. We care for what we feel connected to and identify with; therefore, the more engaged with nature we are, the healthier the environment and we as a species become.

According to the biophilia hypothesis, individuals are innately drawn to other forms of life and tend to seek out connections to nature.

Not only that but spending time in nature has been proven to decrease depression and healthcare consumption while simultaneously increasing self-esteem, motivation, social interaction, mental well-being, working memory, and cognitive flexibility.

The Attention Restoration Theory proposes that engaging with nature reduces mental fatigue and stress because it offers restoration that is stimulating yet calming enough to capture attention effortlessly without depleting our brain’s functioning capacity. In addition, reconnecting with the natural world around us enables us to slow down from our busy, urban existences and gain a renewed sense of meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in our lives outside of career, social media, technology, and other draining or overwhelming stimuli and stressors.

Nature-Based Expressive Arts

Blending nature with creative practices yields expansive pathways to growth, self-discovery, and healing. Wildlife can serve as a metaphor for existential themes and symbols to aid in exploring complex topics such as impermanence, grief and loss, trauma, new beginnings, and other life transitions. The natural world can model and inspire coping skills and emotion regulation techniques while also supplying a safe haven for relaxation and disconnecting from the strains of urban living. Nature is often a more accessible space than other environments and provides endless materials found in one’s local environment, ranging from pinecones to seedpods while simultaneously eliminating financial barriers. These materials not only vary in texture, size, color, and purpose to bestow a distinct sensory experience but also promote connection to the seasonal and regional flora and fauna.

 Nature-Based Expressive Arts Healing Practices

 Starting the process of reconnecting with the living world may feel daunting; however, remembering how you instinctively used to engage with nature when you were younger is the best place to start. Reflect on your earliest memory where you felt a connection to the earth. Maybe you remember creating a sculpture with the sand or snow or perhaps you created a flower crown for you and a friend woven together with fresh blooms and greenery.

As an adult, there are a myriad of ways you can reconnect with nature, your inner child, and a sense of play. You can use pebbles to create an outdoor mandala, paint rocks and leave them for others to find, take up gardening, engage in nature photography, gather fallen natural materials to build an alter that changes with each season, watercolor the flow of a river, create music utilizing the natural noises of the surrounding environment, or even explore how nature can help to reflect one’s experiences. Enactment, role play, and movement practices can also be ways to actively collaborate with nature and safely externalize emotions. Try to dance like the trees swaying in the wind or enact how animals build protective homes and sanctuaries in order to care for their young.

The natural environment can provide immense inspiration and self-discovery.

Whether acknowledging one’s budding growth just as a plant flourishes and thrives or learning how to navigate the “storms” and “climate change” present in one’s life, nature can mirror our own struggles and accomplishments. Try imagining a natural phenomenon that symbolizes your own life experiences, feelings, and needs and think of a way to bridge these experiences with nature through expressive arts techniques.

Even in urban environments such as an office or home, individuals can aim to integrate natural elements to increase nature immersion even when they cannot be outdoors. Indoor plants, water fountains, terrariums, and even natural patterns can still offer similar improvements to artificial or man-made spaces by promoting better focus and concentration while engaging with tasks we aim to complete throughout each day. Consider what areas in your life lack a connection to nature and how you might cultivate and nurture that relationship in various environments.

Nature-based interventions are accessible not only economically but also because it is a practice that involves utilizing materials that already exist. This can aid in lessening any pressure, perfectionism, or negative self-talk that may arise surrounding the creative process. It is vital to prioritize ethically engaging with nature by being mindful of not using all of the materials and leaving some behind as well as gathering materials that have already fallen to the ground in order not to harm or disrupt the natural environment.

No matter your life experiences, cultural background, or artistic experience and skill level, nature-based expressive arts practices can provide therapeutic benefits.

Working with a mental health professional who specializes in nature-based expressive arts interventions can deepen the process and ensure a safely facilitated environment. Whether you choose to work with others in your community or engage in nature immersion and nature-based expressive arts on your own, reconnecting to and valuing nature is vital to living a mindful, grounded, and meaningful life.

Key Points

• Humans have always been interconnected with nature for survival, creativity, healing, and self-discovery; in fact, children’s play is often inspired by and involved with the natural world.
• The biophilia hypothesis suggests that humans are intrinsically drawn to nature and seek out natural spaces as well as other life forms.
• Nature immersion provides a variety of mental, physical, emotional, cognitive, and social benefits.
• Adults can reconnect with nature by remembering what they enjoyed about engaging with the natural world in childhood – whether through visual art, movement, writing, enactment, music, or other expressive arts forms.
• Nature is an accessible space for healing, and natural materials are everywhere, meaning there are no cost barriers. In addition, utilizing nature can be a stepping stone towards creative healing for those struggling with their inner critic or other barriers related to the vulnerability that artistic pursuits require.

By Sarah Engelskirchen-Bugler, MA, LMHC