Podere Conte Ràcani - Azienda Agricola & Ospitalità
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ECOTHERAPY AND NATURE

ECOTHERAPY AND NATURE: how contact with nature can improve our lives
"Looking at the
beauty of nature is the first step in purifying the mind," says Amit Ray, a well-known Indian writer and spiritual master. What is more true than this statement? Especially nowadays, where the pace of life of each person is dictated by the deadlines that modern society imposes on us, nature comes to our rescue to make us understand what really matters.
People are, therefore, once again the protagonists of the search for a balance that is being lost. A loss that does not necessarily depend on them, but that sees in them those who will suffer the heaviest effects. What to do then? Rediscovering the "simple" things in life, using what nature makes available to us without asking anything back except a little respect. A walk, a picnic, a climb… all activities to do alone or in the company of those you love. Activities that do not require special events to be carried out, if not a little sun and the will to detach from the sense of oppression of the cities.
In a historical time in which medicine has reached one of the highest levels of development, in which mental health care is increasingly central and the human being is finally recognized and preserved in its innumerable facets, new currents of therapy are emerging which claim the centrality of the ancestral relationship that binds man to nature. What we are talking about is none other than ecotherapy. But what is it, specifically?
Ecotherapy, or nature therapy, is that area of treatment which aims to ensure that people gain benefits - both on the body level but also, and above all, on that of the mind - from direct contact with nature and the elements that compose it. Not only contact, however: central to this type of therapy is also the interaction that the person will be able to put into practice with the Earth.
Just like putting a cell phone on charge, to raise its battery level, what drives the followers of this type of therapy is the idea that interaction with greenery can make people perceive the benefits, making Nature a " medicine” natural and without side effects.
Not only observation and contact with nature, however. Behind this type of philosophy there is much more. The basic idea is, in fact, that of a reciprocal and non-passive relationship between man and nature. But what are the activities capable of making all this possible, capable of making human life better and rebalancing the imbalances that are now an integral part of daily life? Here, then, is a list of activities you can put into practice to rediscover what really matters in life:
walking: it may seem trivial, but this is the easiest and most handy activity you can do. All you need is a park (even within your city), a path. An hour's walk will be able to detach you from the daily routine, reconnecting you with the colours, lights and smells of nature;
climbing: there are now numerous routes that you can find, even a few km away from inhabited centres. A day spent away from your safe place, challenging yourself in front of a path that engages your body in an all-encompassing way, will allow you to release the tension accumulated in your body;
birdwatching: an interesting activity that will allow you to observe birds in their natural environment, but not only. Thanks to this activity you will also be able to come into direct contact with the sounds of birds, with their colors and their peculiarities in order to rediscover the creative power of nature;
meditation: imagine yourself immersed in nature, in a forest or in a pine forest. Just by closing your eyes you will be able to hear the noises that surround you: a flowing river, a breath of wind that moves the leaves of the trees, a flock of birds that passes above you. Meditating is not as difficult an activity as we usually believe, a little perseverance and willpower will be enough to observe its benefits.
Allow yourself a more constant relationship with Nature, so that you can "give" your body more concrete benefits: a stronger memory, a more stable mood and protected from depression, a firmer protection from disease, a concrete lowering of blood pressure blood and much more.
The important thing, however, will be the will to make all these benefits possible: if we don't realize that modern life is dictated by too fast rhythms and repetitive actions, our daily life will not be able to break ties with the past to recreate a "slower" and "true" everyday life, just as Nature teaches us.