IN.FORMATION

English speaking therapist Prague

more about walking (eco) therapy:

Having grown up in a city, nature was something of an extra, a place to go for the weekend, the “other” place. Something we grew out of, improved, tamed? Not necessarily below us but besides us - on the outside, not within.

Yet it was nature that brought balance and connection to my life. I realised much later the power that nature has had on my mental health and the time I spent engaged with it brought out something in me. I started to see the seasons changing, learnt its interconnectedness, its genius, hands on, feet wet. It taught me that we get exactly what we put in; we accept its conditions, and work within the strength and attention that we have; how creative, focused and responsible for ourselves we can become.

English speaking psychotherapist Prague
“His intercourse with heaven and earth, becomes part of his daily food. In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows.”

To me nature is not just beautiful sunsets and park walks with your dog or a cup of coffee (although they are definitely daily miracles). It’s also discomfort and a challenge. Discomfort that we learn to take in and build resilience from. It makes our perspective expand, and in remote(r) places we stop being so stuck in thinking of just us, the ever present single species - humans, we actually take in more, become more mindful, kinder.

It seems only natural that disconnecting from something so intrinsic to us will impact our daily experience; the benefits of time in nature are so clear with cognitive benefits and improvements in mood, emotional well-being and mental health amongst just a few.

Importantly, regardless of how much time one spends outdoors, research showed us that benefits to wellbeing are perceivable even for short periods. And so just like a little exercise is better than none, take­ advantage of green and blue spaces wherever and whenever you can!