How You Can Heal Through Nature

A focal point for me going into this year has been healing myself in every way that I can- mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I’ve been seeking out ways to cleanse my body from all of the junk I’ve put into it throughout my life, along with ways to heal my trauma and strengthen my mind and spirit. Through reading, writing, mindful eating, and exercise, I’ve already seen progress in the way that I feel in all aspects, but another key contributing factor has been my relationship with nature.

All of my life, I have had an affinity towards being outside. When I was a kid, I always wanted to ride my bike, go to the beach, or play in the dirt in our backyard. However, living in a big city, finding spaces in nature to interact with has become a bit challenging as I’ve grown older. Streets have become congested with cars and people, limiting the space and safety one has to ride a bike. Beaches have become polluted, taking away the beauty and comfort that beaches offer, and yards have become scarce or poorly maintained, making the soil barren and infertile.

Recently, I’ve been working closely with my brother, a full-time content creator and gardener, editing his videos. My brother has been a gardener for over six years now, but to be quite honest, I haven’t really taken the time to understand where his passion for gardening stems from nor what continues to fuel it- until I started working with him. Seeing the joy that flows out of him from speaking about his plans for his garden this upcoming season and watching him undergo his process for starting cool crops has inspired me. He lives in Tennessee, where nature is omnipresent and flourishing, compared to Chicago, but nonetheless, if I can’t go out and be in nature, then I’ll just have to bring nature indoors with me.

I’ve had houseplants for years now- some that I’ve successfully maintained and others, not so much- but generally, I’ve never considered myself to have a so-called “green thumb.” Fortunately, I have my brother as a wonderful resource, and this year, I’ve decided to grow my own crops as well. I started small at first because I didn’t want to overwhelm myself, so I grabbed some chia seeds, placed them on a damp towel, stored them somewhere dark, but warm, and to my amazement, within a day or two, they already began to sprout. The great thing about chia seeds is they are quick to harvest, and they grow into microgreens, which are dense in nutrients. They are full of fiber, minerals, and antioxidants, supplementing your heart, gut, bones, and overall health. Again, considering that a big focus for me this year is finding ways to heal myself, seeing how quickly and easily I was able to grow such a nutrient-packed plant within my own home was a bit of a “Eureka!” moment for me. I then understood my brother’s passion for gardening. Gardening is a literal manifestation of reaping what you sow, and putting love and care into growing plants has rewarded me with an abundance of nutrients, but also food, and boy, do I love food.

Watching my plants grow and thrive fills me with a joy and excitement that leaves me feeling great about myself, and that’s the beauty of gardening. When we can work harmoniously with nature, we not only create beauty and abundance, but we build a better sense of self and are left feeling better about ourselves. Sue Stuart-Smith, a psychotherapist, explains how nature has the power to restore Earth’s nature along with our own. In her book, “The Well- Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature,” Stuart-Smith explains how tending to a garden is symbiotic and parallel to tending to one’s own nature. She writes,

“The more you immerse yourself in working with your hands, the more free

you are internally to sort things out and work them through. These days, I turn to gardening as a way of calming and decompressing my mind. Somehow, the jangle of competing thoughts inside my head clears and settles as the weed bucket fills up. Ideas that have been lying dormant come to the surface, and thoughts that are barely formed sometimes come together and unexpectedly take shape. At times like these, it feels as if alongside all the physical activity, I am also gardening my mind” (13).

Putting care into helping something grow without the pressures of society or everyday life is reflective of one’s relationship with themselves. If we took the time to mindfully create and have patience with the efforts we make, the world would be filled with more nature as well more people who are loving and caring because they took the time to show themselves and the world around them that same love and care.

In her book, Stuart- Smith also describes the positive impact gardening programs have had on prisoners in rehabilitating their minds and therefore, their behavior. She discusses the findings that were made via a gardening intervention at San Quentin, California’s first and oldest prison. The research shows, “the higher the level of eco-literacy a prisoner acquired, the greater the shift in his personal values… By getting their hands into the earth, the prisoners take on board our need to ‘live with the environment, not against it, and that is the same for living with people” (62). Reading this made me reflect on the current state of the world, where deforestation, industrialization, and destruction become more prevalent year after year. We imprison people who were raised to be hateful and violent, but don’t have access to wealth or prestige, yet we don’t criminalize the very people who are in positions to destroy land and livelihoods at large. It makes me wonder what could happen if we all had our own gardens to tend to. Maybe then, the need to destroy and control could dissipate.

In addition to being a sort of therapy for the mind, it is an antidote for stress. Stuart-Smith demonstrates how gardens are a therapeutic tool for victims of PTSD, and generally, for treating trauma. The conditions of a garden- an enclosed, yet open space, the warmth radiating from the sun, the smell exuding from the soil- all produce a sense of safety and tranquility, thus making it a space free from fear, stress, and worry. Stuart-Smith explains, “...it is only when our defenses are down that we can allow new experiences in. Without this, the mind cannot grow and change” (72-73). When we are in a state of stress, we tense up, our defenses go up, and we reject whatever comes our way in order to protect ourselves and to survive. Being in a constant state of survival raises our blood pressure, decreases cognitive function, and disrupts our mood, but gardening is a remedy to all of that.

In an article published by the Yale School of the Environment titled, “Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health,” Jim Robbins analyzed over 1,000 studies and found that they all support the claim that “Nature is not only nice to have, but it’s a have-to have for physical health and cognitive function.” In his article, Robbins discusses the findings of these studies which show how nature reduces feelings of isolation, promotes feelings of calm, and lifts moods. Additionally, he talks about researchers and policy workers deeming the importance of implementing nature into workplaces, schools, and cities.

In a world that often prioritizes productivity over well-being, reconnecting with nature offers a profound opportunity to heal, reflect, and grow. My journey toward self-healing has shown me that tending to plants is not just about producing food or filling a space with greenery—it is a powerful act of self-love and transformation. The parallels between nurturing a plant and nurturing oneself are undeniable since both require patience, care, and the willingness to embrace the process, even when progress is slow or invisible.

Nature has an innate ability to ground us, offering a sanctuary where our minds can rest and our hearts can open. Whether through gardening, hiking, or simply sitting in a park, the benefits of immersing ourselves in nature are scientifically supported and universally felt. As I’ve witnessed my own health improve—both physically and mentally—through reconnecting with the natural world, I can’t help but wonder what could happen if more people took the time to cultivate their own little green spaces.

I encourage everyone reading this to start small—whether it’s planting a few seeds on your windowsill, adopting a houseplant, or taking a mindful walk through your nearest park. The simple act of caring for something outside of yourself can have profound effects on your mind, body, and spirit. In a time when so much feels out of our control, tending to nature is a reminder that we have the power to create beauty, foster growth, and heal—both within ourselves and the world around us.

References

Robbins, Jim. “Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health.” Yale Environment 360, The Yale School of the Environment, 2020. https://e360.yale.edu/features/ecopsychology-how-immersion-in-nature-benefits-your-health

Stuart-Smith, Sue. “The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature.” Scribner, 2020.