Ecotherapy – Healing is Green

 Ecotherapy – Healing is Green

Mankind’s relationship with nature is a long and tumultuous one. For millennia, we were one and the same, a symbiotic relationship where we would give and take in equilibrium. However, as man evolved, as did its greed for more -  more food, more space, more dominion. The transition from co-dependency to co-destruction culminated during the industrial revolution, with man and nature becoming separate entities entirely. Nature was, at this point, merely a resource for humans.

Fast forward to the present day and we can see nature fighting back. From 1900 to 2000, the human population increased four-fold, from 1.6 billion to 6 billion. In 21 years, this has risen by another 1.6 billion, and the problems of this growth and expansion are becoming ever clearer. Climate change, natural disasters, Covid-19 – nature simply cannot cope with the strain we are putting on it.

What’s more, humans are not thriving as expected. Mental health concerns continue to rise, with the majority of cases coming from those who live inner city. Our divorce from nature has not benefitted us in the ways we’d hope and ecotherapy looks for us to go back to our ancestral roots. By once again embedding ourselves in the natural landscape, ecotherapy helps us to rediscover the harmony of simplicity. Life away from the day-to-day grind, away from the stress of work,  and closer to where we instinctually belong. Humankind, simply put, is just another animal, and returning to nature, even for just a couple of hours a week, can work wonders for us. We are cognitively wired to be at ease in the natural landscape, and thus, if you’re ever feeling stressed or overwhelmed, ecotherapy can provide some much-needed refuge. By Lee Nickson

If you are interested in joining like minded people, please see our what's on page for well being walks and our woodland men's group