CONNECT: 9/17/15 Connecting with the Environment

The Law of Nature

 

Spoiler summary - Get out there...it's just so darn good for us.

This time of year can be a bit like a guessing game for the body. Is it still summer? Is it fall? Is it both?  For many people it's a favorite time of year as we get back into our routines -- even if that means more cars on the road and back to school nights to attend -- it also means that the really oppressive weather (usually) breaks, the playoff hunt in baseball is heating up and football fans everywhere feel like the world is once again spinning on its axis.  Sure, transition back to routine can be hectic, but if we play it right, it can also be a chance to rebalance...before the stress of winter rolls in.

So what does it mean to "play it right"? 

For some, it might mean downtime, a chance to decompress from a busy day/week/etc. For others it might mean some exertion, a way to nudge a too-sedentary body & mind into action. Still for others, it might just mean a breath of fresh air, literally.

And....for a little while longer.....while the conditions are welcoming....it might mean a good dose of nature, which, as it turns out includes all of the above and more.

In a recent review, researchers from the University of Illinois set out to answer what it is about being "out there" (in nature) that is so good for our health. They reviewed many studies that linked the two and came up with (what they think) is a singular pathway....and it turns out.....it's a combination of many things, all of which seem build on one another to stimulate our immune system.  

You can read about it here [http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01093/full] -- or, you can just get "out there" and enjoy it.  

I strongly recommend NJ's "Columbia Trail".