By Tania Lanning
Yugen is a Japanese word used to describe the indescribable sensory experience that occurs when we feel a deep oneness and awareness of Nature. Similar to this notion, when strong emotions arise (e.g., sadness, grief, joy, anxiety) the inability to verbalize or conceptualize meaning can be overwhelming.
One of the most beautiful and powerful elements of psychodrama is the opportunity to express and practice moving through these processes in dynamic and creative ways. Incorporating Nature and natural elements into the therapeutic process allows for an expansion of the interventions we utilize with our clients, as well as an opportunity to widen the resources available for self-care and wellness management. Additionally, the expansive ways one can co-relate with Nature reinforces an authentic way of relating to the environment and provides a practice for strengthening self-efficacy.
Current research associates incorporating Nature into wellness practices with a reduction of stress and anxiety levels (Song, 2019). Nature Informed Therapy draws from well-researched principles in psychology, such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, evolutionary psychology, and transpersonal psychology. The approach centers on the idea that Nature is a co-therapist and healing agent.
“Gathering Our Resources /A Basket Full of Resources”
A Nature-Informed Psychodramatic Exercise
During this therapeutic offering, the protagonist identifies and concretizes strengths by selecting items from Nature to represent personal strengths and resources.
Whether or not you are able to take a client into an outdoor or public space during a session is an important consideration for your practice. You can alternatively try this exercise inside by having a basket, box or bowl of nature’s treasures (such as sticks, stones, moss, leaves, and pinecones). Gathering these materials ahead of time can also be a fun and therapeutic process for the therapist.
Steps:
- Introduce the concept to your client that when working with themes of self-compassion, acceptance, or shame, it can be grounding to first establish strengths. Ask your client to choose three items in nature that represent a strength and/or supportive inner, outer or upper resource. The act of noticing and seeking out these objects shifts your client into presence, into a mindfulness process.
- Ask them to name the object and describe to you a time that this strength has shown up for them in their life. Other questions to ask could be :
- How present are each of these strengths in your life’s circumstances right now?
- Are there any additional strengths that you would like to include and practice having more available to you?
Concretizing strengths with natural items not only provides a source of inspiration in the moment, but can also establish future resourcing behaviors by creating reminders in daily life. A beautiful pine tree on their property can be filled with cones of gratitude, or a field of dandelions can remind them of their kindness or sunny outlook in life. It can be incredibly empowering and supportive to have a steady access to this type of cue.
May you have many moments of enjoying the petrichor dancing in the wind, and remember to listen for the melodic psithurism that inspires you to savor the present.
For more information on Nature Informed Therapy visit natureinformedtherapy.com
If you would like to be informed about future nature-inspired workshops and groups visit www.myintegrativewellness.com or email me at Tania@myintegrativewellness.com
Jo, H., Song, C., & Miyazaki, Y. (2019).
Physiological benefits of viewing nature: A systematic review of indoor
experiments.International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(23), 4739.
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