Healing Gardens: Part 3, Nature’s Reward
The power of therapeutic healing gardens, a six-part series.
Part 3: Nature’s Reward
In the last post we reviewed some research that correlates green space and overall wellbeing. This post will continue on in the theme of supporting research of therapeutic healing gardens and how they can benefit your life. In part 3 we will continue to examine ways in which therapeutic healing gardens can benefit your life, and the research that supports that concept.
First let’s look at what happiness literally looks like in your brain. Researchers in California conducted a study by showing test subjects various images during MRI brain scans. While viewing pictures of nature, the anterior portions of the parahippocampal gyrus would come to life. That’s a lot of long, complicated words, but essentially this area of the brain has a large number of opioid receptors, which, if you remember biology class, connect brain cells with dopamine and fuel our brain’s “feel good” reward system. In short, images of nature stimulated an area of the brain that is associated with positive feelings which are proven to drive positive behavioral modification and aid in breaking bad habits. Here’s a good book on the subject: (https://www.amazon.com/Your-Brain-Nature-Eva-Selhub/dp/1443428086)
The study shows that nature creates a reward for the brain. Viewing pictures of nature stimulates the release of happiness signals and eases stress. This effect helps people focus on the positive aspects of their lives and supports choosing to engage in “better behaviors,” which can improve outcomes with addiction recovery.
Pictured a calm and serene path through a lush green wooded forest.
Garden Girl has seen this dynamic at work firsthand, though it is a non-scientific, anecdotal case study. Margaret (name changed to protect ID) struggled with chain-smoking, and at the time was not ready to quit. Garden Girl designed Margaret a healing garden that included an area where she could smoke without bothering anyone else, and where she could also take in the natural splendor to help her eventually leave the habit behind.
Margaret’s new garden included 12’ cedar trees, and while Garden Girl is not in the business of judging peoples’ addictions, we are also not averse to pointing out the positives of nature. Garden Girl educated Margaret on the ancient healing properties of her new 12’ Cedar trees, and how they give us the air we breathe. Over time Margaret realized while smoking under these trees that there was an ironic contradiction at play: she was continuing a habit and harming her ability to breathe while standing underneath trees that supply that breath. It clicked. She worked with a doctor to develop a plan to quit smoking, and her “cedar circle” became a welcome respite and a place for reflection and meditation. She’s been nicotine free for over five years now. Yay Margaret!