Find out more about our neighbors the Black-Tailed Deer, with naturalist Michael Ellis.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Black-Tailed Deer
Find out more about our neighbors the Black-Tailed Deer, with naturalist Michael Ellis.
Monday, May 28, 2018
Why Relaxation Is So Important
It’s Not Lazy — It’s Healthy
While billions of dollars are spent annually in the pursuit of happiness and relaxation, most people fail to obtain those elusive goals. Knowing about the necessity of relaxation fails to convince many of us to take time out and simply be.
In fact, most people pride themselves on being “unable to simply sit still.” Unfortunately the frantic pursuit of happiness often leads to disappointment, fatigue and ill health. Many responsible adults would not consider taking a day off from work simply so they could relax, yet they would consider it irresponsible not to take necessary medication.
Relaxation is critical for personal well-being, health maintenance, and for life itself. If you are among the majority of individuals who do not make relaxation a priority, it may be time to reevaluate your perspective on this critical subject. Your happiness, health and very life depend on it.
Relaxation Can Keep You Well
Many minor and life-threatening illnesses are stress-related. Stress and the lack of regular relaxation harms your immune system. As a result, you catch colds, get cold sores, and contract common illnesses more readily.
If you are a person who feels you are doing your co-workers a favor by going to work when you are not completely well, you are actually harming yourself and fellow workers. When you are sick, stay home and rest.
Unfortunately, employees are sometimes looked upon favorably when they struggle through the day, coming to work when ill. The health care industry is a particularly bad example of this practice.
Health care providers, like those in other industries, are often encouraged to go to work whenever possible, regardless of how they feel, because otherwise facilities will be short staffed. It is up to you to look out for your own well-being.
Take Care of Yourself
Burn-out is rampant among caregivers, partially as a result of a relaxation deficit. Many caregivers burn out because they feel guilty taking care of themselves when they “should” be caring for others.
Job satisfaction, relationships, and the ability to care for others suffer when caregivers are not provided with regular relaxation times. Caregivers must learn how to balance responsibilities with self-care.
I know this may seem impossible, but it can be done. Self-care requires dedication and commitment.
Support groups can be very beneficial as other members understand what you are going through. You may pick up helpful tips, feel less isolated, and no longer feel guilty for looking out for yourself.
Replenish the Sourdough
We are each responsible for taking time out every day so we can relax. A wise friend once told me we each must learn to “replenish the sourdough.”
Sourdough bread is made with a yeast starter. Every time a loaf of bread is made, a little bit of the starter is reserved. The reserved starter is then replenished with flour so there will be enough starter to make the next batch of bread.
If all of the starter is used up and not replenished, there will be no bread in the future. In human terms, this means we must each take responsibility for keeping a bit of ourselves back when we care for others. We need to nourish ourselves so we will be able to help others.
If we do not replenish ourselves, we will be exhausted and have nothing left to give. Self-care and relaxation are not selfish; they are responsible and essential actions that benefit you and those who you encounter.
Learn to Relax
A lack of relaxation leads to multiple emotional and stress-related illnesses. Panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and depression are rampant. Stress depletes the body of endorphins and can lead to insomnia, and fatigue contributes to mood and relationship disorders.
Anxiety and mood disorders don’t just make you feel bad, they are harmful for your health. For example, people who suffer from panic disorder are twice as likely as the general public to suffer from potentially fatal coronary artery disease.
Seemingly unrelated illnesses may arise or worsen when you cannot relax. Migraine headaches, heart attacks, stroke, COPD, and irritable bowel syndrome are all negatively impacted by stress.
Lack of Relaxation Impacts Relationships
Living with high levels of stress can be difficult for you and those you come in contact with. Your ability to work and support yourself financially may be impacted; you may feel irritable and helpless; and family members may experience similar issues. If you have children, it is essential you model behaviors that teach them how to relax in healthy ways.
Relax and Live Well
As you can see, if you do not take time out for relaxing, your health may be impaired. Fortunately the decision to make sure you stay well and get relaxation time is entirely yours.
Relaxing may not only save your life, it can make it more enjoyable and help you create the life you want to live.
Establish a routine for relaxing. When you first begin to relax, it may be as simple as taking a few deep breaths several times per day. You might enjoy a sitting for 10 minutes after work while you put your feet up and sip on herbal tea.
While watching a favorite television program or reading a book can be enjoyable, take time to relax by doing “nothing.” Doing nothing for a few minutes each day allows you time to notice how you feel physically , mentally and spiritually. You will begin to recognize aspects of your life that bring you pleasure and areas that need changing.
Article Source: http://healthliving.today/why-relaxation-is-so-important/
Friday, May 25, 2018
How Nature is Good for Our Health and Happiness
We all intrinsically think that nature must be good for our health and happiness. A recent analysis of a large-scale nature challenge scientifically shows how important feeling part of nature is to our physical and mental health
There are a growing number of studies and campaigns putting forward evidence that a connection with nature makes us healthier and happier people, something that few of us nature lovers would argue with.
And now a recent evaluation of the UK’s first month-long nature challenge, which took place last year and involved people "doing something wild" every day for 30 consecutive days, shows scientifically and statistically how significant it really is.
At the time of the challenge participants were also asked to take part in a survey about their perceived connection to nature and feeling a part of it; how they interacted with nature, and how they felt about their health and happiness, before the challenge started, at the end of the challenge and two months after it had finished.
The analysis has been published in the journal PLOS One.
The study was conducted by the University of Derby and The Wildlife Trusts to try and measure the impact of last year’s "30 Days Wild" campaign, run by the charity.
“Intuitively we knew that nature was good for us as humans, but the results were beyond brilliant,” said Lucy McRobert, nature matters campaigns manager for The Wildlife Trusts.
The study showed that there was a scientifically significant increase in people’s health, happiness, connection to nature and active nature behaviours, such as feeding the birds and planting flowers for bees – not just throughout the challenge, but sustained for months after the challenge had been completed.
Impressively, says McRobert, the number of people reporting their health as "excellent" increased by 30% and this improvement in health being predicted by the increase in happiness, this relationship is mediated by the change in connection to nature. It adds to a growing body of evidence that shows definitively that we need nature for our health and wellbeing.
For example, children exposed to the natural world showed increases in self-esteem. They also felt it taught them how to take risks, unleashed their creativity and gave them a chance to exercise, play, and discover. In some cases nature can significantly improve the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), providing a calming influence and helping them concentrate.
And for people suffering from physical illness or mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, interacting with nature can help people control their symptoms or even recover, alongside conventional medication.
“Nature isn’t a miracle cure for diseases,” says McRobert, “But by interacting with it, spending time in it, experiencing it and appreciating it we can reap the benefits of feeling happier and healthier as a result.”
Healthy lifestyle
Dr Miles Richardson, head of psychology at the University of Derby, conducted the study and explains that the results are significant, both statistically and from an applied perspective. It was a large scale intervention, he says, with more than 18,500 people committing around 300,000 random acts of "wildness", framed not as a public health intervention, but rather a fun campaign to take part in.
“The design and evaluation took a proven approach in evaluations of such scale, it’s an important step.”
According to Dr Richardson there is already research evidence that exposure to nature can reduce hypertension (abnormally high blood pressure), respiratory tract and cardiovascular illnesses; improve vitality and mood; benefit issues of mental wellbeing such as anxiety; and restore attention capacity and mental fatigue. But more than that, feeling a part of nature has been shown to significantly correlate with life satisfaction, vitality, meaningfulness, happiness, mindfulness, and lower cognitive anxiety.
“These correlations are of a similar magnitude to those found between wellbeing and other variables, such as marriage and education, whose relationships with wellbeing are well established.”
And, he adds, recent analysis found people with a stronger connection to nature experienced more life satisfaction, positive affect and vitality at levels associated with established predictors of satisfaction, such as personal income.
“There is a need to normalise everyday nature as part of a healthy lifestyle,” Dr Richardson told BBC Earth. The real challenge for the future is how we get more people involved, knowing what we do about the very real benefits of nature.
He explains that an understanding of the pathways and activities that can lead to an increased connection to nature is starting to emerge; where education programmes with creative activities lead to short-term increases, but knowledge-based activities do not.
The University of Derby has identified contact, emotion, meaning, compassion and engagement with natural beauty as pathways that helped people to feel closer to nature. More scientific and knowledge-based activities were not found to help people connect with nature. They also found that activities that related to these pathways significantly increased the connection, compared with just walking in nature alone or walking in, and engaging with, urban environments.
“It’s early days though, and lots to understand about the best pathways for different people – it won’t be one approach fits all,” he told BBC Earth.
Good for nature, good for you
And it’s a reciprocal relationship because as important as nature has been shown for our health and happiness, our interactions with the natural world are just as important for protecting nature and the environment.
“If we can help people to connect with nature, that’s not just good for them, its great news for nature,” said The Wildlife Trust’s Lucy McRobert. Because, she explains, the more people that care intrinsically for their local environment and value the positive impact it has on their own lives, the more they’ll want to protect it from destruction.
So The Wildlife Trusts would like to see nature high up on the political agenda and viewed in the same way as health, security and education, and for businesses and corporations to make meaningful changes that protect our natural resources. And for us as individuals they want us to care for, cherish and protect our environment and wild places.
“We hope that [these] results show how nature isn’t just a nice thing to have – although it has a huge value in itself – it’s fundamentally important for our health, wellbeing and happiness and that ought to be reflected in our education system, in the way we treat the physically or mentally ill, in the way we build infrastructure and houses and in how we access and protect green spaces in cities.
“Ultimately we want to see everyone taking action to restore nature – for nature’s sake and for ours.”
This year there will be a guide to doing 30 Days Wild for care homes and the physically and mentally disabled, focusing on ideas for 30 Random Acts of Wildness that can be easily and safely carried out with this audience, engage them with nature and hopefully improve their quality of life.
So shouldn't we all be spending more time outside interacting with nature?
Article Source: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160420-how-nature-is-good-for-our-health-and-happiness
There are a growing number of studies and campaigns putting forward evidence that a connection with nature makes us healthier and happier people, something that few of us nature lovers would argue with.
And now a recent evaluation of the UK’s first month-long nature challenge, which took place last year and involved people "doing something wild" every day for 30 consecutive days, shows scientifically and statistically how significant it really is.
At the time of the challenge participants were also asked to take part in a survey about their perceived connection to nature and feeling a part of it; how they interacted with nature, and how they felt about their health and happiness, before the challenge started, at the end of the challenge and two months after it had finished.
The analysis has been published in the journal PLOS One.
The study was conducted by the University of Derby and The Wildlife Trusts to try and measure the impact of last year’s "30 Days Wild" campaign, run by the charity.
“Intuitively we knew that nature was good for us as humans, but the results were beyond brilliant,” said Lucy McRobert, nature matters campaigns manager for The Wildlife Trusts.
The study showed that there was a scientifically significant increase in people’s health, happiness, connection to nature and active nature behaviours, such as feeding the birds and planting flowers for bees – not just throughout the challenge, but sustained for months after the challenge had been completed.
Impressively, says McRobert, the number of people reporting their health as "excellent" increased by 30% and this improvement in health being predicted by the increase in happiness, this relationship is mediated by the change in connection to nature. It adds to a growing body of evidence that shows definitively that we need nature for our health and wellbeing.
For example, children exposed to the natural world showed increases in self-esteem. They also felt it taught them how to take risks, unleashed their creativity and gave them a chance to exercise, play, and discover. In some cases nature can significantly improve the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), providing a calming influence and helping them concentrate.
And for people suffering from physical illness or mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, interacting with nature can help people control their symptoms or even recover, alongside conventional medication.
“Nature isn’t a miracle cure for diseases,” says McRobert, “But by interacting with it, spending time in it, experiencing it and appreciating it we can reap the benefits of feeling happier and healthier as a result.”
Healthy lifestyle
Dr Miles Richardson, head of psychology at the University of Derby, conducted the study and explains that the results are significant, both statistically and from an applied perspective. It was a large scale intervention, he says, with more than 18,500 people committing around 300,000 random acts of "wildness", framed not as a public health intervention, but rather a fun campaign to take part in.
“The design and evaluation took a proven approach in evaluations of such scale, it’s an important step.”
According to Dr Richardson there is already research evidence that exposure to nature can reduce hypertension (abnormally high blood pressure), respiratory tract and cardiovascular illnesses; improve vitality and mood; benefit issues of mental wellbeing such as anxiety; and restore attention capacity and mental fatigue. But more than that, feeling a part of nature has been shown to significantly correlate with life satisfaction, vitality, meaningfulness, happiness, mindfulness, and lower cognitive anxiety.
“These correlations are of a similar magnitude to those found between wellbeing and other variables, such as marriage and education, whose relationships with wellbeing are well established.”
And, he adds, recent analysis found people with a stronger connection to nature experienced more life satisfaction, positive affect and vitality at levels associated with established predictors of satisfaction, such as personal income.
“There is a need to normalise everyday nature as part of a healthy lifestyle,” Dr Richardson told BBC Earth. The real challenge for the future is how we get more people involved, knowing what we do about the very real benefits of nature.
He explains that an understanding of the pathways and activities that can lead to an increased connection to nature is starting to emerge; where education programmes with creative activities lead to short-term increases, but knowledge-based activities do not.
The University of Derby has identified contact, emotion, meaning, compassion and engagement with natural beauty as pathways that helped people to feel closer to nature. More scientific and knowledge-based activities were not found to help people connect with nature. They also found that activities that related to these pathways significantly increased the connection, compared with just walking in nature alone or walking in, and engaging with, urban environments.
“It’s early days though, and lots to understand about the best pathways for different people – it won’t be one approach fits all,” he told BBC Earth.
Good for nature, good for you
And it’s a reciprocal relationship because as important as nature has been shown for our health and happiness, our interactions with the natural world are just as important for protecting nature and the environment.
“If we can help people to connect with nature, that’s not just good for them, its great news for nature,” said The Wildlife Trust’s Lucy McRobert. Because, she explains, the more people that care intrinsically for their local environment and value the positive impact it has on their own lives, the more they’ll want to protect it from destruction.
So The Wildlife Trusts would like to see nature high up on the political agenda and viewed in the same way as health, security and education, and for businesses and corporations to make meaningful changes that protect our natural resources. And for us as individuals they want us to care for, cherish and protect our environment and wild places.
“We hope that [these] results show how nature isn’t just a nice thing to have – although it has a huge value in itself – it’s fundamentally important for our health, wellbeing and happiness and that ought to be reflected in our education system, in the way we treat the physically or mentally ill, in the way we build infrastructure and houses and in how we access and protect green spaces in cities.
“Ultimately we want to see everyone taking action to restore nature – for nature’s sake and for ours.”
This year there will be a guide to doing 30 Days Wild for care homes and the physically and mentally disabled, focusing on ideas for 30 Random Acts of Wildness that can be easily and safely carried out with this audience, engage them with nature and hopefully improve their quality of life.
So shouldn't we all be spending more time outside interacting with nature?
Article Source: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160420-how-nature-is-good-for-our-health-and-happiness
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Connecting With Nature is an Intelligent, Healthy Lifestyle Choice
This is a recommendation I regularly give to patients, especially if they're feeling chronically stressed or anxious. It's a simple step, yet so powerful. It's getting outside and connecting with nature!
This may seem like a peculiar "health and happiness" recommendation to make! But, this was a vital component when I needed to re-create overall balance, happiness and health in my life following a very stressful period. For me, the outdoors is one of the critical pieces to the puzzle. Regardless of where you live and what time of the year it is, I feel it's a necessary component of balanced living for all of us.
I don't believe we were intended to live in the captivity of our workplaces, cars, shopping malls and homes. We are part of nature - part of the entire ecosystem. In my opinion, we need to stay connected to it in order to achieve overall balance. Personally, I thrive when I get outside every single day. Easier said than done when it's insanely cold and miserable out!
I'd say it's well worth my effort though. I notice that my thinking is clearer, I have more energy and a much better attitude when I do this. Fresh air is healing and energizing, as is natural light. Our bodies and minds don't function at their optimal levels in stale, indoor air and artificial lighting, day in and day out.
I do as much as I can outside: I take the kids out for play time, exercise and meals. We've done plenty of home school lessons while sitting outside. I do my morning rituals out on the dock in the spring through fall. I read outside when I get the chance. As often as possible I do my cardio exercise outside. I actually like the widely varying weather conditions that Michigan provides!
On days that it's too dangerous to exercise outside, or just too miserable to do much of anything outside, I have a quick little routine I do. I step out onto our deck, look up at the big pine trees next to me and take a few deep breaths of fresh air as I do some nice lengthening stretches. I look up at the sky, look out at the lake... take another deep breath as I appreciate all the natural beauty. Then I run inside! I can even recall a couple times when I just opened the window to do this routine. Must have been pretty cold!
In those glorious spring, summer and fall months, the benefits of the outdoors are obvious. Sunshine offers the healing benefits of light itself, as well as vitamin D. We also tend to exercise and stay more active during these months. We eat outside, work outside and play outside. Fair weather fans, we are! The crisp air of winter has a unique blessing of its own - not much else can invigorate you so quickly! Plus, frozen nostrils just remind you how alive you are, don't they?!
Action Step:
Make the effort to get outside and connect with nature every single day. If (you think) your only chance to get outside is while you're rushing to and from your car during your busy routine, then allow at least 30 extra seconds in your routine to stop the craziness and connect with nature in some small way. Look up at a tree, listen to the birds, feel the breeze or smell a flower.
Another one of my "but-I'm-so-busy" favorites is to crack the window in the car while sitting at a stop light and just look around you at the sky and the trees. Yes, I'm still paying attention to the traffic conditions! The sky is different every single day - even when it's gray! Take some deep breaths and soak it all in.
You are becoming a fully balanced, completely healthy human being! Enjoy the process!
Until next time, Be Happy, Be Well and Smile!
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Do We REALLY Need To Go Outside?
Your parents probably always told you to go outside because it’s good for you. Is there any truth to this, or are they just trying to get you out of their hair?
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
What Causes Headaches? - Dan Kwartler
In ancient Greece, the best-known remedy for a long-standing headache was to drill a small hole in the skull to drain supposedly infected blood. Fortunately, doctors today don’t resort to power tools to cure headaches, but we still have a lot to learn about this ancient ailment. Dan Kwartler shares what we know (and don't know) about headaches.
Lesson by Dan Kwartler, animation by Sharon Colman.
Sunday, May 13, 2018
Happy Mother's Day!
"A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take."
- Cardinal Meymillod
Thursday, May 10, 2018
The Secret Lives of Trees | Short Film Showcase
Take a trip through Spain's breathtaking and diverse scenery in The Silent Friends, which places trees front and center. This short documentary from production company Kauri Multimedia is an ode to these often undervalued but vital members of our ecosystem.
Monday, May 7, 2018
Mother's Day is This Sunday - Check Out Our Specials!
Exclusive indulgence designed to delight Mom's and Moms-to-be
Total Serenity
An hour massage, herbal facial, body polish and a
Heavenly tub soak. Chocolates and Sparkling Cider and
And plenty of time to enjoy the serenity. $250.00
Spa Escape
An hour massage and herbal facial. Chocolates and
Sparkling cider with plenty of time to Dream -
Reflect- Believe $155.00
A Touch of Decadence for April and May
An hour massage, chocolates and sparkling cider
With ample time to explore the gardens. $85.00
Many other packages to choose from as well!
$10.00 off a regular priced package
$5.00 off an hour massage.
Now through May 31.
Friday, May 4, 2018
The Health Benefits of Going Outside
As people spend more time indoors, ecotherapy is emerging as a way to help rebuild our relationships with nature—and improve mental and physical health. James Hamblin visits San Francisco to learn more.
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Get Hooked on Nature
As kids now spend more time with entertainment media, they're getting less and less time outdoors, despite the mental and physical health benefits. Ben Klasky, CEO of IslandWood, a 255-acre outdoor learning center, proposes a free and natural remedy to the physical problems kids face: the Great Outdoors.
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