Take a little walk or do a wild run in Nature…wherever you are, be there totally. . Nature is therapeutical. Many studies have shown that exposure to nature promotes mental relaxation and general well-being. . A large two-decade study by University of Exeter showed that growing up in a rural setting correlates with a less acute stress response, and exposure to greenspace significantly correlates to a positive effect on well-being. Images and sounds of a natural environment can decrease stress in people exposed to negative stimuli. A large survey of mental health and neighborhood greenspace carried out by University of Wisconsin showed significant correlation between the availability of nature and lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. . But have you ever wonder how does exposure to green space help us relax and unwind, exactly? . Dr. Gregory Bratman’s group at Stanford has published a couple of papers following a small group of healthy volunteers told to go for a 5 kilometer walk in the San Francisco Bay area. Half walked along a busy street while the other half went for a scenic walk with beautiful views of the mountains and the bay. The nature walk resulted in decreased anxiety, rumination, and negative feelings, and even increased performance on cognitive tests compared to the walk along a busy street. Later, the same researchers did MRIs and measured blood flow in brain areas of healthy people who went on a 90 minute walk in the same urban vs. more natural setting. They found that the nature walkers had reduced activity in a particular brain region, the subgenual prefrontal cortex. This area of the brain is associated with rumination, or worrying on the same issues over and over, a problem described often in depressive and anxiety disorders. . Now you know. . Food for thought powered by Mocca Shots. . . #moccashots #energyshots #energychew #caffeine #caffeinegummy #caffeinechew #coffeeshots #caffeinated #vegangummy #amazon #founditonamazon