Healing Power of Nature Sounds

 You need these cosmic sounds! My thoughts on why nature bathing is so very important.

I go to swamp for many reasons & one healthy reason is for my body to take in the vibrations made by Frogs; mostly Leopard Frogs, Lithobates sphenocephalus, this time of year (winter solstice). Vibrations commonly associated with sound reach our brain through several different paths; through our ear's auditory canal and also through bone and body fluid vibrations. Humans evolved over time integrated into nature's cosmic vibrations. Our body uses nature vibrations for many purposes, especially for managing,-balancing moderating and healing. Filling ourselves with these vibrations on a regular basis is key to avoiding industrial revolution-type machinistic frequencies that depress parasympathetic responses and stimulate fight or flight sympathetic cortisol production. Simply put nature's vibrations usually are healing. I've written often about how frog vocals have had a part in fashioning our DNA over millennia (as long as frogs were calling out at night predators were not adjacent and our body could more easily relax). Frog's vocal vibrations (as well as night birds, crickets and other wildlife) down-regulate our nervous system. When our body is bathed in these sounds our auditory cortex within the temporal lobe processes vibrations not only from our ears but also from vibrations resonating through our bones and body fluids. This is the fundamental basis why forest bathing is so healing (as a native Floridian I like 'swamp bathing' or spring/ocean bathing'). And I'll leave you with this tidbit to stoke your wondering; try turning your head so different ears face the direction of the wildlife calls. Our right ear sends 'sound' to the left hemisphere of our brain & alternatively the left ear sends signals to our brain's right side for processing. Evolution has fine tuned this diurnal auditory processing to be practically simultaneous however my supernova-like right hemisphere constantly is at odds with the more logical approach of left brain's OCD logic. By alternately turning my left/right ears towards the frogs I can experience a multi-dimensional sound bath, infusing me with powerful cosmic frisson. Read the internet about this word frisson. Frisson is a gift form the cosmos, a process within our body similar in many ways to powerful dopamine-like healing responses we are most familiar with. Swamp bathing is healing in so many ways. Nature freely provides this medicine for us.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBd14MZzXYuS6PGJoAgMwVA/community?lb=Ugkxm1UVfgXLNbUMNE6D4OtxFG_5A1bvuPJr

Nature Sounds Provide Healing Power

American Alligator Vocalizations, Mother and Hatchlings, SMNWR

 Three minutes of early morning female mother alligator vocalization with her juveniles in a shallow primarily freshwater depression type pond near Ring Dike and Cedar Creek east of Stoney Bayou Pool in the St Marks National Wildlife Refuge. 

St Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Alligator Vocalizations, May 2023

May 2023. Sony PCM M10 recorder, Clippy EM272Z1 stereo microphones, windbubbles & drybags. One way I differentiate between male and female adult alligator bellows, besides seeing the alligator, is through spectrogram analysis. Male bellows tend to have more infrasound (usually 16 to 20Hz) components to their bellow than females. I know this gator was a mother because of her interactions with the hatchlings. Carolina wren and Eastern Wood-Pewee calls can be heard in the background as well as Southern Cricket frogs and Green Tree Frogs.

Nature Healing: Exploring Ecotherapy as a Health Modality

 Spending time outdoors (I call this outdoor time 'ecotherapy') can be incredibly beneficial for individuals experiencing trauma for several reasons. 

Ecotherapy & the study of the Languages of Nature has helped me with my aortic dissection healing

Here are a few key ways in which it can help:

1. Stress Reduction: Exposure to nature has been shown to reduce stress, with research demonstrating that spending time outdoors can lower heart rate, blood pressure, and levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Trauma can create chronic stress conditions, and mitigating stress is a significant step towards healing.
2. Mindfulness and Presence: The natural world can encourage a state of mindfulness, which involves focusing on the present moment rather than ruminating on past experiences or worrying about the future. This can be particularly helpful for individuals dealing with trauma, as it can provide a break from distressing memories and anxiety-provoking thoughts about the future.
3. Physical Activity: Outdoor environments are conducive to physical activities like walking, hiking, or cycling. Regular exercise has been found to reduce symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and can stimulate the release of endorphins, the body's natural mood lifters. Physical activity can also promote better sleep, which is often disrupted in those dealing with trauma.
4. Increased Social Interaction: Spending time outdoors, particularly in public parks or community gardens, can lead to increased social interactions. Social support is often a crucial component of trauma recovery, providing opportunities for shared understanding, emotional expression, and reassurance.
5. Restorative Environment: Nature has been described as a 'restorative' environment that can improve concentration and motivation. This is beneficial for those healing from trauma, where cognitive functioning can often be affected.
6. Improved Mood: Research has also linked exposure to green spaces with improved mood and mental health. This can be especially beneficial for those recovering from trauma, who may be experiencing issues such as depression or anxiety.
7. Ecotherapy: A form of therapeutic treatment which involves doing activities in nature. It can help to improve your mood, reduce feelings of stress or anger, help you take time out and feel more relaxed, improve your physical health, improve your confidence and self-esteem, help you be more active, help you make new connections, provide peer support, and provide a sense of belonging and community.  Ecotherapy benefits us through a variety of ways, such as;

• Improved Mental Health:
• Reduces Stress: Exposure to natural environments has been shown to lower cortisol levels, a hormone that the body produces in response to stress. This reduction can help mitigate feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression.
• Improves Mood: Nature has a calming effect that can elevate a person's mood. The simple act of taking a walk in a park has been found to trigger the release of endorphins, the body's natural mood elevator.
• Enhances Cognitive Functions: Natural settings can be restorative for our cognitive abilities. Research suggests that nature can help restore attention, improve problem-solving and creativity.
• Improved Physical Health:
• Physical Activity: Ecotherapy often involves physical activities such as gardening, conservation work, or walking, which can help improve cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and overall physical fitness.
• Exposure to Sunlight: Outdoor activities increase exposure to sunlight, which facilitates vitamin D production. Vitamin D is important for various bodily functions, including strengthening the immune system and bone health.
• Lowered Blood Pressure: Spending time in natural environments has been linked with lowered blood pressure, beneficial for heart health.
• Improved Emotional Well-being:
• Building Connection: Engaging with nature can help individuals feel more connected to the world around them, combat feelings of isolation, and build a sense of belonging.
• Mindfulness: Natural environments encourage mindfulness and can make it easier for individuals to focus on the present moment. Mindfulness has been linked with a range of health benefits, including improved emotional regulation and reduced rumination.
• Improved Social Health:
• Community Engagement: Many ecotherapy activities involve social interaction, promoting community engagement and social skills, which can be beneficial for individuals feeling isolated or struggling with social anxiety.
• Increased Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence: Accomplishing tasks in nature, like growing a garden or hiking a trail, can instill a sense of achievement, thereby boosting self-esteem and self-confidence.

Despite the noted benefits, it's important to mention that ecotherapy is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Spending the day swimming in Wakulla Springs recently was so very relaxing

What works for one individual may not work for another. For some, ecotherapy might best serve as a complementary approach alongside traditional therapy or medication.  This form of therapy is based on the idea that people are connected to and impacted by the natural environment. It leverages the benefits of nature to promote healing and growth. 

While I personally attribute time outdoors to having contributed to healing PTSD and trauma associated with my aortic dissection, it should be noted that ecotherapy isn't considered a replacement for professional treatment methods such as psychotherapy, medication, or cognitive-behavioral techniques. Rather, it's an adjunct therapy that can support and enhance these other treatment modalities.

Regardless, I've found that spending time outdoors has provided me with so many healing health benefits since my dissection and aorta operations and highly recommend discussing ecotherapy with a professional for anyone seeking to anyone seeking relief from mental or physical trauma.

Nature Healing: How Forest Bathing Helps Manage Trauma

Forest bathing, also known as "Shinrin-Yoku" in Japanese, refers to spending time in a forest or natural environment for the purpose of enhancing health, wellness, and happiness. The practice is not exercise, or hiking, or jogging; it is simply being in nature, connecting with the universal through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch.

Very real health management substances can be acquired through Forest Bathing

The connection between forest bathing and healing trauma or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been known to traditional healers since the beginning of time but has only recently been acknowledged in scientific literature.  

One of my favorite Forest Bathing places is found deep in the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

Importantly, some potential reasons and mechanisms to explain how forest bathing could be beneficial include:

1. Stress Reduction: One of the significant benefits of forest bathing is stress reduction. Natural settings can decrease cortisol levels, pulse rate, and blood pressure, which are typically heightened in individuals suffering from trauma or PTSD. Lowering these stress indicators can help individuals manage their symptoms more effectively.
2. Mood Enhancement: Nature and forest environments are associated with enhanced mood and feelings of wellbeing. This could be beneficial for individuals with PTSD, who often suffer from mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
3. Mindfulness and Presence: The practice encourages mindfulness and living in the present moment, which can help distract individuals from traumatic memories and intrusive thoughts that contribute to PTSD.
4. Improved Sleep: Forest bathing can contribute to better sleep, which is often a challenge for individuals with PTSD. Better sleep can lead to improvements in mental and physical health.
5. Boosts Immune System: Exposure to forests enhances the activity of natural killer cells, a component of the immune system that helps combat disease. This is partly due to inhaling phytoncides, organic compounds with antibacterial properties released by trees.
6. Therapeutic Setting: A forest can provide a calming and safe environment for therapeutic activities, such as trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy or exposure therapy.
7. Nature Connection: Some research suggests that developing a connection with nature can aid in trauma recovery, as it can promote feelings of peace, resilience, and overall mental wellbeing.

Remember, while forest bathing may provide potential benefits, it should not replace traditional treatment methods for PTSD and trauma, such as psychotherapy and medication. If you or someone else has PTSD or has experienced a traumatic event, it's crucial to seek help from a mental health professional.

Full Moon Tidal Creek Flow, Frogs, Shorebirds & Crickets

 Spring full moon tides are usually much higher and lower turning gentle flowing brackish creeks into rushing rivers. This audio is one hour of outgoing tidal flow's rushing water sounds along with Pig Frogs, Leopard Frogs, a few Green Tree Frogs calling.

One hour ASMR Nature Bathing Audio, Full Moon Tidal Flow, SMNWR

Shorebirds, songbirds, crickets and the occasional overhead airplane and nearby fishing boat contribute to the rest of the full moon marsh audio. Recording rushing water audio is challenging however I find the sounds ground me with the earth (after all our bodies are mostly water).

The Pig Frogs are the perfect bass accompaniment while Leopard Frogs call with out their soprano melodies. I hear Red-winged Blackbirds throughout along with a number of shorebirds. Mole crickets and Southern Field Crickets round out the recording.

The St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is always in earth & wildlife orchestra mode. Sony PCM M10 recorders, Clippy mics, Windbubbles & dry bags.

March 2023 Marsh Leopard & Pig Frog Sunset Calls, Field Recording, Forest Bathing

One hour Pig and Leopard Frog Calls, SMNWR

 One hour March 2023 sunset frog calls consisting mostly of Leopard frogs (Lithobates sphenocephalus), Pig frogs (Rana grylio), a few Green tree frogs (Hyla cinerea) with Southern Field Crickets & the strange calls of Marsh Moorhen calls scattered throughout the audio. Audio collected during an overnight recording session in a dropbag set comprised of Sony PCM M10 recorder, LOM MikroUsi microphones, windbubbles & camo-type drybags. Audio location was adjacent the Florida Trail segment running west of East River Pool in the St. Marks National Wildlife refuge.