Category Archives: Nature

Prayerful Meditation and Contemplation

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photo (22)While on vacation with old friends this summer, I enjoyed a few moments of solitude and prayer beside the lake.  When I returned to the cabin a friend asked me, “What are you doing out there?”  I tried to explain what I had reading about contemplative prayer.

For me, contemplative prayer is a form of meditation that begins with quieting and focusing my mind.  I find it remarkably relaxing to gaze over a lake while praying.  Considering the waves as they move over the surface is curiously relaxing.  Not much to analyze, not much to worry about.  This relaxed state of mind is a prelude to contemplative prayer.  For some it comes with time at the beach or the lake.  For others it comes with inspirational reading or mellow music.

Contemplative prayer has as its aim an intimate experience of God.  It is a state of mind in which all concerns about past and future are replaced by a present awareness of God.  This awareness is described by Christian mystics as a spiritual union.  Writers use this term to describe the level of intimacy  embodied in this taste of the supernatural grace of God.  Time spent in prayerful contemplation changes the spirit of the person who is praying.  The person’s heart is changed in a way that mysteriously knows the answer to questions he or she did not even know how to ask.  The spirit of this person comes to love and understand more easily.

While at its deepest level contemplative prayer is free from specific ideas, on another level it may focus on a single idea.  This solitary focus may be an initial step to spiritual union.  Here, the meditating person focuses on one idea such as God, love, sin, or forgiveness.  The goal prayer at this level is to try to remain aware of the value represented in the idea without going off into details.  When meditating on the idea of love, for example, try to stay focused on the idea of love, not the love of God, family or friends.  Simply focus on the one-word-idea of love.  When your mind wanders, come back to the single idea, again and again.  Without specifically analyzing the relationships in your life, you will come to a greater ability to love them.

Many of these ideas were gleaned from The Cloud of Unknowing, written by an unknown  fourteenth century author.

The Cloud of Unknowing. (Author unknown).  Republished by Paraclete Press, Brewster Massachusetts, 2006.

Winter Blues and SAD

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photo (33)Cloudy and cold, with a chance of freezing rain – this forecast is heard too often between December and February every year.  Dark days may stifle moods.  People often feel a touch of, what might be called, the winter blues.  Then, if the blues become intense, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) develops.

SAD is a type of depression.  It affects 1-10% of people in the US.  The rates of SAD vary depending on how far north you live.  Residents in Alaska are at greatest risk for SAD due to shorter periods of daylight in the winter.

In my practice, people start showing up with SAD in September and October each year.  SAD comes with the same symptoms seen in more common forms of depressive illness. More days are spent feeling down on self and down on life.  Few days are experienced with feeling good about themselves and good about life. Like a bear retreating to a cave, people with SAD tend to isolate themselves and wait for the sunnier days of spring.

Treatment of SAD may include counseling, stress management (e.g. limiting expectations during holiday period), and more focus on self-care (e.g. rest and recreate when you can).  Many people benefit from increasing exposure to sunlight by taking a trip to a sunnier locale.   ‘Light-box’ therapy has also become popular.  Several companies now carry light therapy lamps.  If these measures do not help, medication may offer relief.  Wellbutrin is a popular medical treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder.

SAD is, by definition, a time-limited illness.  Thankfully, moods begin to lighten with brighter days of March and April.  But if depressive symptoms are robbing you of joy in relationships or productivity at work, the season to seek help is now.

Sunshine as Suicide Prevention

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photo (16)Sunny days may reduce the incidence of suicide. These are findings published this week by researchers who analyzed of 30 years suicide data in Austria, comparing the number of suicides on a given day to the corresponding history of cloudy days .

Two findings emerged. First, a single day of cloudiness may be the final straw for the person muddled in suicidal thinking. Second, a long period of cloudy days increases the risk of suicide.

Two take-away messages may be important for those who struggle with depression. First, you may not feel like going outside on sad days but these may be the most essential days to get into the sunlight. Second, when cloudy days follow cloudy days, it is vitally important to do things that stabilize or elevate your mood. Exercise, call a friend, or do that good thing that helps you feel better. And, reach out to a counselor or physician without delay if destructive thoughts begin to dominate your thinking.

Whether you experience periods of depressed mood or not, get outside in the sunshine this week. It may lighten your eyes as well as your spirit.

(1) Benjamin Vyssoki and others. Direct Effect of Sunshine on Suicide. JAMA Psychiatry. Published online September 10, 2014

Mind-Body Medicine in the Forest

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iphone June 2014 085Relaxing in the woods may reduce the risk of developing anxiety and depressive disorders. Scientists in Japan compared the physical signs of stress in city and forest settings. They studied the levels of stress hormone (cortisol) and blood pressure in 300 people, and found that spending time in the woodsy setting was associated with fewer signs stress (1).

In the book Breaking Through Depression, I describe the links between prolonged stress, cortisol elevation, anxiety, and depression. In the simplest way, it can be said that chronic high stress damages the brain which may lead to depression.

We all have a lot to do this month – many things to manage in our work and personal lives. So how do we reduce the risk of stress injuries in the brain which may lead to or worsen depression?

One answer appears to be spending some time in the woods. Relax. Enjoy the green colors of summer, the yellow leaves of fall, and the curiously bare trees of winter. As you focus on the novelties of nature, forgetting about problems with work and relationships, your mind and body relax… Be calm… Be quiet… Enjoy the beauty of nature for a while.

(1) Bum Jin Park, and others. The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan. Environmental Health Preventative Medicine. Jan 2010; 15(1): 18–26.

(2) Donald Hall. Breaking Through Depression. Harvest House, 2009.

Treating Depression with Time Outdoors

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iphone June 2014 148Scientists have proven what mothers have been telling children for years: “Get outside of the house for a while. The fresh air will do you some good.”

Citing a collection of five studies*, researchers show that enjoying the sights and sounds of nature can produce noticeable improvements in physical and mental energy. Exposure to novel objects in wilderness settings tends to replenish attention and spark mental energy.

Even viewing pictures of nature, they say, may help to restore healthy moods, “including lower feelings of stress and depression.” These observations help to explain why popular vacation choices often involve spending time in novel nature settings.

So do as mothers and scientists suggest: go for a walk outdoors. Experience something new and natural along the way, allowing the experience to rejuvenate the energies of your mind, body, and spirit.

* Richard Ryan and others. “Vitalizing effects of being outdoors and in nature”. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30 (2010) 159-168.