Busy times call for exceptional measures. And in times when we live with increasingly higher levels of anxiety, different therapies begin to flourish that aim to reduce it through contact with nature and self-knowledge. From the forest therapy to belly blessinga tour of new techniques to achieve balance.
The force of nature
If anything proved the quarantine was the importance of contact with nature. For all those who had to stay locked in an apartment, the lack of connection with the green was a great factor of stress, and even those who did not usually pay attention to it noticed the vitality of this connection. Since then, recommendations have proliferated on how to lead an urban life with a closer approach to natureand biophilia became one of the great decoration trends.
And so, the “forest therapy”. Coined in Japan in the early ’80s (under the term “shinrin yoku”), the concept promotes healing through nature, given the benefits it provides to physical and emotional health. What does it consist of? Basically, spending time outdoors and in contact with greenery, truly immersed in the experience. “Nature is always good therapy. And it is not necessary to have a forest nearby to enjoy it. Any park, square or green space is enough to feel the effects,” says Delfina de Achával, a psychologist with a doctorate in mental health and a specialist in mindfulness, who praises this method on her @delfinadeachaval account.
Among the benefits he emphasizes are reducing mental fatigue (a break in the fresh air strengthens concentration and improves short-term memory), increased creativity, improved mood and self-esteemthe reduction of stress and even the strengthening of immunity “thanks to phytoncides, chemical substances released by plants and trees with antibacterial and antifungal properties that when inhaled increase our white blood cells.”
A natural environment is also required to perform “coaching with horses”, another popular alternative therapy. “It is a learning method where you work with a group of loose horses that, according to their reactions, reflect the emotions of what is happening to the person,” explains Nadine Bell, a pioneer in bringing this method to the country more ago. of 18 years. As a coach, once she observes the animals’ reactions, she asks questions on a metaphorical level to unlock the conflict that the consultant may bring. “For example, it may happen that a horse gives its rump to a person, and then you ask him about it, to get the answer that at work or in his family he usually feels that others are emotionally closed or that they give him the cold shoulder. back,” he describes. Once the conflict was clear, she continued working with a horse to represent it and “recalibrate the person’s innate leadership.” The central premise is that these animals are a great channel to express our mode of communication, and that we can learn from their flight or connection response (and therefore work a lot). “The horse needs leaders, and when one returns to natural leadership, he will follow you and respond to what you tell him from your heart.”
This therapy can be used at an individual, bond and group level. In the latter case, companies usually consult especially. According to Nadine, the activity is for anyone who can answer questions and unlock knowledge of what is happening to them.
Of rituals and gestures
In terms of therapies that aim more at the spiritual, for some time now a ritual that descends from the Native Americans has been applied in the country: the “blessingway”. “It is a time of celebration to receive the blessings of those who love us in transcendental stages of our lives. There are ‘blessingways’ for maternity, known as belly blessing, as well as for the union of couples and farewell to souls,” describes Valeria Pérez Benitez, creator of Eterno Sol Blessingway. In the specific case of belly blessings, they have begun to be a much more emotional alternative (and far from consumerism) than “baby showers.”
“A safe and intimate meeting is facilitated to share and enjoy the milestones of our journey. This ceremony represents the welcome of the woman in her trance towards motherhood. Her mother surrounds herself with women who are important to her, who bless her through different slogans and dynamics,” explains the expert. Some of these may be lighting candles, doing “body painting” on the belly, reading poetry or mantras or dancing. To be part, no previous experience is necessary, “the only requirement is to be in complete presence.”
Finally, the “tapping” It has been gaining followers for quite some time. It is an emotional self-regulation technique based on the combination of Chinese medicine and modern psychology. “Tapping means tapping in English, and it consists of small self-taps on specific points of the body in a certain order, while saying a specially designed phrase plus some key words oriented to the problem to be solved,” describes Gabriela Soifer, psychologist, coach, specialist in EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and Coachingmg partner. She says that there are studies that support that the stimulation of the meridian points reduces the excitation of the cerebral amygdala, and as a consequence, stress hormones decrease.
Simple and easy to implement, it is used, in addition to stress management, to manage emotions, reduce the intensity of fears and anxiety, change habits, achieve goals, reduce psychosomatic symptoms, improve memory and contribute to general well-being, among other issues. It can be applied to patients of all ages, from childhood to older adults. In fact, at Coachingmg they often receive teachers who seek to help their students concentrate or calm down before a test or a difficult situation. And something fundamental in the reason for its great diffusion: once learned, it is a self-applied technique, which requires nothing more than the own hands of the person who performs it.
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