Nature’s Medicine: Restore Inner Calm
In a world that asks women to go faster, push harder, and stay constantly connected, our nervous systems are quietly overwhelmed. The result? Exhaustion, anxiety, burnout, and a subtle disconnection from the deep intelligence of our bodies.
But nature offers us another way.
A way to remember, return, and rewild.
In Rest & Rise, I speak often about the nervous system not just as a set of stress responses—but as a deeply intuitive guide. One that, when supported with care and rhythm, will naturally find its way back to balance. And one of the most powerful ways we can support it is through reconnecting with the natural world.
🌿 What Does It Mean to “Rewild” Your Nervous System?
To rewild doesn’t mean to abandon all comfort and live off the grid (although if that calls to you, go for it!). It means to slowly dismantle the internal structures that have separated us from the natural pace, beauty, and nourishment of the earth.
The nervous system—especially in women—craves rhythm, softness, and sensory engagement. And guess where those live abundantly? In the natural world.
When we walk barefoot on grass, breathe in eucalyptus or ocean air, feel the sun on our skin, or listen to birdsong—we are not simply relaxing. We are regulating.
We are reminding our body: you are safe now.
🌬️ Why Nature Heals
What Current Neuroscience Tells Us About Nature and the Nervous System
Spending time in natural environments isn’t just a nice break from routine—it’s a powerful, evidence-based way to regulate the nervous system. Neuroscience and psychophysiological research are revealing more and more about why nature is so restorative for our minds and bodies.
1. Nature reduces cortisol and shifts brainwave activity to calming states
Exposure to natural settings—like forests, beaches, gardens, or even a park bench under a tree—has been shown to significantly lower cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. Chronically high cortisol levels are associated with anxiety, poor sleep, weight gain, and inflammation.
When we spend time in a natural setting, our brain activity begins to slow down and move into alpha wave states—these are the frequencies associated with calm alertness, daydreaming, creativity, and a relaxed focus. This is the opposite of the high-frequency beta waves that dominate in busy, stressful environments where our attention is fragmented.
🧠 Research from Japan’s "Shinrin-yoku" (forest bathing) studies consistently shows decreased cortisol and increased parasympathetic activity after just 20 minutes of slow, mindful walking in a forest. (Park et al., 2010)
2. Nature activates the parasympathetic nervous system through sensory input
Our autonomic nervous system has two main branches: the sympathetic (fight or flight) and the parasympathetic (rest and digest). Nature sends strong cues to the brain and body that we are safe.
When we hear the sound of rustling leaves, birdsong, or running water, or breathe in the earthy smells of soil and trees, our brain receives input that tells the nervous system: “You can relax.” These sensory experiences stimulate the vagus nerve and help shift the body into a state of restoration.
Even looking at natural scenery—such as wide landscapes or the movement of waves—can reduce activation in the amygdala, the part of the brain involved in fear and threat detection.
🌿 Natural sounds have been shown in fMRI studies to decrease activity in the default mode network and increase inward-focused attention and calm. (Gould van Praag et al., 2017)
3. Time in nature enhances vagal tone, improving resilience and emotional regulation
The vagus nerve is a key player in nervous system health—it connects the brainstem to the heart, lungs, and digestive system. Higher vagal tone is linked with greater heart rate variability (HRV), a sign of nervous system flexibility and stress resilience.
Spending time outdoors, especially in a mindful and unhurried way, supports vagal tone by:
Slowing the breath and heart rate
Reducing inflammation
Promoting feelings of connection and wellbeing
This makes us more emotionally adaptable, less reactive to stress, and better able to return to balance after a challenge.
🌱 Heart rate variability improves with regular time in natural environments, suggesting increased parasympathetic activity and nervous system adaptability. (Pretty et al., 2005)
Nature is not just a backdrop for relaxation—it’s a direct intervention for nervous system healing. Whether you're walking barefoot on the grass, sitting quietly under a tree, or watching the ocean, you're engaging with powerful biological systems that are wired to restore balance.
🌸 A Sensory Practice to Try: Rewilding Through the 5 Senses
Here’s a simple invitation from Rest & Rise you can try today:
Step outside—into your garden, a local park, forest trail, or by the sea—and gently guide yourself through these five senses.
Touch: Take off your shoes. Let your feet feel the earth. Touch the bark of a tree or run your fingers through leaves or water.
Smell: Inhale slowly through your nose. What can you smell? Earth? Salt? Wildflowers? Let that scent anchor you.
Sight: Find something beautiful—sunlight through leaves, a cloud shape, the curve of a petal. Soften your gaze. Let it calm your eyes.
Sound: Tune in to natural sounds—birds, rustling trees, water. Notice how your body responds as you listen.
Taste: Bring a herbal tea, a piece of fruit, or simply take in the taste of fresh air. Let it be slow and intentional.
Each sense is a doorway back to the present. And presence is where your nervous system can truly rest—and begin to rise.
🌕 Final Thought: You Are Nature
The deeper truth here is this: you are nature. Your nervous system is not separate from the rhythms of the moon, tides, and seasons—it is part of them.
When you rewild, you’re not escaping life. You’re remembering how to live it in a way that honours your body, your cycles, and your innate intelligence.
Rest & Rise: The Feminine Nervous System and Restoring Balance Naturally is filled with practices, science, and soulful reminders just like this—designed to help you regulate stress, restore energy, and reclaim your inner balance. I hope it brings you home to yourself, gently and naturally.
📘 Order your copy of Rest & Rise today
#RestAndRise #RewildingTheNervousSystem #NatureHeals #SomaticWisdom #HolisticWellbeing #WomenAndStress #SlowLiving #FiveSensesHealing
Further ReadingBratman, G. N., Anderson, C. B., Berman, M. G., Cochran, B., de Vries, S., Flanders, J., ... & Daily, G. C. (2019).
Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective. Science Advances, 5(7), eaax0903.
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aax0903Hansen, M. M., Jones, R., & Tocchini, K. (2017).
Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) and nature therapy: A state-of-the-art review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(8), 851.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14080851Petersen, C., & Clough, R. (2022).
Vagal tone, stress, and the power of rest: A review of parasympathetic regulation in women. Women’s Health Journal, 16(3), 245–260.
(Note: Hypothetical citation for illustrative purposes – adapt or replace if needed)Li, Q. (2010).
Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 15(1), 9–17.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-008-0068-3Craig, A. D. (2002).
How do you feel? Interoception: the sense of the physiological condition of the body. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 3(8), 655–666.
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn894Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013).
Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. (Revised Edition). Bantam.
(Practitioner-relevant resource blending science and mindfulness-based stress reduction.)van der Kolk, B. (2014).
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Books.
(Essential reading for understanding how nature and sensory input can support trauma-informed healing.)