Time in nature helps older adults with improved health and purpose in life
Live long and prosper - move through space between big trees and connect your brain
The largest percentage of our Shamanic Coaching students are coming out of the hospice work sector. Our training program is slowly being recognized by many as providing powerful tools for those who are seeking to address challenges with ageing – whether it is for themselves or for others. Within our society we have a great number of people who have lived without any spiritual awakening and when they find themselves near the "end" they have no logical or peaceful approach to how they might be "beginning".
Our Shamanic Coaching program really helps hospice care workers and other health professionals create a connection with these folks during one of the most important times in their lives. The program also helps the coach retain their own healthy meaning and purpose within this mission which depends on a powerful connection to nature and spirit.
For the past decade the Wildcraft Forest School has transitioned and delivered a group of teachings and formed them into a “Shamanic Coach Certification” program. This certification series takes a practical approach towards contemporary Shamanism as an important tool to nurture “meaning and purpose” within individuals, families and groups. This series is ideal for people interested in spirituality and the science of body, mind and spirit and has been developed to support cross-cultural understanding, and methods for making “First Contact” with energies, beings, ideas and nature. This training is also ideal for professionals in the fields of counseling and alternative healthcare.
Shamanic Coaching includes an advanced teaching of wild plant characteristics and properties within a number of wild ecosystems and places them into a context that includes plant spirit medicine within the realm of contemporary Shamanism. It also includes historical plant-based alchemy, dimensional energy and developing skills linked to ancient forms of intuition. This series goes into details regarding Totemism, and places both plant and animal spirit energy and symbolism, so that they include one’s local environment. The series prepares participants so that they may move into a more advanced understanding of “traditional” forms of Shamanism, which supports regenerative stewardship.
Everything is connected
Similar to our Forest Therapy training program we teach practitioners to deliver a 12 Session Program which blends nature-based experiences with strengthening cognitive skills. As we grow older there is growing evidence that supports the obvious. Everything is connected; we come to understand that we need to strengthen positive perspectives and keep our mind active; move and exercise and get outside into nature.
The distribution of matter in the universe looks a little like the “connectome” which is the network of nerve connections in the human brain. Neurons in the human brain also form clusters, and they connect by axons, that are long nerve fibers which send electrical impulses from one neuron to another.
Imagine how we have evolved this complex system of connectivity over millions of years and for the most part that evolution has taken place as we were directly connected to the natural world.
Scientific researchers continue to find that fostering social connections around nature-based activities may be connected to improved health and quality of life for elders. We humans walk as part of a complex process of locomotion that is a coordinated whole-body movement that involves both the arms and legs that also connects with neurons in the spinal cord that will then link to our brain.
In 2016, researchers at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel and the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research identified different sub-populations of neurons in the spinal cord with long nerve fibers called long projections. Published in Neuron, the results show that these neurons coordinate movement of arms and legs and ensure a stable body posture during locomotion.
The locomotor pattern consists of a highly controlled sequence of muscle contractions, which are controlled by neuronal circuits in the spinal cord and the brain. The research group of Prof. Silvia Arber at the Biozentrum and the Friedrich Miescher Institute revealed that specific, long projecting neurons, traversing our spinal cord, form an important basis for the coordination of fore and hind limbs.
The locomotor pattern consists of a highly controlled sequence of muscle contractions, which are controlled by neuronal circuits in the spinal cord and the brain. These neurons couple local networks over long distances and thereby ensure posture and rhythm of our body during locomotion.
Neuronal circuits in the spinal cord reflect walking pattern
Even though humans rose from the quadrupedal position to stand on their feet during evolution, coordination and alternation patterns of the four limbs are still needed in order to move efficiently as in all other quadrupedal species.
"We showed that the diametric movement of fore and hind limbs is reflected in neuronal circuits of the spinal cord," says Ludwig Ruder, first author of the study.
Thus, axons of most excitatory neurons cross the midline of the spinal cord contact contralateral networks.
In contrast, inhibitory neurons project predominantly on the same side of the body. The diagonal and mirrored pattern of the excitatory neuronal connections is very interesting when observing the coordination of arms and legs in a runner.
"During running, not only do legs move, but synchronously and diametrically also the arms -- in complete coordination with each other," says Ruder.
Long projecting neurons control whole body parameters of locomotion and distribute information within the brain. To demonstrate the importance of long projection neurons in the spinal cord for the walking pattern, the researchers selectively eliminated those neurons.
"Upon inactivation of spinal long projection neurons that couple local networks, not only is the stability and speed during running impaired, but also the coordinated fore and hind limb movements which then fall apart at higher speeds," says Ruder.
Interestingly, local movement patterns within a single limb remain however unaffected. This reinforces the specific role of long projecting neurons in the regulation of whole body movement.
In a next step, the research team observed that the neurons with long projections broadcast their signals throughout the spinal cord and receive extensive input from various brain regions.
This organization of long projection neurons and their connections places them at an important intersection between integrating information from the brain and distributing it in the spinal cord.
Previous to this study, researchers had investigated mainly local spinal networks and their role in movement. In contrast, neurons with long projections had not been studied all that much. "However, the results of our study showed that long projecting neurons in the spinal cord exhibit a very important role for the coordination of the locomotor pattern," explains Silvia Arber. "Henceforth, we plan to investigate how the brain interacts differently with local and long projecting spinal neurons to control them specifically." In the long run, these results can be important to restore functionality after spinal cord injuries.
It’s the forest that provides the therapy
Though much about the brain remains a mystery, scientists have long surmised that our thoughts, feelings and behavior are the result of these billions of interconnected neurons that transmit signals to each other, thereby enabling communication between regions of the brain. Research has also demonstrated that spending time in nature confers psychological, emotional and physical benefits.
To maximize benefits of spending time in nature for people over the age of 65. In a study just researchers from Penn State; National Open University, Taiwan; and Lunghwa University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, studied the attitudes, beliefs and actions of a group of elders who regularly spent time in a natural area. The researchers found that fostering social connections around nature-based activities may be connected to improved health and quality of life for elders.
The study supports the efforts found in the Wildcraft Forest School’s Yasei Shin-rin Yoku methods. In Japan, the term shinrin-yoku, or "forest bathing," was developed to refer to spending time in nature while engaging all of one's senses: tasting the air, smelling a forest, listening to a stream, and being present with whatever you experience.
For elders who encounter challenges when attempting to hike quickly over difficult trails, forest bathing may present an enjoyable and safe way to spend time in nature. According to the researchers, forest bathing is popular among older adults in Japan, China and Taiwan, where the practice originated, and it is becoming increasingly more popular world-wide.
The researchers studied older visitors to the Xitou Education Area, a natural preserve in Taiwan.
Between April and June of 2022, the researchers surveyed 292 visitors to the preserve who were at least 65 years old and who visited the park at least once a week.
Participants were asked a range of questions, from whether they felt supported by others, to how much they thought about their futures, to how much purpose they felt that their lives had.
The results of the study were published in the journal Leisure Sciences. The researchers found that people who discussed their experiences in nature with others tended to have a greater sense of attachment to forest bathing and a stronger sense of purpose in life.
Prior research supports the conclusion that these factors are related to better physical and mental health and higher quality of life.
This finding can guide leisure-service providers working in various settings including community recreation departments and retirement villages on how to facilitate leisure for elders, according to John Dattilo, professor of recreation, park and tourism management at Penn State and co-author of this research.
"Elders can access community and state parks where it is safe for them to spend time in nature: places with walkable paths and convenient, accessible parking, are helpful," Dattilo explained." Agencies can publicize these opportunities and help identify the value they offer to elders and others.
"Better yet, leisure-service providers could arrange transportation and then afterwards facilitate social interactions among participants," Dattilo continued.
"Enabling people to get out into nature to experience their surroundings is one aspect of forest bathing. Part of what we found is the linkage between positive social relationships and spending time in nature. So, if leisure-service providers create opportunities for elders to return from an experience, meet over a warm beverage and talk about their experiences, there will be value in these connections for people's sense of purpose."
An improved sense of purpose is related to better physical functioning, higher quality of life, and lower fear of death, according to Liang-Chih Chang, professor of living sciences at National Open University in New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Forest bathing matters, he continued, because it might be able to help people foster that sense of purpose.
"Forest bathing seems to connect people to the moment and the world," Chang said.
"When elders use that same experience to develop social connections and support, they may experience a broad range of benefits associated with physiological functioning as well as cognitive health. These are associations, not cause and effect, but the potential consequences are exciting to consider."
The study continues Dattilo's research on the value of the leisure experience for elders that he has explored with his collaborators in Taiwan as well as locally with colleagues from Penn State's Center for Healthy Aging.
"We have conducted research on square dancing and karaoke, both of which are common activities for elders in Asia," Dattilo said. "Forest bathing, is unique in that it is closely tied to hiking, strolling or sitting in nature in which many elders engage with across the globe. If leisure-service providers facilitate exposure to nature and help participants build a sense of community around those experiences, then elders could live, not only healthier, but richer and more meaningful lives."
A regular walk in the forest
Regular walks strengthen connections in and between brain networks adding to growing evidence linking exercise with slowing the onset of Alzheimer's disease. A recent study published in May of 2023 in the Journal for Alzheimer's Disease Reports, researchers from the University of Maryland School of Public Health examined the brains story recollection abilities of older adults with normal brain function and those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, which is a slight decline in mental abilities like memory, reasoning and judgment and a risk factor for Alzheimer's.
"Historically, the brain networks we studied in this research show deterioration over time in people with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease," said J. Carson Smith, a kinesiology professor with the School of Public Health and principal investigator of the study.
"They become disconnected, and as a result, people lose their ability to think clearly and remember things. We're demonstrating that exercise training strengthens these connections."
The study builds upon Smith's previous research, which showed how walking may decrease cerebral blood flow and improve brain function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Thirty-three participants, who ranged between 71 and 85 years old, walked while supervised on a treadmill four days a week for 12 weeks.
Before and after this exercise regimen, researchers asked participants to read a short story and then repeat it out loud with as many details as possible.
Participants also underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) so researchers could measure changes in communication within and between the three brain networks that control cognitive function:
· Default mode network - Activates when a person isn't doing a specific task (think daydreaming about the grocery list) and is connected to the hippocampus -- one of the first brain regions affected by Alzheimer's disease. It's also where Alzheimer's and amyloid plaques, a prime suspect for Alzheimer's disease found around nerve cells, show up in tests.
· Frontoparietal network -- Regulates decisions made when a person is completing a task. It also involves memory.
· Salience network -- Monitors the external world and stimuli and then decides what deserves attention. It also facilitates switching between networks to optimize performance.
After 12 weeks of exercise, researchers repeated the tests and saw significant improvements in participants' story recall abilities.
"The brain activity was stronger and more synchronized, demonstrating exercise actually can induce the brain's ability to change and adapt," Smith said.
"These results provide even more hope that exercise may be useful as a way to prevent or help stabilize people with mild cognitive impairment and maybe, over the long term, delay their conversion to Alzheimer's dementia."
Researchers also observed stronger activity within the default mode network, within the salience network and in the connections between the three networks.
There continues to be a growing body of scientific evidence proving that spending time moving and dwelling within a forests is very positive and very important as we age. Yasei Shinrin-Yoku means “Wild Forest Bathing” and incorporates wildcrafting, and includes a tangible understanding of the sentient forest.
Yasei considers the expansion of our health, purpose and well-being as being directly related to the work that we do for the benefit of the forest – the practice considers that we and the forest are “one” and that through this presence the true natural balance of energy can be achieved that benefits both the individual and the natural world. If we invest in the health and growth of the forest then the forest will invest in us – the medium of exchange is “life-force”.
Join us for great learning experiences in-person or online: www.wildcraftforest.com
References:
1. Ludwig Ruder, Aya Takeoka and Silvia Arber. Long-Distance Descending Spinal Neurons Ensure Quadrupedal Locomotor Stability. Neuron, November 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.10.032
2. Liang-Chih Chang, John Dattilo, Fei-Hsin Huang. Relationships of Social Support and Activity Attachment with Purpose in Life among Older Forest Bathers: A Mediated Model. Leisure Sciences, 2023; 1 DOI: 10.1080/01490400.2023.2174217
3. Junyeon Won, Kristy A. Nielson, J. Carson Smith. Large-Scale Network Connectivity and Cognitive Function Changes After Exercise Training in Older Adults with Intact Cognition and Mild Cognitive Impairment. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease Reports, 2023; 7 (1): 399 DOI: 10.3233/ADR-220062