15 Jun Health Benefits of Gardening: Guest Blog from Dr. Sabra Royer, ND

Posted at 03:37h in Garden Therapy, Health Benefits, Nature Therapy by mitch 0 Comments
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What comes to your mind when you think of being in nature? Maybe it’s a specific place or activity that you enjoy. For people who are drawn to the outdoors, some of the health benefits of spending time outside are intuitive. Research has shown that spending time in nature can be beneficial for people with a variety of conditions from diabetes and hypertension to stress, anxiety, and depression. In short, being in nature can improve both mental and physical health. Gardening is an easy way to spend time outdoors, and besides producing food or natural beauty, it may have some specific health benefits....

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10 May Spring?

Posted at 05:04h in Garden Therapy, Nature Therapy, Portland Therapist, Portland Therapy, Therapy Yurt by mitch 0 Comments
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April showers bring may flowers is how the old proverb goes. Well what happens when April feels like July, with May not looking any different? After multiple days of record-breaking April temps, I started to wonder if this was just how our Northwest spring was going to be like moving forward. Is this a feature of what climate change is going to look like for Oregon? Many plants out there are confused, with some mistakenly blooming too early. But what does this shifting weather pattern do for our mental health? Looks like I am not the only one wondering about this....

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11 Sep Garden is growing

Posted at 22:59h in Garden Therapy, Nature Therapy, Portland Therapist, Portland Therapy, Therapy Yurt by mitch 0 Comments
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On August 19th, 2015, Oregon broke a record for the most days with an air temperature over 90 degrees.  This record coincided with a state and region wide drought that lasted longer than recently remembered, with large scale wildfires spreading across the Northwest.  A couple days after this record was set, winds blowing from Eastern Oregon brought a thick haze of wildfire smoke into the Willamette Valley and here in Portland.  Unhealthy air quality was recorded in places such as Beaverton and Government Camp.  The dark haze brought an eerie feel to the city.  I can't help but take notice...

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29 Jul Why a Garden?

Posted at 21:25h in Garden Therapy, Nature Therapy, Portland Therapy, Therapy Yurt by mitch 0 Comments
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Back in March of this year, when I concluded that it was time to take my practice to a more nature based form, the question became: "How do I do it while living in a city?" As far as cities go, Portland has incredible access to green spaces.  There are many parks, including Forest Park, the largest park within city limits in the U.S.  I thought about possibly meeting clients on one of the many trails in Forest Park, and having hiking/walking therapy sessions up there.  The Columbia Gorge to the east offers a wide range of options in the outdoors...

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