Because we want something that is Real and more human, we coordinate ideas, people, and events to inspire, nourish, and engage our Value Based Outdoor Health Care Platform:

Outdoor Health & Wellness.

Nature Based Interventions for Anxiety & Panic

January 2025

Secure Attachments and Nature: From a Neuroscience Perspective

How can nature help people overcome trauma and improve resiliency

It is January and the Winter Blues are starting to set in. Caffeine doesn’t even seem to be working anymore; no matter how many cups of coffee you may consume throughout the day, the dark and heavy funk of low energy is ever present. Does this sound familiar? This constant feeling of exhaustion could be Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome.

Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome can happen when the adrenal glands have become overworked, are out of balance and are not functioning properly.

The adrenal glands purpose is to secrete many hormones, including one of the most commonly known stress hormones known as cortisol; which is used in the regulation of blood pressure, the way the body responds to stress, the body’s inflammatory response, and the body’s metabolism of glucose.

Potential stressors could be dietary and environmental such as toxicity in the environment. It could also include emotional stressors such as over thinking and anxiety, trauma, grief, self shaming and auto-immune conditions.

Symptoms can include; fatigue and energy crashes, mood dysregulation, compromised stress response, brain fog or cognitive impairment, symptoms of depression, dependency on caffeine and other simulants, low functioning immune system, sleep irregularities such as insomnia, weight gain and bloating, sluggishness and poor circulation.

Adrenal fatigue is not the same as Addison’s Disease however, it can be considered to be closely related with many of the same symptoms. Addison’s Disease also has insufficient cortisol production affecting the adrenal glands however, it is due to a specific pathology. So it is important to get tested, to rule out Addison’s Disease.

Adrenal fatigue is considered to be caused by the overuse and exhaustion of an otherwise healthy functioning adrenal system. The best recommendation holistically for Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome is to decrease stress (since chronic stress is linked to lowered adrenal gland functioning), plenty of fresh spring water and hydration, replacing the high processed junk foods with nutrient rich plant based foods (especially foods high in vitamin C and B vitamins), then of course mindfulness meditation and spending time in nature to allow the stress response system to rest and repair itself so that it may function at it’s best.

Time to push forward, focus on health, getting outdoors to enjoy nature, and finding time for mindfulness, yoga and nutrition. I have noticed personally, that when I make room for spending time in nature, and mindfulness and yoga, I naturally crave healthier food options. Mindful Mountain Wellness offers an 8 week online course Mindfulness & Yoga for Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. We will learn 8 steps to help aid in recovery from Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Each 8 week online course will be followed with an option to sign up for a Mindful Mountain Wellness, Health and Wellness Retreat hosted in Captiol Reef National Park. We will enjoy plenty of mindfulness, yoga, nutrition, stargazing, steam room and spa time and of course nature walks and mindfulness hikes in the beauty of Captiol Reef

Go to MindfulMountain.Org to view our Courses & Workshops. Sign up for an online 8 week course or a Mindful Mountain Wellness Retreat.

Polyvagal Theory Meditation and Nature

The polyvagal theory states that the polyvagal system is a third type of nervous system response that is called the social engagement system. This system can intentionally be activated or calmed in response to social interactions. This is how we learn to navigate through both personal and professional relationships with our self and others.

The other two parts of the nervous system are the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and the parasympathetic nervous system (shut down response). These are involuntary responses to perceived life threatening situations. The more that we can shift into the third type of nervous system, the social engagement system, voluntarily, we can learn to have more control of our own sense of safety from a neurological standpoint, more intentional and less reactive.

Meditation and nature become very useful in developing a healthy social engagement system. Think about a nervous system that has habitually been placed into a perpetual state of fight or flight, which in the extreme can be characterized as anxiety; or, the counter opposite, imbalanced in a shut down response that is associated with depression and dissociation. Body awareness activities such as; yoga, meditation, and outdoor activities such as; hiking and backpacking require a presence of self that nourishes a healthy social engagement system through intentionality. This body -mind conscious, intentionality can help to ease sympathetic and parasympathetic over activity and imbalance.

Stress Disorders, what are they? Do nature and mindfulness really help?

Our stress response system is shaped through millions of years of evolution. An imbalance in the stress response system, in extreme cases, can lead to psychiatric disorders such as, post traumatic stress disorder. It can also increase the risk of other mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse.

In a healthy stress response system, some stress can be healthy as the mental and physical body adapts to homeostatically take control over the perceived life threatening situation. However, when the stress response becomes excessive; the physical, mental, and emotional bodies become flooded with stress hormones such as cortisol. When stress is prolonged over a period of time, or too intense for the body to handle, the fight or flight stress response can take over and lead to compromised health emotionally, mentally and physically.

Coping mechanisms are resources to help an individual adapt when a stress responses is experienced. Self regulation techniques such as; Yoga, Meditation, Hiking, Biking, Canoeing, simply being in nature and many other outdoor activities can help the body and brain rebuild healthy neural connections. How? These activities are experiential in nature giving the body -mind connection opportunities to rebuild new, healthy pathways.

Self Care Ritual

Outdoor Health and Wellness urge to remind you that taking care of yourself on the inside and out is so important. Each week we will offer a self care ritual to help in the process of nourishing your being.

Herbal Foot Soak

This herbal foot soak is fun to do as a family after a long hike in the beautiful outdoors.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or dried herbs; sage, chamomile, lavender, pine, rosemary, elderberry, horsetail, dandelion, juniper or comfrey.

1 gallon of spring water

Steep herbs in boiling water for 20 minutes. Strain liquid and let cool to a luke warm, comfortable temperature. Pour into a foot basin and soak feet.

Time:

Soak feet for 20-30 minutes. Then pat dry.

Benefits:

This herbal foot soak has a calming and detoxifying effect. The herbs have healing properties that affect the immune, nervous and circulatory systems. This helps to soothe mental and physical fatigue and restore a calm balance to the body, mind, and spirit.

*Note this foot soak is simple to do while backcountry backpacking. After a long days hike it is so rewarding to soak in an all natural spring water and herbal remedy. Herbs can be cultivated along the trail (with permission and instruction from your guide), spring water can be collected in an empty water bottle, and a billy bath can is used to heat the water as a foot basin.

Be cautious of extremely hot temperatures.