By Stephanie Thorson, MES, DTATI (Cand)
Toronto, ON

Photography by Marcela Boechat, DTATI
Brazil

Anxiety and depression are widespread, and studies show spending time in nature benefits health and well-being. How can art therapists help those they work with connect more extensively with nature, especially in an urban environment? Making simple art outdoors is an accessible, low-cost option for people feeling anxious or depressed. While it may be challenging, there may be value in exploring this option with clients and occasionally holding art therapy sessions outdoors. In addition, there are techniques that can be employed to integrate nature into indoor art therapy sessions. By integrating nature and natural materials into sessions in a variety of capacities, art therapists can tap into the healing power of nature and benefit their clients.

Integrating mindfulness into nature-related art making is another layer of practice worth exploring. Adding a mindfulness-based art component removes some of the barriers to art making because the focus is more on the process rather than the final product. And mindfulness is a skill that has been around for millennia that has proven mental health benefits. With some instruction, people can undertake this activity on their own for the cost of some basic art materials. Practicing mindful art-making with others may prove even more beneficial, as we know that human connection can be a powerful antidote to anxiety and depression.

What is the connection between mindfulness and nature? Spending time in nature may enhance our ability to be mindful. This can in turn lead us to a state of flow, enabling a reduction in anxiety levels. The traits of mindfulness and connectedness to nature may have a reciprocal relationship (Schutte & Malouff, 2018). Mindfulness, which consists of non-evaluative awareness, may allow individuals to feel more connected to nature, and connection to natural environments may help foster mindfulness (Schutte & Malouff, 2018).

In a study of over 19,000 individuals in England published in 2019, researchers found a positive association between greater exposure to natural environments and better self-reported health and well-being (White et al, 2019). The authors tentatively suggest that 120 minutes contact with nature per week may reflect a kind of threshold, below which there is insufficient contact to produce significant benefits to health and well-being, but above which such benefits become manifest.

We have evolved into an urban, indoor culture focused on using screens for work and leisure. The gap between the natural setting, for which our physiological functions are adapted, and the highly urbanized and artificial setting that we inhabit is a contributing cause of a stress state in modern people (Song et al., 2016). In recent years, scientific evidence supporting the physiological effects of relaxation caused by natural stimuli has accumulated (Song et al., 2016).

Mindfulness and Art

Mindfulness is a practice of bringing awareness to the present moment with an attitude of acceptance and nonjudgment (Rappaport & Kalmanowitz, 2014). As Thich Nhat Hanh (2012) states, “When you have enough energy of mindfulness, you can look deeply into any emotion and discover the true nature of that emotion. If you can do that, you will be able to transform the emotion” (p.89).

Meditation is a method used to practice and develop mindfulness. Anxiety is extinguished during meditation, because the relaxation state replaces the feeling of avoidance or escape from the feared stimulus (Hayes, Follette & Linehan, 2004). Meditation can be used to produce beneficial health outcomes, from anxiety reduction to pain management and hypertension reduction (Hayes, Follette & Linehan, 2004). Similarly, “artists engaging in the process of art making can be absorbed into a state of flow... There is a sense of being immersed in the process, a quieting of the mind, an experience of oneness the artistic experience engaged in the present moment, and an absence of linear time,” (Rappaport & Kalmanowitz, 2014, p.32).

Non-attachment to mind narratives helps us let go of recycled ruminations that are so common in everyday thought (Franklin, 2017). Rather than reject our sources of discomfort, we can move to release resistance, titrate receptiveness to the struggle, and not abandon oneself (Franklin, 2017). Through meditation and art, we learn how to observe the rising and falling of thoughts rather than contracting around them (Franklin, 2017). Art exercises geared toward simple, rhythmic mark making, coordinated with the breath, combine insight with concentration (Franklin, 2017). 

Davis (2015) says the power of mindful art therapy’s place in the comfortable silence of a relaxed and safe psychological space allows for clients to turn inward through meditation and notice inner mental life. “Something happens when people quieten the mind, detaching emotionally from their problems, and consciously connect in this way. It is as though they slow down, dim the lights, and let the real show begin” (p.57). After the truth of these moments, clients remark that they seem to gain clarity and focus, and some game soulful inner shifts that guide transformation and healing. Davis adds that mindful art therapy offers opportunities for being with uncertainty in psychologically safe ways. While this does not make life challenges disappear, it does provide a context for gaining enough distance to step back and witness emotional pain with sensitivity and compassion. As underlying cycles of anxiety or depression begin to break down through mindful attunement, art provides an outlet for expression and exploration.

Art is a full spectrum awareness practice, akin to meditation and yoga (Franklin, 2017). Being present and paying attention to sights and sounds in the here-and-now surroundings are important skills, particularly as an antidote to anxiety. Mindful art provides a focus for gentle fascination outside of everyday preoccupations.

Neuroscience

How does the brain and moods change in response to making mindful art? According to neuroscience research, mindfulness practices dampen activity in our amygdala and increase the connections between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex (Smith et al., 2017). Both these parts of the brain help us to be less reactive to stressors and to recover better from stress when we experience it (Smith et al, 2017). Hawkes (2017) writes about scientists studying a pleasing aspect of nature: fractals. These self-repeating patterns, found in everything from the spiral of a snail’s shell to the branching of trees, provide both order and a high level of complexity to nature. Some of the studies related to people’s response to fractals measure different brain waves. Hawkes reports that several studies show certain brain waves tended to surge when people viewed imprecise (rough) fractals and were less present when they viewed artificial (exact) fractals, indicating that the fractals found in nature are especially soothing. The researchers explain that what makes nature so suitable for attention restoration is the mix of variation and predictability in its visual patterns (Hawkes, 2017). An artificial fractal might be too predicable, while a natural fractal pattern might have a more optimal mix of order and variation that is effortless to attend to but is still interesting enough to hold the attention (Hawkes, 2017).

Considerations for Practicing Mindful Art Therapy in Nature

For art therapists that wish to integrate more mindfulness, nature and natural art materials in their practice, there are some practical considerations. Where possible, the use of natural art materials could help connect people to nature. This can include the use of leaves, flowers and blossoms, twigs and branches, bark, stones, sand, shells, cones, seeds, roots, and other materials. Charcoal is simply burnt wood and is sold commercially, and has some distinct art-related advantages, such as smudging. And while watercolour paints are more environmentally friendly than acrylic, they have environmental impacts. Creating dyes for painting with from food and natural materials would be an opportunity for people to connect more deeply to nature through art. Another option for integrating nature into indoor art therapy sessions is to offer a range of nature images in collage. Ideally, the indoor environment will have a window to help integrate inside with the outdoors.

Flower arranging and horticulture therapy are other creative options if the client is receptive to these options. Carefully choosing flowers, trimming each flower using mindfulness techniques of noticing and slowly removing dead or damaged leaves or blossoms, or shortening stems, can all be included in a therapeutic session. Going to a beach and creating designs in the sand is also a powerful option, noticing the ephemeral nature of any design in sand, and letting go of attachment. These invitations can be combined with a guided meditation if desired. Davis (2015) notes that one of the most important aspects of therapy is to engage the sensibilities of the clients. “Some may enjoy the quietude of meditation, while others may prefer using only cognitive attentional strategies to dialogue with the art” (p.151).

Asking clients about their hobbies and interests will help guide the interventions and activities so they can relate to them more easily (Davis, 2015). For example, if photography is an interest, exploring images together and looking for the extraordinary in the ordinary can bring a client emotionally closer to their subject matter (Davis, 2015). Encouraging them to take nature pictures to discuss together is another way to bring nature into the therapeutic relationship.

In conclusion, by integrating nature and natural materials into sessions in a variety of capacities, art therapists can tap into the healing power of nature and benefit their clients. Access to nature can be limited for some people but urban environments can be rich in natural material and opportunities for meaningful engagement. There are many creative ways art therapists can use natural materials, images and nature proxies in their work with clients. Practicing mindfulness may allow individuals to feel more connected to nature, and connection to natural environments may help foster mindfulness. Combining mindfulness and nature-based art therapy practices has the potential to be a powerful combination for many people who engage with art therapy.

Read more about Stephanie’s group that took place during COVID-19 and the participants’ comments at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.

References:

Davis, B. J. (2015). Mindful art therapy: A foundation for practice. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Franklin, M.A. (2017). Art as contemplative practice: Expressive pathways to the self. SUNY Press.

Hanh, T. N. (2014). Fear: Essential wisdom for getting through the storm. Harper One.

Hawkes, A. (2017). Nature offers health benefits, and new brain research explains why. Bay Nature Magazine. https://baynature.org/article/brain-nature-healthy/

Hayes, S.C., Follette, V.M., & Linehan, M.M. (2004). Mindfulness and acceptance: Expanding the cognitive‐behavioral tradition. Guilford Press.

Schutte, N.S. & Malouff, J.M. (2018).  Mindfulness and connectedness to nature: A meta-analytic investigation. Personality and Individual Differences, 127(1), 10-14. https://isiarticles.com/bundles/Article/pre/pdf/119744.pdf

Smith, J.A., Suttie, J., Jazaieri, H., & Newman, K.M. (2017). The state of mindfulness science. Greater Good Magazine: Science-based Insights for a Meaningful Life. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_state_of_mindfulness_science

Song, C., Ikei, H, & Miyazaki, Y. (2016). Physiological effects of nature therapy: A review of the research in Japan. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 13(8): 781. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/8/781

White, M.P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J. et al. (2019). Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Scientific Reports 9(1):7730. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-44097-3