Sarah MurrayWe know time in nature is good for us, but nature therapy is so much more than simply “getting outside.” It’s not about exercise, sightseeing, or even relaxation — though those things may happen – it’s about shifting how we relate to the natural world and how we allow it to relate to us. It is an intentional, structured, and deeply embodied practice.
My own entry into nature therapy came a few years ago when I experienced a period of debilitating burnout. I already knew that being outdoors made me feel good, but when I initially turned to nature, my busy brain replicated many of the behaviours and habits that had led to burnout in the first place. Rushing, striving, and judging – chasing goals and always seeking perfection.
The day I experienced nature therapy for the first time, something shifted. I remember placing my hands onto the trunk of an old eucalyptus and realising I wasn’t trying to “use nature to relax.” I was simply meeting the tree as it was, and letting myself be met. It was such a different kind of presence — deeper, slower, more honest and profoundly grounding.
That moment taught me that nature therapy isn’t just about being in nature; it’s about being in relationship with something bigger than ourselves. That moment set me on a new path to understanding myself, to understanding the world, and exploring a life centred on nature connection.
The first challenge for many people in a nature therapy session is to slow right down — far slower than most of us naturally move, but this deliberate change in pace helps the mind to loosen its grip and invites the body into presence. The session then offers a series of gentle invitations designed to awaken your senses and connect you to a deeper relationship with your surroundings. This may include noticing subtle sounds, exploring the textures of leaves and bark, or moving in ways that feel intuitive rather than purposeful.
The real impact happens in this noticing — when thinking shifts into sensing, and the environment becomes something you’re in conversation with rather than observing from the outside.
Research shows that unhurried, sensory-rich time in nature lowers cortisol, supports immune function, and regulates the nervous system. Nature therapy amps up these benefits by guiding you into a state of open awareness, rather than leaving you in “task mode” or mental overdrive. It’s the difference between noticing a tree and allowing a tree to affect you.
A common misconception people have – including me when I started exploring this modality – is treating nature therapy like a bushwalk. Moving quickly, tracking steps, and aiming for a destination. Another is bringing our expectations of a profound emotional shift or any other specific outcome. Nature therapy works best when you explore with soft curiosity rather than try to achieve something. Feeling and sensing instead of thinking, planning and analysing.
Time in nature heals — but nature therapy takes us a step further. It invites us into presence, connection, and reciprocity with the natural world. It reminds us that nature isn’t just a place we go; it’s a relationship we’re part of. And in that relationship, we rediscover parts of ourselves we didn’t even realise were missing.
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Sarah Murray is a Canberra-based nature connection guide and outdoor activity facilitator who works with individuals and small groups to build deep embodied connections to self and nature through mindfulness, nature meditation and somatic techniques.
Connect with Sarah here:
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