Episode 30: Streams and Memories
In episode 30 of the nature therapy podcast, I revisit the South Esk River in Scotland. I invite you to share the experience of this powerful sound with me and ask the question: what happens to your body and mind when you hear the sound of moving water? Click on the slim black player above to listen.
In this week’s ecotherapy podcast, I take another trip to the water. I know that many of you enjoyed the episode I recorded a few months back, so I wanted to take another water trip and explore our feelings and associations further. How does this sound resonate with you today?
It’s amazing how from one trip to the next, our experiences with nature can arouse similar memories and emotional responses. If you happened to listen to my previous podcast near the water, how do your feelings compare today, when listening to a different part of the same river? What feels different for you, and what remains the same?
One of the things that makes us human is—collectively at least—our amazing memories. However, is relating primarily to our memory always a great thing when within nature, or can it sometimes be counter-productive? In other words, if a happy memory surfaces when I’m near a river, does the joy of this memory distract me from noticing new life around me? Or is the memory itself an important invitation to pay attention?
I happen to think that both things are true. There are times for our amazing memories and imaginations to soar with ecotherapy. There are times to let our thoughts come and go and just be with what is. Nature has a way of revealing new treasures when we do!
Ecotherapy has been proven to be very effective with people who have dementia and other kinds of memory loss, which is interesting in itself.
Whilst this all sounds painfully philosophical, the most important part of this week’s nature podcast is simply the incredible sound of the running stream. Please tune in, relax and enjoy!
As always, if you are in a position to support the podcast financially—and help me to make these free podcasts a permanent part of my working life—please consider supporting the podcast on Patreon.
Thanks a lot for tuning in friends, and take good care of yourselves!
Green smiles,
Stephen x
