Personalized obedience training and exercise training sessions are part of our every day life here in Working Bull Terriers kennel. Days of rest and recovery are also part of our life and an inextricable part of each and every training program we design for our dogs and our clients’ dogs.
Days of rest and recovery are mostly active recovery days- also called ,active rest, when you do some sort of movement that is less intense than your regular workout days. We often chose walks in the forest for our dogs’ active recovery days. A most enjoyable and beneficial way to connect to the earth and rip all the benefits of being in direct contact with nature. It is called Nature therapy, it has a history and there is scientific proof it is highly beneficial for dogs in so many ways.
Nature therapy started from a Japanese tradition called Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing). Studies have shown that being in direct contact with the sounds, smells and scenery of nature is beneficial for the immune system, the cardiovascular system , for respiratory diseases, depression, anxiety and hyperactivity disorders.
Giving our dogs the opportunity to get in direct contact with nature, we offer them the chance to do what is called “grounding” or “earthing”. Which means , their paws to come in direct contact with soil, grass etc.
Research attributes some of the beneficial immune effects of being in nature to inhaling molecules called *phytoncides . Molecules that are secreted by trees and plants to protect them from pests and disease.
The benefits of Nature therapy are so many. Reducing blood pressure and lowering blood sugar levels. Improving pain thresholds and lowering stress. Improving concentration and memory, energy, cardiovascular and metabolic health. Also lifting depression, increasing anticancer protein production, helping weight loss and boosting the immune system with an increase in the count of the body’s natural killer (NK) cells. No wonder we always feel so much better being around nature!
Grounding also improves health. Studies have shown that physical connection with the earth through the practice of grounding promotes intriguing physiological changes and subjective reports of well-being. During grounding of a human or animal, the charge is removed from the body.
By grounding the body, we’re also able to gather free electrons from the earth that can fight free radicals.
And this is very important especially for animals that are constantly bombarded by electromagnetic fields (EMFs) inside the home coming from sources such as wireless routers, appliances and electronics.
Pain is also reduced when we connect the body to the earth, and that is because the body is flooding with electrons. Free electrons that can readily absorb and reduce free radicals and prevent them from oxidizing healthy cells.
*Phytoncides :antimicrobial volatile organic compounds derived from plants; aromatic volatile compounds produced by trees and plants, substances which prevent them from rotting or being eaten by some insects and animals. The word was coined in 1928 by Dr. Boris P.
If you needed a little something to get you and your dog out there in direct contact with nature , we hope you have found it on this article. We strongly believe that “natural” is the safest and more effective way to well-being for our dogs as for ourselves.
Wishing you enjoyable Nature therapy sessions.
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