Nature is often experienced as a place of spiritual solace. Many spiritual innovators pay attention to connecting their communities to the natural world, be it through cycles of the moon, acting on climate change, spending time outdoors, or even meditating on environmental objects. Several ancient religious festivals, too, are anchored in nature—festivals like Sukkot, outdoor Easter vigils, and of course, various forms of pilgrimage. But how can spiritual innovators most effectively connect their constituencies to the outdoors? This briefing draws on a wide range of academic sources and offers six top tips to help you do just that.
Tip 1: Spend 2-5 hours in nature each week
A growing body of research demonstrates that time spent in nature contributes to psychological, physiological, social, and emotional well-being. Significantly, these benefits aren’t limited to rural living or wilderness retreats—even small, everyday nature encounters can improve our health in measurable ways.
Recognizing that most of the world's population now lives in cities, environmental psychologist Frances E. (Ming) Kuo examines the effects of urban greening.1 Comparing residents in high-rise developments with and without courtyards, she found that access to trees and grass is associated with lower levels of aggression and property crime, as well as greater social integration and prosocial behavior. Residents in greener developments also reported better concentration, self-discipline, and resilience, along with lower levels of anxiety, pessimism, and procrastination.
Yet, even if we don’t live near trees and grass, we can still benefit from intentional visits to nature. Drawing on survey responses from more than 16,000 people across 18 countries, environmental scientist Craig W. McDougal’s research team found that simply visiting parks, forests, freshwater areas, or coastlines boosts hedonic well-being (e.g., feelings of happiness and pleasure) and eudaimonic well-being (e.g., feelings of meaning and purpose).2 In short, while access matters, making time to visit nature does, too.
Notably, these benefits accumulate with time—but not indefinitely. Analyzing survey responses from nearly 20,000 adults in England, environmental psychologist Matthew P. White and colleagues found that people who spent at least 120 minutes in nature each week were significantly more likely to report better health and well-being than those who spent no time outdoors, with benefits leveling off at around 200 to 300 minutes per week.3 Drawing on survey data from 600 adults in the United States, environmental scientist Gregory N. Bratman’s research lab reported similar results: spending more time in nature was associated with greater emotional regulation, lower emotional distress, and better mental health—with most benefits plateauing after 2.5 to 6 hours of weekly exposure.4
Taken together, these findings offer an encouraging message for practitioners: even brief nature encounters in urban contexts can support well-being. Rather than organizing an occasional getaway or hike, design practices that encourage consistent connection in everyday life.
Tip 2: Make space for response
But how does spending time in nature influence how we feel, think, and behave?
Reviewing the field of environmental neuroscience, Bratman and psychologist Marc G. Berman describe two complementary ways nature shapes us.5 The first consists of our immediate emotional and cognitive response to natural surroundings; the second involves how we reflect on and interpret those experiences.
Psychologist Kathryn E. Schertz and colleagues illustrate the first, more automatic process.6 Their research suggests that many features of natural environments quietly calm our nervous system, broaden our attention, and lift our mood. Some landscapes may also invite spiritual awareness. For example, curved-form landscapes (e.g., rolling hills and arched treescapes) tend to be perceived easily and as particularly “natural,” prompting introspection and spiritual thought.
Thus, as you plan nature-based experiences, don’t rush past these initial responses. Make space for people to simply notice what they’re feeling, sensing, and experiencing. Trust that nature is already at work, often in ways that don’t require conscious effort.
Tip 3: Make time to reflect
Berman and Bratman’s second process begins as we make meaning of our experiences. Rather than merely responding to the natural environment, we also interpret our encounters through the lens of personal history, relationships, and culture. Reflection helps weave these experiences into stories that shape our future thoughts, behavior, and connections with others.
Psychologists Ilias Kamitsis and Andrew J. P. Francis found evidence of this process in their survey research.7 As participants’ exposure and felt connection to nature increased, so did reports of improved mood, body image, self-esteem, and other indicators of well-being. This increase was especially strong among participants who identified as spiritual, leading the researchers to characterize spirituality as an important pathway linking nature experiences with positive psychological outcomes.
Nature invites response, but reflection helps its lessons endure. Build in time for journaling, prayer, or quiet contemplation so people can make sense of their experiences and carry them into the day-to-day.
Tip 4: Listen to birds
Birdsong does more than create a pleasant backdrop for a nature visit; it also helps restore attention, reduce stress, and deepen spiritual experience.
Environmental psychologist Stephen Kaplan's Attention Restoration Theory (ART) suggests that nature engages “soft fascination”—an involuntary relaxed awareness that allows our mentally-fatigued minds to recover.8 Similarly, Roger S. Ulrich's Stress Reduction Theory (SRT) proposes that natural environments lower psychological and physiological stress while fostering feelings of safety and renewal.9 In both theories, natural soundscapes play an important role in the restorative process.
Recent research supports these ideas. Using smartphone-app data from more than 1,200 participants, psychologist Ryan Hammoud and colleagues found that birdsong was associated with measurable improvements in mental well-being.10
Complementing these findings, human-environment researcher Ester Vidaña-Vila and her team found that birdsong is conducive to spirituality.11 In their study of sacred soundscapes, participants described outdoor spaces marked by birdsong as even more transcendent than indoor spaces decorated with religious symbols, suggesting that natural sound can become a medium through which we encounter and attend to the divine.
The Anglican priest and birdsong scholar Edward A. Armstrong offers one possible explanation.12 He argues that birdsong evokes aesthetic appreciation and a sense of continuity across generations, linking us to patterns of life that long predate the distractions and stressors of our modern age.
So, as you facilitate nature-based experiences, resist the temptation to fill silence with conversation or instruction. Instead, encourage participants to listen to the birds!
Tip 5: Seek awe and wonder
Nature promotes well-being, in part, by evoking awe. Psychologists Dacher Keltner and Jonathan Haidt define awe as an emotional response to encounters with something so vast—like a sprawling landscape or dramatic weather event—that it exceeds our ordinary ways of understanding and expands our frame of reference.13
Forests for example, may evoke awe more readily than a single tree. According to Keltner, “it’s the perception of collectivity in forests, where the eye doesn’t focus on one object but (on the) interconnections amongst many.”14 This shift in perspective may help explain why awe is associated with greater generosity, ethical behavior, and social connectedness. 15,16
Psychologist Maria Monroy and Keltner further suggest that awe is correlated with measurable changes in neurophysiology, a diminished focus on the self, and a deeper sense of meaning and purpose.17 In this way, awe is more than an emotion; it’s also a gateway to psychological, relational, and existential transformation.
In fact, long before awe became the subject of empirical research, writers in the transcendental tradition described similar experiences. Ralph Waldo Emerson famously reflected that, in the woods, “all mean egotism vanishes” as we become part of something larger than ourselves.18
When constructing nature encounters, create space for awe by inviting participants to linger before expansive views and remain open to the wonders of our environment.
Tip 6: Prepare for change
Over time, contact with nature can also reshape our connection to it. Leisure-studies scholar Rebecca Fox argues that outdoor encounters can deepen our relationships with—and sense of responsibility to—the more-than-human world.19 Psychologists Paul J. Deal and Gina M. Magyar-Russell illustrate this process in their research on Keystone XL Pipeline protesters’ sanctification of nature.20
Yet, these deeper relationships can also bring grief. Environmental philosopher Glenn Albrecht coined the term “solastalgia” to describe the distress associated with the transformation of cherished ecologies.21 Research by psychologist Maria Ojala and colleagues shows that climate change can evoke anxiety, guilt, anger, and hopelessness—but also that meaning-making and civic engagement can help transform distress into resilience and action.22
As you facilitate nature-based experiences, prepare participants—and yourself—for transformation. Contact with nature can foster well-being and wonder, but it can also inspire grief for places under threat. Build in time for reflection, emotional response, and conversations about hope and agency.
Further Reading
Abookire, S. (2020). Can forest therapy enhance health and well-being? Harvard Health Publishing. A scientific summary of the impacts of forest bathing.
Arne Naess. Environmentalist, philosopher, and founder of the deep ecology movement. (See The Ecology of Wisdom for one collection of Naess’ writings.)
Bron Taylor. Scholar of nature, well-being, and spirituality. Author of The encyclopedia of religion and nature, editor of The Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, & Culture, and past president of the International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture.
Climate Psychology Alliance. Network of mental-health professionals supporting clients with the psychological impacts of climate change. (For additional support services, see Eco Anxious Stories, All We Can Save Circles, and Climate Awakening.)
Deloria, Jr., V. (1972). God is red: A native view of religion. Fulcrum Publishing. Book on indigenous religions; underscores our participation in—not separation from—the natural world.
Dose of Nature. Non-profit organization offering “nature prescriptions” and other resources to foster connections to nature.
Fisher, C. S. (2014). Meditation in the wild: Buddhism’s origin in the heart of nature. Changemaker Books. A sociological reflection on Buddhist forest monks and hermits.
Hansen, M. M., & R. Jones. (2020, December). The interrelationship of shinrin-yoku and spirituality: A scoping review. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 26(12), 1093-1104.
Jenkins, W., et al. (Eds.) (2017). Routledge handbook of religion and ecology. Routledge. Comprehensive overview of the field.
Joanna Macy. Buddhist environmental philosopher and social justice activist. (See also On Being podcast episode, “Joanna Macy: A wild love for the world.”)
Keltner, D. (2017, April 11). An awe walk in Muir Woods. Mindful magazine. An exploration of awe and awe walks, with instructions and a 360-degree guided walk.
Kimmerer, R. W. (2015). Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants. Milkweed Editions. Integrative book aimed at fostering ecological consciousness. (See also Kimmerer’s website and her interview in Emergence magazine.)
Logue, D. M. (2025, April 28). Learn to tune into birdsong—respite and fascination await. Psyche magazine. Guide to listening to birdsong; highlights its impacts, with links to birdsong samples. (Consider using Cornell University’s Merlin Bird ID app in your birdsong-listening adventures!)
McLaren, B. D. (2024). Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart. St. Martin’s Publishing. A public theologian’s reflection on hope, grief, and new ways of thinking/being amid challenging times.
Nature Sacred. A network of urban sanctuaries created to benefit individual/community health.
Nelson, C. (2024, September 4). Spirituality and the natural world: 5 innovative and active responses to climate change. Glean Network. Article reviewing spiritual actions for the climate.
Sanctuaries. A multi-disciplinary lab at the University of Virgina; focuses on impacts of climate change on sacred places.
Segarra, M. (2025, April 22). How to make your nature walks even more restorative, according to science. NPR. Guide to forest bathing; includes instructions, research, and links to additional resources. (See related NPR podcast episode and the Forest Therapy website for more.)
Simpson, L. B. As we have always done: Indigenous freedom through radical resistance. University of Minnesota Press. Book rooting political resistance—including climate action—in indigenous thought, theories, and actions. (See also the All My Relations podcast episode, “Theory of water: World-making with Leanne Beasamosake Simpson.”)
Thomas Berry. Priest, cultural historian, and self-described “geologian.” (See also Berry’s Living Earth Community.)
University of Washington Environment & Well-Being Lab. Research institute synthesizing psychological, public-health, and ecology insights to understand nature’s well-being impacts.
Vitale, V., et al. (2026). Using nature to regulate emotions: Introducing the nature selection regulation questionnaire (NS-ERQ). Journal of Environmental Psychology, 110, article 102960. Article outlining one instrument that can be used to assess the impacts of nature contact.
Williams, T. T. (2026). The glorians: Visitations from the holy ordinary in a time of climate change. Grove Press. A contemplative field guide to finding grace in nature. (See also Williams’ website and her Constellation Project.)
Wray, B. (2023). Generation dread. The Experiment. Book outlining the psychological impacts of the climate crisis. (See also Wray’s website, Unthinkable Substack, Time magazine article “7 resources to help you cope with climate anxiety,” and emotional resource repository.)
Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology. Center on religious environmentalism created by scholars Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim. (See also the Yale Center for Environmental Justice.)
Footnotes
1 Kuo, F. E. (M.). (2010). Parks and other green environments: Essential components of a healthy human habitat. National Recreation and Park Association Research Series.
2 McDougal, C. W., et al. (2024). What types of nature exposure are associated with hedonic, eudaimonic and evaluative wellbeing? An 18-country study. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 100, article 102474.
3 White, M. P., et al. (2019). Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and well-being. Scientific Reports, 9, article 7730.
4 Bratman, G. N., et al. (2024). Associations of nature contact with emotional ill-being and well-being: The role of emotion regulation. Cognition and Emotion, 38(5), 748-767.
5 Berman, M. G., & G. N. Bratman. (2024). The fundamentals of environmental neuroscience. In S. Kühn (Ed.), Environmental neuroscience (pp. 3-18), Springer Nature Link.
6 Schertz, K. E., et al. (2018). A thought in the park: The influence of naturalness and low-level visual features on expressed thoughts. Cognition, 174, 82-93.
7 Kamitsis, I., & A. J. P. Francis. (2013). Spirituality mediates the relationship between engagement with nature and psychological wellbeing. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 36, 136-143.
8 Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15, 169-182.
9 Ulrich, R. S. (2023). Stress reduction theory. In D. Marchand, E. Pol, & K. Weiss (Eds.), 100 key concepts in environmental psychology (pp. 143-146), Routledge.
10 Hammoud, R., et al. (2022). Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment reveals mental health benefits of birdlife. Nature: Scientific Reports, 12, article 17589.
11 Vidaña-Vila, E., et al. (2025, June 23-26). Citizen science to analyse the relationship between sounds and spirituality in a monastery. 11th Convention of the European Acoustics Association, Málaga, Spain.
12 Armstrong, E. A. (1969). Aspects of the evolution of man's appreciation of bird song. In Robert A. Hinde (Ed.), Bird vocalizations: Their relation to current problems in biology and psychology; essays presented to W. H. Thorpe (pp. 343-365). Cambridge University Press.
13 Keltner, D., & J. Haidt. (2003). Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion. Cognition and Emotion, 17(2), 297-314.
14 Shanahan, M. (2018, March 20). Why forests give you awe. Nautilus.
15 Piff, P., et al. (2015). Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1108(6), 883-899.
16 Keltner, D. (2023). Awe: The new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your life. Penguin Random House.
17 Monroy, M., & D. Keltner. (2022). Awe as a pathway to mental and physical health. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 18(2), 309-320.
18 Emerson, R. W. (1836). Nature. James Munroe and Company.
19 Fox, R. (1997). Enhancing spiritual experience in adventure programs. In D. Rowe & P. Brown (Eds.), ANZALS 1997 conference proceedings (pp. 455-461). Australian and New Zealand Association for Leisure Studies.
20 Deal, P. J., & G. M. Magyar-Russell. (2002). A qualitative study of sanctification: How nature becomes sacred for nontheistic environmental activists. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 9(1), 40-54.
21 Albrecht, G. (2019). Earth emotions: New words for a new world. Cornell University Press.
22 Ojala, M., et al. (2021). Anxiety, worry, and grief in a time of environmental and climate crisis: A narrative review. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 46, 35-58.
