Craig Ruvere

Green therapy is the name of a new therapeutic practice in which one's experiences in nature aid in strengthening and rejuvenating one's mental well-being. Some believe that green therapy is total nonsense and could never provide one's mind-body connection – the link between a person's mental well-being and how those emotions influence our overall health – with any concrete benefits. But others would disagree. While I completely understand being skeptical of green therapy as another self-help fad, I turn to science to argue for its potential benefits and necessity in our lives. According to PsychologyToday.com, our autonomic nervous system – the network of nerves controlling our unconscious processes, such as breathing and heart rate – is comprised of two parts, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. Sound confusing? Let me clarify. The sympathetic…

"Expect change. Analyze the landscape. Take the opportunities. Stop being the chess piece; become the player. It's your move." Tony Robbins, Motivational author and coach Our existence is a series of complex navigations in which the map is often withheld from sight and relies heavily on our personal decisions regarding where the path ultimately leads us. One certainly wouldn't start a cross-country adventure with such limited guidance, but in life, many circumstances are beyond our own control. As children and young adults, we're often encouraged to take the opportunities presented to us with both significant consideration and caution. But, as with so many decisions in life, there are pros and cons that inevitably come along with opportunities, and often we perceive these occasions in the short term rather than their…