Health and recreation - Green Care
Mentally healthy
Free brochure with mindfulness and relaxation exercises in nature
The Berchtesgadener Land biosphere region and the Rhön Biosphere Reserve, Bavarian part, have been researching the effects of mindfulness and relaxation exercises in nature for five years as part of the “Green Care – Nature and Mental Health” project. The result: The exercises developed can help reduce stress, prevent burnout and provide relief for people with depression. Feel free to try it out! The exercises in this brochure are particularly suitable for everyday life. Whether in the forest, on the meadow, in a park or in your own garden, nature everywhere invites us to be more mindful, relaxed and serene.
Green Care
In the research project “Green Care – Nature & Mental Health”, the administrative office of the Berchtesgadener Land biosphere region investigated from 2018 to 2023 how special mindfulness exercises in nature can be used in already established psychotherapeutic procedures and for prevention in the general population. The focus was on the one hand on patients with depression in the psychosomatic rehabilitation area (the cooperation partner was the Alpenland Clinic in Bad Reichenhall) and on the other hand on people who are looking for ways to reduce stress and prevent burnout in the preventative area. Furthermore, research was carried out into whether the willingness to act to protect nature could be increased through the offer. The scientific support was provided by the evaluation team of Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Kals, Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. Another project component was the definition of nature experience spaces that are particularly suitable for inner contemplation and relaxation. For this purpose, the Berchtesgadener Land biosphere region is working together with the University of Augsburg. The cooperation partner was the Bavarian part of the Rhön Biosphere Reserve. The research project was financed by the Bavarian State Ministry for Health and Care and the Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection.
Nature-based mindfulness training
Nature-based mindfulness training, developed by project member Meike Krebs-Fehrmann and scientifically evaluated by the University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, is a clearly structured training concept that was certified nationwide by the Zentrale Prüfstelle Prävention (ZPP) of the Cooperation Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds in 2024. Participants in corresponding courses can therefore receive a financial subsidy from their statutory health insurance provider.
In nature-based minfulness training, some exercises that are also used in MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) and MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) (breathing meditation, body scan, mindful yoga as formal exercises, mindfulness while performing everyday actions as informal exercises) are combined with methods from nature education (e.g. exercises on sensory awareness, change of perspective, experiencing nature, encountering plants and animals). In the three sessions all senses are stimulated: smelling, tasting, hearing, seeing, touching and feeling, self-movement, balance and orientation as well as the inner perception of the body.
With a little practice, the sensory perceptions become anchors to the present. A mindfully percieved sound, a sensation on the skin, a smell can connect with the present moment. Nature is not a mere backdrop in the training, but rather a positive relationship with nature is actively worked on to discover nature as a potential resource and source of support and health. The practice of coping strategies through mindfulness of bodily sensations, emotions, thoughts, needs and nature, as well as the strengthening of resources and competencies for a successful everyday life are the focus of the interventions.
Your contact person
Meike Krebs-Fehrmann
Green Care – Nature & Health
