Wabe: Ecotherapy

MISAMIS ORIENTAL. At the entrance of the Boardwalk Mangrove Eco Park in Barangay Baybay, Alubijid town, Misamis Oriental. (Hannah Wabe)
MISAMIS ORIENTAL. At the entrance of the Boardwalk Mangrove Eco Park in Barangay Baybay, Alubijid town, Misamis Oriental. (Hannah Wabe)

THERE’S a quiet, little place in the quaint town of Alubijid, Misamis Oriental called the Boardwalk Mangrove Eco Park in Barangay Baybay. The eco park is the perfect place to get some ecotherapy. Yep, it is one of the best tambayans to soak up on nature.

You pass through a canopy of mangrove trees and walk on a super long makeshift bamboo boardwalk to get to huts on stilts that are sitting over the ocean. Since we all can’t walk on water just yet, this boardwalk is a simple way to get that done.

The place is LGU-handled and there’s a very minimal entrance fee to get into the facility. They have several canopied huts where you can have a picnic with family and friends. If you’re feeling up to it, you can also fire up the charcoal grill and cook on the spot. There’s just something refreshing about being right smack in the middle of the calming sea water, while looking at the cloud formations painted on the sky. If you’re a water baby, then be my guest and jump in!

In our techno-centric world, we have a tendency to just keep on going at a harried pace. With the abundance of tablets and smartphones, we spend a better part of our day connected and hooked on them, from the time we wake up until the time we sleep. Most of us allocate way too much time indoors: sitting in front of our computers, tinkering with our apps, and /or couch surfing.

Unfortunately, being permanently plugged can affect our health adversely, and it can also greatly increase the stress levels in our already hectic lives. Sometimes, we need to be reminded that it is important to get away from it all and reconnect with nature.

Ecotherapy is exactly that! This buzz word is now even under the urban dictionary. Unlike its flighty but more popular sister, called “retail therapy”, ecotherapy can be free (depending on your chosen activity, of course) and doesn’t break the bank when we turn to it to feel better and to de-stress. Ecotherapy, also known as nature therapy or green therapy, refers to the various physical and psychological benefits of being outside and being attune with our environment.

As humans, we are not wired to be idle and to be merely glued to our screens. We are called by our inner psyche to move and commune with nature. It’s instinctual because the earth doesn’t belong to us, humans; instead, we belong to the earth. And as the saying goes—to dust we shall all return. It’s highly intuitive to seek out nature. More importantly, when we learn to appreciate the pure unadulterated beauty that our natural world has to offer, we also learn to appreciate and be grateful for life’s simple joys. We become more easily content.

Thankfully, I have a husband who loves to drag us outdoors. He constantly reminds us that there is joy in being still and doing nothing. Whether it’s lying down underneath a tree just breathing while listening to the sounds of the birds, sitting by the beach feeling the caress of the wind on our cheeks, or strolling along the neighborhood under the glow of the early morning sun; there’s a calming sense of peacefulness and a better perspective that certainly comes with re-connecting to our Mother Earth.

So take the opportunity to break free from all the stress and really enjoy the world around you. Engaging in outdoor activities is a form of exercise and is a good bonding activity for the family. Simply being in a natural setting offers beautiful views created by God, that’s always a feast for our eyes and other senses. The chance to breathe fresh air has the capacity to clear our minds and is known to improve memory. Studies also indicate that exposure to natural light has the ability to improve our body’s circadian rhythm, which in turn helps us to sleep better.

Going outside truly has the power to help us relax, focus our minds on what matters, relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and improve our general health and well-being.

Take that sage, old advice to never forget to stop and smell the roses. Make it a habit to take a relaxing, calming breath. Recharging, restoring, and reawakening our senses through ecotherapy is a great reminder on how wonderful it is to be alive and what a gift it is to be breathing in this beautiful world of ours.

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