and blue, people come alive as well. A kind of special energy emerges as winter coats are put away for a while and a spirit of openness, fun and adventure fills the air. In this setting, there exists an opportunity for increased emotional and physical well-being through the combination of arts and nature.
Music in Nature
Music experienced in the outdoors can be sublime. Music has been said to completely gather people’s focus and transport them to different states of mind. Whether walking with headphones through a natural setting, hearing a concert in the mountains or on a beach, gathering with friends for a shared musical experience, or singing alone as the breeze is going through the trees, music paired with nature is summer’s gift.
Art in Nature
When an artist takes an easel outside, the natural lighting in the sky allows for the artist to fill his/her pallette with colors that the artist can’t achieve with interior lighting. Whether in a backyard, by the shore or in a garden, the communing with the world around people can have a way
of freeing us in a way that is expressive and can even serve as a kind of meditation.
Drama
The world of drama is uniquely enhanced when placed in the outdoors. NYC hosts Shakespeare in the Park every summer to enormous crowds. The combination of theater in a beautiful park appeals to people. Around Long Island, there are theater groups as well as therapeutic drama groups that work in outdoor settings where they may feel more uninhibited and free.
Source: New Horizons Through Arts and Nature event takes place every Thursday at 10 a.m. at The Merrick Business Center, 2369 Merrick Ave., Merrick. For more information, call Arden Fekett, MPS, LCAT, at 516-655-0573, email [email protected] or visit ReachingOutTherapy.com.
