When my neighbor ~ who on this occasion was preparing a vegetable bed with the help of her one-year-old daughter, contentedly cooing, and already elbow deep in dirt ~ told me about the connection between working in the garden and improved mood, she was substantiating what ancient cultures have known for centuries: that being close to the Earth benefits one’s state of mind.
The old people came literally to love the soil and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the earth and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth. Their tipis were built upon the earth and their altars were made of earth. The birds that flew into the air came to rest upon the earth and it was the final abiding place of all things that lived and grew. The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing and healing. ~ Chief Luther Standing Bear
Current scientific research from England confirms the wholesome relationship between mental well being and earth-closeness:
We have found that peripheral immune activation with antigens derived from the nonpathogenic, saprophytic bacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae, activated a specific subset of serotonergic neurons in the interfascicular part of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRI) of mice … The effects of immune activation were associated with increases in serotonin metabolism within the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, consistent with an effect of immune activation on mesolimbocortical serotonergic systems.
In other words, treatment of mice with a “friendly” bacteria, normally found in the soil, altered their behavior in a way similar to that produced by antidepressant drugs.
Dr. Chris Lowry, lead author of the Bristol University research paper cited above, states:
These studies help us understand how the body communicates with the brain and why a healthy immune system is important for maintaining mental health. They also leave us wondering if we shouldn’t all be spending more time playing in the dirt.
Care farms ~ places where some of society’s most vulnerable people join farmers in working the land ~ are putting this research into practice. Already playing an important role in the Dutch health care system, care farms are likewise gaining attention in Great Britain as options for individuals with mental health and substance abuse problems (see Cultivating People at Care Farms).
If you’re not a gardener with personal experience of the healing power of dirt, experiment ~ next time you’re feeling blue ~ by taking a walk in a wilderness area nearby. If it’s nice weather, slip off your shoes and feel the soil. Soak in the Earth’s grounding energy and see if you don’t return home feeling better.
Further reading: Is Dirt the New Prozac? and Dirt Exposure Boosts Happiness.
Visit Resurgence.org for more information on care farms.
