Many people tout Florida as the rehab capital, but just because there are a lot of treatment centers around it doesn’t make it the ideal place for recovery. Its secluded beaches with access to water, plant life, and greenery surrounding trails, along with the programs to help those suffering, Florida creates an atmosphere where nature can aid recovery.
Florida is a beautiful place with different locations. From private and off-beaten beaches to the greenery of the Everglades, you can get lost in the nature that thrives in Florida. But that’s not necessarily bad, as nature can help remove you from negativity and help you recover. This blog aims to show you why you are considering Florida as a location to start your recovery journey. With the aid of a natural paradise and the resources of treatment centers to help, Florida is a great place to turn your life around.
An Atmosphere to Match Your Journey
Florida, known for its year-round mild climate and abundant sunshine, creates an ideal environment for individuals seeking a transformative detox experience. With plenty of different locales, you can dive deep into Florida’s natural landscape and see for yourself how being in peace in nature can help your mental health, help your body relax, and create an environment that is healthy for your recovery purposes. Some different places around Florida areas you can consider when trying to find a peaceful spot in nature are;
Bowman’s Beach
When looking to relax in nature, sometimes it helps to go off the beaten path. Florida is great for that, for as many famous beaches exist, there are the untold heroes of hideaways, such as Bowman’s Beach. Bowman’s Beach is located on Sanibel Island. At the same time, it is one of Florida’s most beautiful places. It’s not visited with high traffic areas, especially during sunrise and sunset.
Where other beaches would be crowded early, Bowman’s Beach has sparse foot traffic and is very relaxing for open space, white sand, and the peace of water hitting the beach and nothing else. This is an excellent place for relaxing, unwinding, and meditation. A great place to focus on oneself and to commune with nature, Bowman’s Beach is the perfect example of a place in Florida that can help with recovery.
Blue Springs State Park
When it comes to Florida, most people think of the beaches and getting as close to the water as possible. It’s an understandable thought, seeing as how there are many beaches up and down the coast of Florida, but Florida’s landscape is more than its coast. This also applies to the places of peace one might seek out if looking for natural spots to aid recovery and peace. Blue Springs State Park offers a new perspective on recovery as you’re away from the beach and seeing more greenery.
Of course, the water aspect is still present because it’s Florida. Still, instead of crowded beaches and waves, the lush scenery is complimented by clear spring water, where manatees travel leisurely. You can enjoy hiking around the state park and even paddle using a kayak to travel with gentle giants. Blue Springs State Park is a great place to envelop yourself in nature and offers a different perspective on Florida’s landscape. Peace can be found in many areas. Like you can find private beaches, Blue Springs State Park is large enough to allow you to take time to explore and find peace in being outside around nature.
Harry P. Leu Gardens
If you’re looking for something with a bit more nursery for nurturing, you might chance upon the Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, Florida. Florida’s landscape is open and inviting to all who need to enjoy its many aspects. One of the most significant parts of Florida is the natural beauty, which is demonstrated by visiting the Harry P. Leu Gardens. This natural lush habitat is 50 acres of sprawling gardens and lakes where guests can stroll and immerse themselves. Walking along the floral paths or finding a place by the many lakes brings a new level of serenity to the peace you seek.
These locations, along with many more, are significant areas to avoid the local crowds and find a place of peace for yourself. In many of these places, there are areas of water surrounded by vibrant plant life and the pull of nature that will aid in meditation, practicing mindfulness, and just taking in your surroundings to ground yourself in the peace you’re truly seeking. You deserve every moment of serenity that you can get. Let the many unbeaten paths and Florida landscape help out with that.
How Nature Helps With Recovery
You might wonder how to practice mindfulness when you get outside or to one of the hideaways mentioned. Being rooted in nature and being at peace can come quite easily. It helps to be in solitude, but even simple actions such as sitting in the sand and entrenching yourself on the beach while feeling the breeze can stimulate peace of mind. Being by the water mainly helps ease the body into relaxing. Here are a few things you should know about how water helps with recovery:
Motivation to Exercise
A change of scenery can help with your state of mind. One thing that is healthy but only sometimes inviting is working out. Depending on where you are, even light exercise may seem a chore, but on the beach near the water, it can be an exhilarating experience. The view, waves, and the feel of a breeze can make you mentally and physically sound. Of course, swimming is also much more common around beaches. Aerobic activities like these keep your respiratory system working well and are known to increase life expectancy.
Sounds of the Water
You’ve probably heard the expression that the water heals all before. Contrary to belief, water has properties that help your body and mind in many ways. The sound of waves has also been proven to relax the mind. As waves come in, crash, and then recede again, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, which slows down the brain and helps promote relaxation. This process makes the part of the brain responsible for stress emotions shrink while areas such as empathy and memory grow—soothing activities such as these help root yourself in nature and find peace.
Water Invigorates the Mind & Body
There are also benefits to swimming in colder water. When you are cold, adrenaline is released to keep your muscles active, and your senses alert. Regular swimming in cold water strengthens your muscles, sharpens your mind, and is strongly linked to longer life expectancy. Beyond helping with exercise and keeping your body in shape, water is naturally a helpful aid in staying healthy and helping with recovery.
Water’s Seascape Aids in Recovery
Something is soothing about looking out at the water. Whether watching the waves roll in as they return into the deep ocean or watching ripples vibrate on the smooth edge of a lake, taking in the view of the water can be serene. Being near the ocean has mental health benefits as well as physical ones. Some research shows that being near the color blue has led to “an overwhelming amount of people to be associated with feelings of calm and peace.” Staring out at the ocean can also result in a relaxing, meditative state and can even change the frequency of brain waves to match that of the sea, putting you in touch with nature.
How Nature Helps The Body
When the sun’s UVB light rays shine on us, it stimulates the production of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is very important because it helps our bodies produce calcium, which in turn prevents diabetes, MS, and heart disease and reduces the chance of cancer. However, as everyone knows, it can be dangerous to stay in the sun for too long without protection, so be sensible. Beyond sunlight, helping you exercise is another way to help center yourself in nature, especially if you are alone without interruption. Some exercises that help center oneself are:
Yoga
Yoga helps keep the body loose and aids in physical and mental recovery. Practicing different poses and exerting your body helps with psychological and physical muscle memory. Yoga is a form of active recovery and can help stimulate positive effects on the body such as regulating blood pressure, reducing stress, and keeping glucose levels steady. Yoga in solitude is rewarding as you experience peace while centering yourself in nature.
Swimming
Swimming is one of the go-to exercises whenever anyone is near water. Swimming is a relaxing active exercise that doesn’t require much energy but can have great benefits besides water being a natural relaxer for the body it’s also been researched to have healing effects on inflammation.
Hiking
Hiking is another activity you can do in the various landscapes around Florida. Whether it’s trekking your way to a secluded beach or following the trails in the areas around the Everglades or various state parks and gardens you can help train your body’s resilience and take in fresh air. This will help you with recovery efforts and help get acclimated to the surrounding nature sites. With hiking you can practice mindfulness taking in the sights and sounds of moving through nature. It truly helps that most hiking spots don’t have too much traffic area. If you go out of the way you’re sure to still be able to enjoy the solitude and serenity of nature.
Walking
Walking is an excellent way for people who aren’t used to exercising to start out. It’s a low-impact form of exercise, meaning it won’t put too much strain on your body. This is great for people recovering from addiction who may have very low energy levels. Recovery is no small effort by any means and even though walking seems simple it is a simple exercise that can help your body slowly helping you be capable of taking the next step. Its a great exercise for beach activities especially by the water. You can let your feet dig into the warm sand and listen to the sound of water hitting the beach. Walking can be an enjoyable activity that helps you on your recovery journey.
Nurturing by Healing in Nature
Florida is called the hot spot for rehabilitation because it has the amenities available to help a person truly find themselves through the fog of addiction. Recovery isn’t only done in the walls of a building but out in the open and through nature. Through natural activities that center yourself and allow a recovering person to tune in with nature. Florida’s landscape whether it’s mountains, lakes, botanical gardens, or beaches provides ample opportunity for one to find a healthy recovery doctrine that works for them.
Serenity Springs which is located in Edgewater is a clinic that believes in the practice of mindfulness and using nature to nurture those in recovery efforts. Recovering isn’t something that’s done after being checked in, it’s a process that takes time but is meant for you. If you have a loved one or know someone who needs help or guidance towards recovery feel free to contact Serenity Springs Recovery Center for more information and also remember to fall back on nature for nurture.