As a registered nurse in the 1980s, I developed an interest in what were then known as “alternative therapies.” By the 1990s, the term “complementary therapies” had eclipsed the earlier term, and by the turn of the 21st century, that phrase had quietly morphed into “integrated modalities.” To the basic requirements of a balanced diet, daily physical exercise, and sufficient hours of rest and sleep, we now accept as mainstream massage, aromatherapy, meditation, yoga, and other methods to help us maintain good health.

Unfortunately, many of us still spend too many hours in front of the television or computer or on our cell phones. During 2020 and 2021, working and learning via Zoom became the norm with television our primary form of entertainment.

Long before the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists studied the value of spending time in nature. Continuing research demonstrates that we can improve physical health and emotional, mental, intellectual, and spiritual well-being ...