Author: Truth & Hammer

Even without a psychology degree, Bella’s natural talents made her an excellent therapist: She is calm and accommodating of a range of personalities, with the patience to listen to endless problems without so much as a judgmental moo. From a lush, secluded pasture on the Mountain Horse Farm, a 33-acre bed-and-breakfast in the Finger Lakes region of New York, 3-year-old Bella and 2-year-old Bonnie are the highlander-angus crossbred cows that provide animal-based therapy. Cow cuddling, as the practice is called, invites interaction with the farm animals via brushing, petting or heartfelt chats with the bovines. The experience is similar to equine therapy, with one game-changing difference: Horses tend to stand, but cows spontaneously lie down in the grass while chewing their cud, allowing humans to get even more up close and personal by joining on the ground and offering a warm embrace. As more people are turning to a variety of animals — dogs, ducks, alligators — for their mental health, states are cracking down on how and when therapy animals can be used. But cows? You can’t take them with you.

Rudi Vullers, who runs the Mountain Horse Farm with his wife, Suzanne Vullers.CreditShane Lavalette for The New York Times

“Can you see how quiet she gets?” said Suzanne Vullers, 51, an accountant turned equine therapist who co-owns the bed-and-breakfast with her husband, Rudi Vullers, also 51. “That’s what we’re looking for,” she said. “For the person and the cow.”

Hailing from the rural town of Reuver, in the Netherlands, the pair came across “koe knuffelen,” which means “cow hugging” in Dutch, on a return visit to their homeland two years ago. In parts of the Netherlands, cow cuddling is offered as part of half-day visits, and is part of an larger movement to connect people with country life. In the major urban center of Rotterdam, a newly opened floating dairy farm in the city’s oldest port invites city dwellers to visit the beasts. About a decade earlier, in 2007, Mr. and Ms. Vullers — he a former supply chain manager, she a former accountant — traded their corporate lives to set up their farming shop in Naples, N.Y. (Population: 2,500. Claim to fame: a grape festival that takes place in the fall, with a competition for grape pie.) The idea of cow cuddling opened the barn gates. In May of 2018, they purchased Bonnie and Bella, selecting them for their gentle personalities and lack of horns. “A lot of cows are not suited for it,” Mr. Vullers said. ”They can chase you out of the field.”

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So much of modern life happens indoors. From offices to apartments or homes, most people in today’s day and age find themselves cooped up inside for most of the day. Spending more time outdoors has long been linked to a more positive mindset, but now a study has concluded that just seeing greenery on a day-to-day basis can put us in a better mindset and reduce harmful cravings for substances such as alcohol, cigarettes, and junk food.

According to the study out of the University of Plymouth, being able to see greenery and nature from your home will lead to less frequent, and intense cravings. The research builds off of previous work that has established a link between exercising outdoors and reduced cravings, but the study’s authors assert that exercise isn’t necessary to reap the benefits of nature.

“It has been known for some time that being outdoors in nature is linked to a person’s wellbeing. But for there to be a similar association with cravings from simply being able to see green spaces adds a new dimension to previous research. This is the first study to explore this idea, and it could have a range of implications for both public health and environmental protection programmes in the future,” explains lead researcher Leanne Martin in a release.

Participants in the study filled out an online survey that asked questions about their daily exposure to nature, usual cravings, and how often they experience negative emotions. Regarding nature, the survey measured participants’ exposure to greenery in their own neighborhoods, the amount of foliage visible from their homes, access to a garden, and how often they frequent public parks.

The results indicated that daily access to a garden or other green spaces lowered the frequency and occurrence of harmful cravings. Additionally, the ability to view nature from one’s home caused similar results. Researchers also took exercise into account in the surveys, but they found that participants reported less cravings after seeing nature regardless of whether they exercised or not.

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Gardening enthusiasts adamantly tout the long list of benefits include stress reduction and mood improvement. But, why stop there? Could tending to a garden, breathing in fresh air and exposure to Vitamin D sunshine rays help those suffering with depression? The votes are in and experts say “yes.”

The answer lies in the actual antidepressant microorganisms in the soil.

Antidepressant Microbes in the Soil

Mycobacterium vaccae (M. vaccae) in dirt and soil naturally activate the release of serotonin and dopamine in the brain.

Together, these neurotransmitters send chemical messages to the brain: dopamine affects your emotions via sensations of pleasure and pain, while serotonin regulates our mood, social behavior, libido, memory and sleep.

When gardening, these microorganisms absorb into your skin and are inhaled with each breath. Upon entering your bloodstream and respiratory system, they quickly get to work – boosting your mood and subsiding your pain.

 According to O’Brien, not only did the vaccae microbial bacteria improve their immune system, but patients also demonstrated a sizeable boost in their happiness, vitality and pain relief.

Study: Soil Organisms and Performed Behaviour

According to a study conducted by neuroscientists Dorothy Matthews and Susan Jenks, published in the Behavioural Processes Journal, “eating, touching and breathing a soil organism may be tied to the development of our immune system and nervous system.”

The research was conducted on mice, administered M. vaccae and put through a series of behavioral tests. Not only were the mice less anxious, but they also demonstrated boosted cognitive functioning – navigating a maze twice as fast as their placebo counterparts who weren’t administered any microorganism.

According to Matthews, these findings lay the foundation for human adolescent schooling practices, “it is interesting to speculate that creating learning environments in schools that include time outdoors where M. vaccae is present may decrease anxiety and improve the ability to learn new tasks.”

Professor Graham Rook at the University College London has weighed in on the issue. Rook points to the gastrointestinal tract, the home to a hundred trillion microbes at any given time.

These bacteria are a product of both genetics and lifestyle, interacting with our entire body, from our lungs to our gut. Deficiencies in microbial exposure, Rook argues, is the link between the rise in chronic health problems, including both autoimmunity deficiencies and depression.

This brain-gut connection proves to be the bridge between gardening and mental health.

Get Dirty: Gardening for your Brain

The long-held benefits of gardening, as proven here, are true. Not only is gardening an exceptional activity to incorporate into your daily routine, but the release of happy neurotransmitters are undeniable.

From the soil brain-boosting benefits to the grounding effects of nature, getting down and dirty by tending to a garden proves to be a worthy investment in your mental wellbeing.

What are you waiting for? Start a garden, get outside, enjoy nature and get dirty.