The presence of indoor plants has improved mood, reduced stress levels, and increased worker productivity. Some scientific studies show that such plants also improve attention spans.
If you are new to bonsai growing, you are in for a ride. Growing bonsai is art with several rules, including how much to prune, wire, and nurture the tree. While there’s a long history of bonsai, it has only been in recent decades that it has gained popularity as a part of small Japanese garden ideas, giving nature therapy and art therapy alike.
So how has growing bonsai trees become a new way to improve mental health? And is it on its way to becoming a new form of therapy? Let’s find out.
The Science Behind Better Moods and Bonsai Trees
Keeping plants inside the house is not without its challenges. However, sticking to one plant for many years is different; it’s a promise made to the future. You are supposed to stick with it, even through the hard times.
You can sculpt, prune, pinch, chop, and wire a little tree for years and decades, making it mimic a big, weathered tree in nature. It can take years before you have a bonsai that looks like the real thing; this hobby can get expensive fast. However, you do not have to spend much money on bonsai: most bonsai begins as $20 nursery trees.
A 2018 study at a rehabilitation facility in Japan monitored the progress of elderly patients as they worked with bonsai trees. The researchers discovered that the appearance of the trees triggered a shift toward the parasympathetic nervous system, which is a way to say the trees reduced stress. The parasympathetic nervous system allows our bodies to recover from stress, lowers the heart rate and blood pressure, and improves digestion.
One study from 2018 delved into the mental well-being of 255 bonsai artists. The overwhelming majority claimed their mood, quality of life, and spiritual growth had improved after tending to their bonsai trees.
Bonsai Growing as a New Form of Therapy
There is evidence that growing bonsai plants may be incorporated into the growing field of natural therapy or art therapy since the process shares components from both. Some therapists encourage people suffering from a range of conditions, from anxiety to agoraphobia, to visit a bonsai garden as a therapeutic experience.
Some specialising in miniature trees sell trees and a book explaining the connection between nature and mental health. This book usually includes studies demonstrating that caring for a bonsai tree can improve your mental health.Â
The beauty of bonsai trees is that you don’t need a big garden to grow them in. Instead, you can grow bonsai trees indoors, where you can take short breaks throughout the day to care for your tree or just look at it. These trees are magnificent.
Conclusion
Bonsai trees have been around for centuries. While bonsai trees can be found across the world, they are a traditional part of Japanese culture and are something to behold. Whether you are a newbie or an experienced bonsai gardener, the tree is more than just a decoration.
Bonsai Shop sells bonsai starter kits, pots, tools and accessories for people who want to grow their own bonsai trees. We are specialists in bonsai, proud to deliver Australian supply for the entire country for more than ten years. Our goal is to provide clients with well-priced quality bonsai products as they cultivate their own hobby of growing bonsai, with the added advantage of buying from the comfort of their homes! Browse our best bonsai trees for sale in Australia today!
