Giving Compass' Take:

• Research reveals the benefits of nature for people experiencing anxiety and how it is being used in therapy. 

• How can urban communities access nature? 

• Find out why everyone needs a good park within a 10-minute walk. 

There's plenty of evidence of the healing power of a walk in the woods. “Forest bathing,” a version of the Japanese practice Shinrin-Yoku, is taking off in American as a way to boost happiness and help with insomnia. And scientists have long studied how going into nature changes the way the brain works.

We write prescriptions for all kinds of medicines. In addition to that we're starting to see nature and parks, not just as a place to recreate, but literally as a place to heal yourself.

Researchers at the University of Essex found that 9 out of 10 patient suffering from depression felt "higher self-esteem after a walk through a park." Almost three-quarters reported feeling less depressed and the researchers found that people recovered faster from illnesses through an 'immunizing' effect that protected them from future stresses.

Read the full article on nature and anxiety at The Versed.