The Bluearth Approach is built around six key elements, which are proven to help children move confidently and competently, and improve their physical, social, and emotional wellbeing.
The fifth element is Moving in the Environment, which in essence is being explorative outdoors.
Read on to learn more about this important element of the Bluearth Approach.
What is Moving in the Environment?
Moving in the Environment is a set of principles combined with a way of moving within your environment and approaching obstacles of any kind, be they physical or mental.
These principles include:
- Seeking to improve ourselves through practice
- Using what you have gained to help others, be it by helping someone learn themselves or to use your skills in a practical situation
- Seek progression in ourselves and to promote it in others
The aim of moving in the environment is to move over, around, up, along, under and through the built and natural environment with exploration of mind and body as motivation. It’s all about efficiency and fluidity, harmonising with the environment, and seeing obstacles as opportunities that we can take rather than barriers that we face.
When moving in the environment, we transcend the obvious in pursuit of rhythmical and dynamic expression of the human body.
Why is moving in the environment important?
By approaching our environment as stimulus for movement, we explore the important physical relationship between humans and the environment—a relationship that has been devalued in our world of convenience and safety.
The possibilities are endless when our innate love of movement is taken into the environment and let go.
Benefits of moving in the environment
Besides the opportunity to be explorative and think creatively, exercising in nature can improve self-esteem and mood (this effect is especially noticeable in people with mental illnesses like depression and anxiety).
Other benefits of moving in nature include:
- Increasing your vitamin D intake; vitamin D boosts your immune system, helps fight depression, promotes bone growth, and prevents osteoporosis.
- Relieving stress; being in or near the natural world, and having views of greenery such as trees, plants and shrubs, has been proven to reduce stress and increase wellbeing.
How moving in the environment is integrated into Bluearth sessions
Bluearth sessions are predominantly run outdoors in open fields and/or courts, to give participants the opportunity to be surrounded by nature.
Additionally, the following activities are often incorporated:
- Adventure playgrounds
- Climbing
- Park bench jumping or vaulting
- Swinging on poles, monkey bars
- Crawling under tables or branches
- Rolling and tumbling
- Balancing on fences
All of these encourage participants to move dynamically in the environment, and allow them to experience the intrinsic benefits of doing so.