Recreation Therapy New Zealand

Some information on Matariki, which begins today and is into its second year as a public holiday in Aotearoa:

Five ways to embrace Matariki this year Hana-Rawhiti Kareariki Maipi says giving back is important during Matariki.

Good long-form interview on the therapeutic ɓenefits of forest bathing. People will be familiar with the quote of John Muir (1838-1914) that "in every walk with nature, òne receives more than they seek" (paraphrased).
The therapeutic benefits of forest bathing

The therapeutic benefits of forest bathing Shinrin yoku is the Japanese practice of 'forest bathing', which is growing in popularity around the world for its therapeutic benefits, both physiological and psychological. Forest bathing engages the parasympathetic nervous system, known as the 'rest-and-digest' system. It's the opposite to our 'f...

From Richard Louv. JFK said "a child miseducated is a child lost"" which aligns with the adage about prevention and cure (dating from the days of Hippocrates).
https://www.facebook.com/100050253949391/posts/777549297263528/?mibextid=Nif5oz

“When children play in natural spaces, they’re far more likely to invent their own games than in more structured settings – a key factor in becoming self-directed and inventive adults later in life.' Richard Louv

This is so true and definitely the case with my children. This is a photo of my son and niece deeply absorbed in making a cake from elderflowers, grass and sand.

Happy St Patrick's Day, btw.
Green space getting the red light as demand for housing rises

Green space getting the red light as demand for housing rises Analysis - Recent extreme weather events have provided a foretaste of how supercharged storms might threaten our future, Timothy Welch writes.

From RNZ Saturday morning today. The book 📙 is recommended reading and the author advocates recreation-based practices as therapy:
Dr Bessel van der Kolk: how to heal trauma

Dr Bessel van der Kolk: how to heal trauma Traumatic experiences get lodged in people's brains and bodies as a sense of threat and to heal they must rediscover a sense of safety, says psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk.

Today's Waitangi Day event:

Waitangi Day 2023: Political leaders call for a united front at this year's dawn ceremony Thousands at Waitangi dawn powhiri as country welcomes national day.

Aotearoa NZ is 18 hours ahead of NY, making this a convenient event (10.45am-12.00pm). Who knows what they'll discuss, but perhaps the talk will mention UDHR Art #25, Josef Pieper, Sebastian de Grazia, Aristotle, Labour history, and perhaps even something about Basic Income?
https://www.facebook.com/100064652801295/posts/552611506903938/?sfnsn=mo&mibextid=6aamW6

Register and join us for the World Leisure Organization - UN side event!

61st Session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development

"Just and Favorable Conditions for Work: The Leisure Dimension"

Date: February, Thursday 9th 2023
Time: 4:45 - 6:00PM (New York Time)
Virtual Platform registration: https://bit.ly/3iVDU4n
Website https://www.worldleisure.org

You are invited to register to attend the UN Virtual Side Event that World Leisure Organization (WLO) is organizing in the framework of the 61st Session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development (CSocD61), under the main theme “Creating full and productive employment and decent work for all as a way of overcoming inequalities to accelerate the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

Through this virtual event, Prof. Atara Sivan and Prof. Tony Veal will examine and discuss, among the rights to “just and favorable conditions of work”, the implications of the right to “rest, leisure and reasonable limitation of working hours” set out in Article 7 of the UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). This right should be taken into account in considering the constitution of “decent work for all”.

Virtual Platform Link https://bit.ly/3iVDU4n
Website https://www.worldleisure.org

This concept has the potential to transform how we conceptualize health, and its promotion:

The Sense of Coherence in the Salutogenic Model of Health This section aims to describe the salutogenic construct of the sense of coherence. It begins with a reflection of the ontological and epistemological background of salutogenesis, which is not particularly described and explained to any significant extent in the publications by Antonovsky. The core c...

https://www.facebook.com/100028701979776/posts/906004297032961/?mibextid=Nif5oz

THROWBACK THURSDAY!
GOING BACK TO 2011 PRICES
For a Timeless Book

Lessons Learned: An Open Letter to Recreational Therapy Students and Practitioners
By David Austin

Throwback price of $25.00 USD for the print book (Discount Code at checkout: LL2023)
https://bit.ly/SVPLL2023

Throwback price of $19.95 USD of the eBook (Discount Code at checkout: LL2023E)
https://bit.ly/SVPLL2023e

As Recreation Therapists, we can perpetually advocate for nature and its therapeutic effects:
https://www.facebook.com/100044148308509/posts/736026084545662/?sfnsn=mo&mibextid=6aamW6

During this time of year when our lives can feel quite full, seems the perfect time to talk about the restorative power of nature and how spending time outdoors can nourish the soul.

Being among trees and mountains hearing nothing but birdsong, or at the beach watching the waves crash onto the sand, or witnessing the wide open plains stretching out in front of you with the biggest bluest sky you’ve ever seen, nourishes us in indescribable ways.

There’s a peace that can wash over you more easily beholding such vistas and what’s important to you – what you really care about – tends to bubble more easily to the surface.

Less noise, less being asked of you, plenty of oxygen, movement of your body and observation of natural processes can help to reconnect you to healthy patterns and perceptions. Where possible, remove your shoes and get your bare feet onto the earth. Regular ‘earthing’ – direct skin contact with the surface of the earth – may potentially have anti-inflammatory effects, improve sleep and reduce chronic pain.

Acknowledging the example of Dr King just after his birthday (15.1 29).
https://www.facebook.com/55555550744/posts/10159316556845745/?sfnsn=mo&mibextid=6aamW6

“On Dr. King's birthday, read a classic (made all the truer by time): https://www.themarginalian.org/2015/03/18/martin-luther-king-letter-from-birmingham-city-jail/

Greetings to everyone on this penultimate day of 2022, as we prepare to enter the new year. This is to say that my ability to manage this page is now affected by the diagnosis of a neurological condition (thought to be radiation induced after cancer treatment in the 1980's).

As a health professional, I think this is only one component and there's potentially a more recent mechanism at play that's yet to be identified (potentially workplace-related, using the Bradford-Hill criteria for causality as a reference).

The intent is still to provide topical, interesting content related to Recreation Therapy New Zealand that readers find engaging. It's one reflection to say that this is an especially intimate way of learning the value of our profession.

Image: Free Clipart 2023, Download Free Clipart 2023 png images, Free ... Found on Google from clipart-library.com

Greetings from Aotearoa! Wishing everyone à Merry Christmas after what's been an especially eventful year. Enjoy this wee ditty:

Christmas in NZ (Official Music Video) In Aotearoa the sun stays up until late. How can children possibly go to bed when Santa is coming and it's not even dark yet?Join me on a beautiful journey i...

fb://photo/5160421284057277?set=a.305663529533101&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=6aamW6

On the same theme as the most recent post:
https://www.facebook.com/153324434706361/posts/5872413559464058/?sfnsn=mo&mibextid=6aamW6

How Exposure to Nature Influences Creativity Time in nature can have a significant impact on our creative development.

This is a mature, topical speech, and although he's 14 years old, an indication of why 16 year olds should be given the vote in accordance with the recent Supreme Court ruling:
https://www.facebook.com/109710110511880/posts/688546602628225/?sfnsn=mo&mibextid=6aamW6

The importance of connecting Youth with Nature | Nate Wilbourne | TEDxNelson By harnessing his passion to create change, Nate explores why it is important to get young people into nature. Nate Wilbourne is a 14-year-old environmental...

https://www.facebook.com/100064821395990/posts/511769990993710/?sfnsn=mo&mibextid=6aamW6

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” ― John Muir.

Forest bathing (森林浴, shinrin'yoku) is a very simple meditative practice. Walking mindfully in a forest or other natural setting, we open our senses to Nature. Letting the sounds, smells and visual messages in through the five senses allows us to connect deeply and intimately with Mother Earth, the source of all life. Ego-centric thoughts drop away naturally. As levels of the seratonin rise, feelings of gratitude, peace and happiness flood one's body, healing stress and anxiety...

Shinrin Yoku: The Art of Forest Bathing (Documentary) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54Ik7i15uHk

Forest Bathing | Shinrin-Yoku | Healing in Nature https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-wHq6yY2CI

The secret to mindful travel? A walk in the woods (National Geographic) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/forest-bathing-nature-walk-health

Shinrin Yoku – Forest Bathing in Japan https://nihonscope.com/japanese-health/shinrin-yoku-forest-bathing/

Forest Bathing - What, How, Why? | Introduction to Japanese Shinrin-yoku
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSvvhLvFrVE

Zen & the Art of Living Deeply
https://creativesystemsthinking.wordpress.com/2016/05/15/zen-the-art-of-living-deeply/

Yūgen (幽玄) – Deep Awareness of the Universe https://creativesystemsthinking.wordpress.com/2014/12/13/yugen-幽玄-deep-awareness-of-the-universe/

The Art and Science of Forest Bathing with Dr Qing Li https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12CCjoixpkA

What is Japanese “forest bathing” and how can it improve your health https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stuZaKB9j7I

The Difference between Seratonin & Dopamine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-eOYmkK3dQ

The Difference Between Happiness and Pleasure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANNiuBPzDRQ

Happening at 2am NZ time on Saturday 26th November in case you're interested. The SDG's are inherently related to leisure:
https://www.facebook.com/100064652801295/posts/500822732082816/?sfnsn=mo

MONDIACULT 2022: Towards a New Goal for the Sustainable Development Framework

WLO is kindly inviting you to the upcoming debate to analyse and discuss some of the most relevant topics discussed at MONDIACULT 2022. The invited expert speakers will provide us with their analyses, considerations and reflections about the meeting, its key facets, expected spinoffs and outcomes over various time and space scale.

Join us on Friday, 25 November from 14:00 to 15:00 CET!

Registration is open here: https://forms.gle/QcLu9ym58yae3Jke6

ENCATC

Wonderful initiative. This is another example of a 'lab technician.' Perhaps you know some candidates able to volunteer for this.
St John scouting for therapy pets programme

St John scouting for therapy pets programme St John is scouting for more than 100 volunteers for a very special programme, and it's pretty fussy about who will qualify. For starters, volunteers are assessed for their temperament - and their ability to give unconditional love. The Therapy Pets programme brings big rewards - but some areas of A...

Please help this petition get beyond 15,000 and for our disabled population to break through accessibility barriers. See the blurb for further information.

Sign the Petition Help strengthen the Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill

Take a look at these titles:

40% off discount on selected RT/TR titles!

Allison Parkhurst and Peter Bannon at Sagamore-Venture Publishing LLC were sorry to miss ACON22 in Birmingham, AL this year due to COVID issues. Due to our absence, we would like to provide a 40% discount on the books listed below to our American Therapeutic Recreation Association members/ practitioners!

Promotion valid until October 31, 2022.

Promotion Code: ATRA40
(One time checkout use per person- applies to print and ebook versions)

*Effective Management in Therapeutic Recreation Service 4th ed - Carter/O'Morrow
eBook: https://bit.ly/3BxSvZ2
Print: https://bit.ly/3QWN4bx

*Facilitation Techniques in Therapeutic Recreation - Dattilo/McKenney
eBook: https://bit.ly/3qPUrae
Print: https://bit.ly/3S9pfOW

*Recreational Therapy for Older Adults - Richeson/Kemeny
eBook: https://bit.ly/3f0PrwS
Print: https://bit.ly/3DVFT0L

*The Fun Encyclopedia for Therapists -Austin/Cooke
eBook: https://bit.ly/3ByW2pI
Print: https://bit.ly/3UobDRE

*Therapeutic Recreation Program Design 6th Ed. - Stumbo/Peterson
eBook: https://bit.ly/3DVEreP
Print: https://bit.ly/3DB69xb

https://www.reomaori.co.nz/

Te Rangaihi Reo Māori | Māori Language Movement Join the Māori Language Movement.

Looks interesting. Keep the date free.

For one hour only, on the afternoon of Tuesday 4th October, the Australian and New Zealand Association for Leisure Studies (ANZALS) are hosting a free online book launch webinar, featuring a Q&A with the editors and some highlights from the authors, facilitated by yours truly (a chance for me to plug the 'Leisure for Life' ANZALS Conference being hosted at AUT in December 2023 and the Sporting Memories Foundation!)

To register, please visit the following link (it's a free event) https://lnkd.in/gd-SSms9