12 episodes

What’s the relationship between nature and the brain? Join me, Sarah Allely, as I discover how nature helped me recover from a brain injury. 
 
When a mild traumatic brain injury left me unable to read, write or watch TV,  I discovered my path to recovery was through nature.
 
This podcast follows my journey of recovery, and my quest to find out why. What’s the science behind my experience? Many academics acknowledge nature’s health benefits, and scientists are yet to pinpoint exactly what it is that heals. This series returns to the forests and coastlines to immerse you in the sounds of nature that improved my focus and concentration, relieved my headaches and lifted my depression and anxiety.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brain on Nature Sarah Allely

    • Health & Fitness
    • 4.8 • 25 Ratings

What’s the relationship between nature and the brain? Join me, Sarah Allely, as I discover how nature helped me recover from a brain injury. 
 
When a mild traumatic brain injury left me unable to read, write or watch TV,  I discovered my path to recovery was through nature.
 
This podcast follows my journey of recovery, and my quest to find out why. What’s the science behind my experience? Many academics acknowledge nature’s health benefits, and scientists are yet to pinpoint exactly what it is that heals. This series returns to the forests and coastlines to immerse you in the sounds of nature that improved my focus and concentration, relieved my headaches and lifted my depression and anxiety.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Regenerating the Cooks River with the Mudcrabs

    Regenerating the Cooks River with the Mudcrabs

    Every weekend, and some weekdays too, you'll find Mudcrabs along the banks of the Cooks River. Not crustaceans, although they're slowly returning as their habitat is restored, but a group of dedicated volunteers who are rehabilitating what was once the most polluted river in Australia. With prosthetic pincers, they pick up rubbish from in and around the river. They plant trees and shrubs to revegetate bushland that's been lost, and weed and protect the new bush. This episode documents how the Mudcrabs have rehabilitated the Cooks River, and how the benefits flow two ways. For many Mudcrabs, their work connects them with natural world and improves their own health and wellbeing too. 
    This episode was made on the lands of the Gadigal/Wangal people.
    It was supported by an Inner West Council Environment grant. Special thanks to all the Mudcrabs we spoke to. To find out more about the Mudcrabs, and to get involved, visit www.crva.org.au/mudcrabs

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    • 28 min
    Doing it for the kids

    Doing it for the kids

    A playgroup in Sydney is turning despair about the planet's future into hope by taking action and connecting with people who share their concerns and motivations. Rosa Brown, mum and English teacher, set up the Inner West Families For Climate Action playgroup. She decided to foster connections with other new local parents, and hopes this group will encourage deeper conversations and committed action around climate and the environment.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 19 min
    The Accident

    The Accident

    I wake up on the road in intense pain. I don’t know what’s happened. Who are these people? Where am I? Why is my right shoulder killing me? But it’s only when I get home from the hospital that the extent of my injuries start to emerge. I can’t read, I can listen to music, I can’t be around my family. What's happening?
    Production credits
    Writer and producer: Sarah Allely
    Co-Producer: Olivia Rosenman
    Sound design: Ariana Martinez
    https://brainonnature.com/2019/09/05/the-accident-episode-1/

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 18 min
    The Waiting Room

    The Waiting Room

    The injury makes me reflect on what the load on my brain was like before the accident. I’m a journalist, my head’s full of work. I manage our household, wrangle our kids – they’re two and five years old. We don’t have any other family in Australia. My partner’s frantic running his arts organisation. I still keep a busy social life. I love late nights out in hectic loud bars drinking with friends. But after the accident I can’t do any of this!


    Production credits
    Writer and producer: Sarah Allely
    Co-Producer: Olivia Rosenman
    Sound design: Ariana Martinez


    https://brainonnature.com/2019/09/09/episode-2-the-waiting-room/

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 32 min
    If Symptoms Persist, Accept

    If Symptoms Persist, Accept

    Finally, I get a diagnosis. The doctors tell me I have what they’re calling ‘a mild traumatic brain injury’. And there’s not much that they can do about it. They encourage me to just accept my situation. Then, some friends invite me on a bushwalk.
    Production credits
    Writer and producer: Sarah Allely
    Co-Producer: Olivia Rosenman
    Sound design: Ariana Martinez
    https://brainonnature.com/2019/09/09/episode-3-if-symptoms-persist-accept/

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 24 min
    Invisible Injury

    Invisible Injury

    I’m racing towards the finish line. I’m almost better! I try to get back to my normal life, but something’s still not quite right. And then, all of a sudden, things start to unravel. Surely this isn’t happening. I’m nearly better, remember? I find Cait Ward, who had similar experiences after being hit with a lacrosse ball.


    Production credits
    Writer and producer: Sarah Allely
    Co-Producer: Olivia Rosenman
    Sound design: Ariana Martinez



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 29 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
25 Ratings

25 Ratings

Tandem Bear ,

Good but one gripe.

Enjoyed learning about your ordeal. Thanks for sharing your personal account of brain trauma. But shortly into the series, I was struck by the bombardment of noise hitting you. Why no mention of ear plugs or hearing protection??? (And excellent portrayal of the various grating and annoying sounds in your newly-perceived environment, BTW.)

And the killer? The CAT scan tech offers MORE noise for your ears??? What? Here they are treating patients, many with brain trauma & concussion symptoms, and they can’t provide high tech noise-canceling headphones? A million dollar CAT scanner, but no ear plugs? What an oversight!

Plus I found your lack of mentioning same curious. Sound was definitely seriously bothering you. I’d expect you to have gone out and gotten the most expensive and high quality noise canceling ear phones money could buy. (I’ll add that I attend weekend-long festivals with nonstop loud music. I utilize not just ear plugs, but noise-canceling headphones too. The additional sound reduction is amazing.) But you make no mention. Plus, aren’t there even more effective solutions musicians wear (custom ear inserts) to prevent/reduce hearing loss?

So that made me wonder how much of your delayed recovery was due to you not addressing your noisy environment? Not victim blaming, but by episode 3 I was yelling, “Why no ear plugs??!!” Why didn’t your physicians address this? Why would your neurologist’s office have a blaring TV in the waiting room?

I’m only at episode 3, so perhaps you address this later. But I HAD to mention this. Thanks!

BTW, for parents out there concerned about pediatric brain trauma & concussion in sports (or any cause), some health care providers now offer “concussion baseline testing.” This is valuable in diagnosing and treating brain injury if anything befalls your child in the future. And wear those helmets!!!

My daughter’s soccer teammate received a debilitating concussion in a game. Her mother only learned about this testing AFTER her daughter’s injury. She really wished she had known about it beforehand. Thought I’d share.

Thanks again.

kittylover7 ,

Interesting and relatable

A well produced show that hits home for me. I have experienced a chronic daily headache for over a decade and my symptoms of pain similar in many ways to the authors. I too have found that movement and often nature to be best treatment in taking my mind off the chronic pain for survival. Glad to hear others talking about creating the best possible life that we can given circumstances when all other options exhausted.

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