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Feelings of depression, anxiety, sadness, and other emotions are generated in a part of the brain called the limbic system. This ‘downstairs’ portion of the brain is only interested in three things: Fighting, fleeing, or freezing. In ‘fight’ mode, the downstairs brain wants to protect you from harm by fighting against the threat. When it is triggered, your heart may race, your palms may get sweaty, and you may have a sharp increase in irritability and anger. In ‘flee’ mode, you may experience a similar adrenaline rush, but in this instance, your brain is preparing your body to run away from the danger. In ‘freeze’ mode, we tend to retreat inside ourselves. This is the deer-in-the-headlights feeling of “If I’m very quiet and still, the bad thing won’t see me.”
How the Upstairs Brain Interacts with the Downstairs Brain
Whether you’re in fight, flee, or freeze mode, your downstairs brain is preparing you to deal with a real or perceived threat in the only way it knows how. When your downstairs brain is engaged, the upstairs part of your brain tends to get overwhelmed. The upstairs brain, which consists of the neocortex of the brain, is the part responsible for thinking things through, figuring things out, and solving problems. When the downstairs brain takes over, the upstairs brain is out to lunch. That’s why when you’re emotionally overwhelmed, it is nearly impossible to figure out a way to deal with it. The upstairs brain is all about finding solutions to problems, but the downstairs brain is all about fighting, fleeing, or freezing. When your upstairs brain is overwhelmed, thinking things over isn’t going to work. That’s because at that point, your downstairs brain is in charge. For those times when your downstairs brain is running the show, mindfulness is a way of disengaging from the thinking cycle for a while so that you can re-center yourself and reconnect with yourself and the world around you.
How Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Supports the Upstairs Brain, the Downstairs Brain, and a Calmer Nervous System
The “upstairs brain vs. downstairs brain” model offers a simple way to understand how our minds react to stress. The “downstairs brain” refers to evolutionarily older structures such as the amygdala, brain stem, and limbic regions. These areas handle survival instincts, fight-or-flight responses, and quick emotional reactions. The “upstairs brain” includes the prefrontal cortex and other regions responsible for reasoning, emotional regulation, empathy, and long-term decision-making. In moments of stress, the sympathetic nervous system activates the downstairs brain, often overwhelming the upstairs brain’s ability to respond calmly. This imbalance can lead to impulsive reactions, emotional flooding, or a sense of being perpetually on edge.
Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy: A Practical Solution
Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy offers a practical, grounded way to restore balance between these two systems. By integrating mindfulness practices with nature-based experiences, it supports regulation of the sympathetic nervous system while strengthening the upstairs brain’s capacity to stay engaged even during difficult moments.
One of the most powerful aspects of nature-based mindfulness is how quickly it downshifts the nervous system. Being outdoors, or even visualizing natural environments, has been shown to reduce sympathetic arousal and increase activity in the parasympathetic system. This shift creates the physiological conditions necessary for the upstairs brain to come back online. When the body stops signaling danger, the prefrontal cortex is freed to resume its role in planning, reflection, and problem-solving. Mindfulness in nature makes this transition smoother by encouraging sensory awareness, present-moment attention, and slower breathing, each of which directly supports parasympathetic activation.
How Mindfulness Trains Attention
Another key component is how mindfulness trains attention. The downstairs brain often hijacks the mind by pulling attention toward perceived threats. Mindfulness practice teaches individuals to notice this pull without automatically following it. In ecotherapy, this awareness is supported by grounding elements: the texture of tree bark, the rhythm of waves, and the sound of wind through leaves. These sensory anchors provide a natural counterweight to the internal storm generated by the sympathetic nervous system. Over time, this helps strengthen neural pathways associated with emotional regulation, making it easier for the upstairs brain to remain active even when the downstairs brain fires up.
Interoceptive Literacy and the Upstairs Brain
Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy also promotes what some therapists refer to as “interoceptive literacy,” the ability to recognize and interpret internal body signals. A dysregulated sympathetic system often produces sensations such as a tight chest, rapid heartbeat, or restlessness. When people learn to identify these early cues without judgment, they gain a moment of choice. This pause allows the upstairs brain to intervene before the downstairs brain drives behavior. Practices like mindful walking, breath-based grounding, or observing natural cycles help individuals connect more deeply with these signals in a supportive, non-threatening environment.
Emotional Processing and the Upstairs Brain
Nature-based mindfulness also supports emotional processing. The downstairs brain often stores unresolved emotional material that surfaces during stress. Natural environments provide a calming backdrop for working through these experiences without becoming overwhelmed. The sense of spaciousness and the absence of artificial stimuli reduce cognitive load, giving the upstairs brain more bandwidth to integrate emotional information. This creates a more flexible, resilient nervous system that can adapt to challenges rather than reacting automatically.
Connectedness and the Upstairs Brain
Finally, Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy strengthens the sense of connectedness that is crucial for nervous system regulation. Feelings of isolation can intensify sympathetic activation, while experiences of belonging and connection activate systems of safety and social engagement. Ecotherapy offers a double form of connection: with nature and with one’s own internal experience. This sense of being part of something larger reduces the perception of threat and supports long-term regulation of both the upstairs and downstairs brain.
In this way, Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy provides a holistic path to balancing instinctive emotional responses with thoughtful, grounded awareness. By soothing the sympathetic nervous system and strengthening the upstairs brain, it helps people respond to life’s challenges with clarity, resilience, and a greater sense of peace.
References
Jo H, Song C, Miyazaki Y. Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: A Systematic Review of Indoor Experiments. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Nov 27;16(23):4739. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16234739. PMID: 31783531; PMCID: PMC6926748.
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