Photo: Pixabay
Sit beside a moving river for ten minutes and notice what happens to your thoughts. Most people find that the mental chatter slows. The obsessive loops, the what-ifs that chase each other around the mind at 2am, these tend to quiet near flowing water.
The sound of moving water is categorized as blue noise, a type of sound that masks distracting background frequencies and has been shown in multiple studies to reduce physiological stress markers.
Water has been humanity's therapy for ten thousand years. We are only now developing the language to explain why.
The Cache la Poudre River north of Fort Collins is one of the best accessible wild rivers near Denver. For something closer to the city, the South Platte River through Waterton Canyon offers 6.7 miles of easy walking beside moving water. Connect with others at soberoutdoors.org.