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October 2008

Exercise Cures Emotion

by John Cannizzo, GreenTeam director, New York Horticultural Society

Modifying emotional response is not so difficult as wishing to modify. This may be because our mind, body and feelings would have to agree among themselves. If they do anything among themselves it will no longer be possible for any one of them to order the others around. When angry, negative thoughts whiz through our brains and make us feel worse. It can also affect how people treat us. It’s a big circle.


1.Our thoughts (insecurities/learned responses)affect (habitual) behavior.
2. Our behavior affects our thoughts, other peoples reactions
3. Their reaction affects our emotions
4. Our emotions


When she responds to me in an unfriendly way I feel inside a dislike of her, but externally I am polite because I must be very polite since I need her. Internally I am what I am, but externally I am different. This is external considering.

She treats me like I am a fool. This angers me. The fact that I am angered is the result, but what takes place in me is internal considering. Maybe she learned or heard something about me. But today I want to remain calm. She is reacting automatically and I should not be angry with her. From today onward I want to be calm. For this we need 2 kinds of exercises – external and internal. External exercises are easier.

The exercise now is path building. This exercise has had a positive effect or change on several students’ behavior. After a week there was a marked reduction in anger/aggressive response. The exercise of measuring, following a plan, leveling, counting bricks, creating patterns requires attention that shifts “considering” from the internal to the external – from the gardener to the garden. Each person that engaged in this activity had an example of behavior modification. Some students showed marked reduction in disruptive or negative behavior.

External space can become endowed with value to produce place. “Place is security, space is freedom: we are attached to one and long for the other” (Tuan, 1977). Horticultural therapy exercises that reflect this phenomenon focus on levels of participation. All human beings have effective ties with the environment. Topophilia, the love of place, describes the effective bond between people and place or setting.

* All photos by John Cannizzo

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