The Felt-Sense as a pathway to Nature relatedness: an exploratory mixed-method study with university students

Abstract

Background: A connection to nature is known to enhance wellbeing and promote psychological restoration. Pathways to nature connectedness, such as sensory engagement, emotional bonding, appreciating beauty, meaningful contact, and compassion for nature – have been widely studied, the embodied ways through which we experience nature remain underexplored. The “felt-sense” – an embodied awareness of internal sensations – has emerged as a potential but underexplored pathway to nature connectedness. This exploratory mixed-methods study investigates this gap within the current literature by exploring whether a short felt-sense intervention in natural settings can foster wellbeing and strengthen nature connectedness among university students. Methods: The study employed a concurrent embedded mixed-methods design. Participants (Mean age = 26.3, SD = 12.2) included 16 females, 5 males, and 2 non-binary individuals. Quantitative measures were collected pre- and post-intervention using validated scales for nature relatedness, wellbeing, and motivation for future nature engagement. Qualitative data was gathered through reflective expressions, including written accounts, poetry, and art, following a seven-day felt-sense intervention conducted in outdoor natural settings. Findings: Qualitative thematic analysis identified five key themes: enhanced wellbeing, deeper connection with nature, self and relational insights, behavioural transformation, and characteristics of the intervention. Participants reported relaxation, emotional processing, and a heightened sense of belonging to the natural world. Quantitative results revealed significant improvements in the Nature Relatedness-Self (NR-Self ) subscale, indicating a strengthened personal connection to nature. Other measures showed positive trends, though not statistically significant. Conclusions: The felt-sense appears to be a promising pathway for fostering nature relatedness and enhancing wellbeing. Future research should examine its long-term impacts, potential applications in mental health rehabilitation, and its role in promoting sustainable behaviours. Integrating the felt-sense into nature-based interventions could provide an accessible, cost-effective strategy for improving mental health and environmental engagement. With its flexibility, the felt-sense pathway could also be utilised as a day-to-day coping strategy to foster stronger wellbeing through engagement with nature