The 2026 Winter Olympics have started. Athletes are competing this month in Italy. These Olympics are the largest ever, featuring the most athletes, sports, and events in history.
As 3500 athletes from 93 countries compete, an estimated 56 million Americans will watch the Games on TV and social media. The whole world feels united in the spirit of the Games, despite cultural differences.
The Opening Ceremony theme this year is harmony between people, cultures, and nature.
While the Olympics showcase global unity, this spirit can also inspire individual actions toward harmony with nature. Bringing plants into homes and workplaces can inspire people to interact with the natural world daily.
In my 35 years as an environmental educator, I’ve learned that experiencing nature improves both health and well-being.
People have an innate need to bond with nature. A recent article in the Nature & Freedom Journal reports that humans are biologically predisposed to bond with nature.
In America, Edward O. Wilson discussed people’s natural love of nature. The need for closeness with living things comes from people’s genetic roots.
Harmony with nature has been a belief in traditional Chinese culture for centuries. Science confirms this need to interact with the environment. Research by Michael Lengieza in the Journal of Environmental Psychology supports this idea of a sense of unity with nature.
In American urban areas, people spend only 10% of their time outside. People spend the other 90% of their time inside, away from the natural environment. Bringing nature indoors offers a practical solution. People could renew their bond with nature daily and improve their health and well-being.
Imagine coming home to a tranquil house with lush green plants. People could relax and unwind every day in rooms filled with the fresh aroma of nature.
There are many ways to bring greenery indoors—planting in pots on tables, on the floor, on windowsills, or hanging from ceilings. People can arrange green plants into large plant walls with hydroponic systems. Researchers are even developing the use of plants on ceilings.
The FYSH Restaurant at the Singapore Edition Hotel features a stunning plant wall. Lush tropical plants grow along tall walls behind the guests in the Conservatory dining area.
Many kinds of plants are easy to grow indoors, such as White Anthurium, Philodendron, or Sago Palm. A simple glance at a plant can bring joy throughout the day.
Other types of green plants can also make a space more beautiful and provide health benefits. Just one plant, like a jasmine, can fill a room with nature’s healing essential oils and fragrances that calm nerves and reduce stress. Incorporating aromatic plants, such as jasmine, stevia, and lavender, positively affects mental health.
I am planning a small kitchen garden on the shelf of the room divider between my kitchen and dining room. I am selecting aromatic herbs for my garden: marjoram, oregano, peppermint, sage, rosemary, garlic, thyme, savory, and basil. I will use a self-watering planting container for easy growing conditions.
New air filtration systems incorporate other types of green plants that filter and remove indoor air pollutants. Plants like poinsettia, sword fern, parlor palm, and spider plant absorb pollutants such as CO2 and formaldehyde and clean the air.
Plants are not only beautiful but also benefit people and the environment. Green plants regulate temperatures, which lowers heating and cooling costs. Plants also reduce noise and vibrations, creating more peaceful indoor environments.
Creating plant-filled indoor spaces may seem cost-prohibitive. But the many health benefits outweigh the costs.
Begin today: transform your space with a single plant and bond with the natural world. Add a tabletop plant to a living room or dining room, like a White Anthurium, a Philodendron, or a Sago Palm. These easy-to-grow green plants add beauty to indoor spaces and brighten the day.
Embrace nature today, and watch it transform not just your living space, but also your spirit and well-being.