Forests have magic that makes us feel small and grand at the same time. Imagine using their beauty as a healthy lifestyle tool! It’s time we enjoyed their majesty more often.
Forests are mystical and magical and peaceful
Entering one gives us a chance to become in harmony with nature. They are tranquil, meditative places that help people recharge and rejuvenate. Forests are the perfect landscape to cultivate unforgettable moments of joy and happiness. They are the perfect place to switch any negative thinking to positive. Roaming amongst the massive trees is a way to feel more, see more, and experience more internally, because you are seeing and experiencing more externally and those two things are a pure joy when connected to each other. Walking in the forest makes us feel connected to Mother Earth which feels powerful and grand, but it can be very humbling, too, making us remember how small we are in the scheme of things.
In Japan It’s Called SHINRIN-YOKU
In Japanese, shinrin means forest and yoku means bathing in or basking in. It is defined as “taking it all in” in a forest atmosphere. I call it the best that nature has to offer. Majesty I tell you, majesty! Forest Bathing is quite popular in Japan and is taking its hold in other countries and in the United States. I think we are all trying to find ways to relax and untighten up our clenched muscles, and going back to nature is a perfect start. People who practice Shinrin-Yoku use all five of their senses. It may be strange at first, but give in to the moments and the beauty. Silence is encouraged and no cell phone use is strongly suggested. (I know, I know, giving up our connection to the world is hard, but it’s necessary) Deep breathing, touching, drowning the senses in the beauty of the trees, the flowers, the grasses, and the dirt are all part of the forest bathing technique. No soap or scrub is necessary! Well, at least until you get home. Then you can continue your life-altering, soul-soothing, skin-pampering joy in the real bath or shower!
The Reasons Are Simple Why Getting Back To Nature Is So Beneficial
Nature brings out the best in us. Time spent in green spaces, can greatly reduce the stress hormone cortisol, and increase your immune defense system. Those are both significant health advantages and are a key to remaining healthy overall! A study conducted across 24 forests in Japan found that when people strolled in a wooded area, their cortisol levels plummeted almost 16 percent more than when they walked in an urban environment. And the effects were quickly apparent in the lowering of blood pressure within about 15 minutes. But one of the biggest benefits may come from breathing in chemicals called phytoncides, emitted by trees and plants. says Tokyo-based researcher Qing Li, MD, Ph.D., who has studied shinrin-yoku. Not bad for a stroll amongst the trees, huh?
What If You Are An Urban Dweller?
Even if you don’t live near a forest, studies suggest that just looking at natural things and green space—say, the trees outside your office window—helps reduce muscle tension and blood pressure. The key is connection. It’s about having an attachment with something greater than yourself, with Nature, with the Earth. And it’s about letting go and getting into the beauty outside ourselves too. Humans need this linkage, this hookup with the proverbial sexy partner that is nature. It really makes us feel that good.
So get back to nature for all the right health reasons, but do it also because Mother Nature gave us a world that is so beautiful and you deserve to be a part of it and let it be a part of you!