Wellness in the Woods
“Nature is always lovely, invincible, glad whatever is done and suffered by her creatures. All scars are she heals whether in rocks or water or sky or hearts.”
~John Muir
To sit in the woods, quiet and removed from all the noise and bustle of mankind is a healing tonic for mind, body and spirit. The healing power of nature and the beauty the natural world possesses is not fully understood but there is a healing factor here that is fact and indisputable. I have always been a lover of the woods, or the open fields full of wild flowers and tall swaying grasses dancing in the wind. My heart has a deep connection with the outdoors void of the signs of humanity and fill with the singing of the songs of the birds and the laughter of the water as it bubbles across rocks in the streams. As a child growing up in the country, I spent many an hour wondering the fields and woods of our homestead in quiet solitude, it was my escape, my playground, my place to contemplate my role in the greater universe.
Getting out into the woods, so to speak, has many different benefits for not only our physical being but for our mental wellbeing as well. This is why so many communities are becoming more and more invested in incorporating “green space” into community development. We all have that secret place that we would love to go and get away from the daily grind of life. For some it is a hideaway in the mountains or maybe a place by azure waters of some tropical paradise. To live in the deep woods surrounded by the ancient giants that have guarded the lands for a hundred years or the wide open plains under an ocean of stars but always in a moment of quietness away from the troubles of the modern world. I think we all have these fantasies, we all feel the calling to get away, and there is a reason for this call, we are all hardwired to heal in this serenity. Roger Ulrich, director of the Center for Health Systems and Design at Texas A&M University, found that just being in a green space reduced stress levels and blood pressure within three minutes. Being in the woods for as little as twenty minutes provides many physiological benefits to our body including easier breathing due to the oxygen rich environment but studies have shown that the stress hormone cortisol can be reduced by about 13% in those twenty minutes. So, walking in the woods reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and helps our breathing but as new studies are showing, walking in the woods (green spaces) also improves our mental health too. The Japanese call it shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, which describes the feeling of satisfaction and of being peaceful and grounded.
I can personally attest for this feeling of shinrin-yoku. I have recently returned from a brief trip out to the Pacific Northwest where I traveled to the Olympic National Park/Forrest. The feeling of awe in walking amongst the giant timbers with my family in the woods is not one I’ll soon forget. The feeling of peace and serenity while walking in the woods is not easily replicated while walking through the grocery store or the mall…I know that the heat of summer can make things uncomfortable but I highly recommend getting out and getting into the woods for some restorative physical and mental healing. As always thanks for reading, I hope everyone has a great weekend. Take care of yourselves and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com