Nature Therapy

Let’s talk about Nature Therapy and ways nature impact human health and the cells in our body, whether it’s specific practices like forest bathing or grounding or just as simple as spending time in nature like walking trails, hiking, by the lake or ocean, in a park, in the forest, camping outdoors or as simple as gardening or playing outside in the garden.

Biophilia Hypothesis:

The concept that the humans have biological need to connect with nature is, called biophilia, from the Greek, meaning ‘love of life and the living world. The concept made popular by the American biologist E.O. Wilson in 1984. He believed that, because we evolved in nature, we have a biological need to connect with it. We love nature because we learned to love the things that helped us survive. We feel comfortable in nature because that is where we have lived most of our life on earth. We are genetically determined to love the natural world. It is in our DNA. This affinity for our natural world is fundamental to our health and contact with nature is as vital to our well-being as regular exercise and healthy diet. We are ‘hard wired’ to affiliate with the natural world. And just as our health improves when we are in it, so our health suffers when we are divorced from it.

Why disconnect from the earth?

Why disconnect from the earth? In 1960 we developed synthetic material and invented rubber soles/ synthetic soles for shoes. Today 95% of people walk insulated on earth. In the early sixties we got involved in the cable industry. Before we run a cable wire into our house, we need to ground it first to prevent lightning going into our house. Our nervous system and the bio electrical represented by the cable wire if we are not grounded inflammation increases. Our body is like the shell of a battery and inside is the electrical circuit. Your next question would be how is this really connected?

Smells in Nature:

The smells in nature are remarkably interesting and therapeutic. Natural aromatherapy does wonders for our wellbeing. There is a vast variety of smells in the forest, such as woody smell, lemony aroma, sharp and refreshing smell, leafy smell, and even salty smell.

• Phytoncides:

What exactly is Phytoncide? The plant chemical is known as Phytoncides. This gives a huge boost to the immune system since it activates the olfactory system of the brain connected to the nose and the brain. When the aroma molecules reach the brain, it influences the limbic system which linked to emotions, blood pressure, stress level, hormonal balance, all linked to our immune system. Phytoncides are the natural oils within a plant and are part pf a tree’s defense system. Trees release Phytoncides to protect them from bacteria, insects, and fungi. Phyton is Greek for ‘plant’ and cide is ‘to kill.’ Phytoncides are also communication pathways between trees. The warmer the air, the higher the Phytoncides. The highest temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius.

• Petrichor

There are other smells in the air in the forest, for example the smell of the soil and the rain. There is a harmless common bacterium in the soil called M.Vaccae and the smell this bacterium gives off, scientist called it Geosmin. When it rains, the water releases the oil stored in the rock, and the fragrance fills the air. This smell called Petrichor, from the Greek word, Petra meaning ‘stone’ and ichor meaning ‘essence the flows’ So the smell of life.

• Negative Ions:

The forest always makes us feel good, we have a dreadful day, and we go spend an hour or more in the forest, we come out feeling happy, joyful, relaxed, does this leave you wondering why? The forest air has something that we cannot smell and that is negative ions. Ions are charged particles in the air, they can be positively charged or negatively charged, these negative ions are good for us and give us a refreshing effect and increase mental clarity. There are more negative ions outdoors than indoors. The forests and near waterfalls, rivers, and streams, there is an abundance of these negative ions. The waterfall can contain as many as 100,000 per cubic centimeter. Now you know why they say that water is very cleansing. The abundance of negative ions by the water boots your energy levels, it maximizes your intake of negative ions.

In other words, trees can make you feel richer and younger!!

FOREST BATHING

Forest bathing Shinrin-yoku developed in Japan, their culture, philosophy, and religion are carved out of the forest that blanket the country. Shinrin in Japanese means ‘forest’ and yoku means ‘bath.’ So Shinrin-yoku means bathing in the forest atmosphere or taking in the forest through our senses. It is connecting through our sense of touch, smell, hearing, taste, and sight. Two thirds of the country are covered in forest, and it is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, but it is also one of the greenest, with a huge diversity of trees. If you fly over Japan, you will be amazed to see how green it is: 3,000 miles of forest. In Japan, a national health program for forest -bathing began to be introduced in 1982. The forest chosen for these early, experimental days of Shinrin-yoku was the Akasawa forest. This forest now is known as Akasawa National Recreation Forest, or Akasawa -Shizen-kyuyo-rin. Kyu means ‘rest’ or ‘break,’ so, in translation, it means ‘rest forest.’ Many experiments and research had to be done before we had scientific evidence to prove what is instinctively felt to be true.

THE ART OF GROUNDING

Grounding, also known as earthing, is putting your bare feet on the ground. Our mother earth is covered with electrons and so when we put our barefoot on the ground, these electrons are absorbed9999 into our body through our feet. To ground the earth is to support the specific functions of the organs of our body, the organ systems down to the tissues and cellular functions of the entire body. If you are unable to go to a forest, you can ground anywhere, in the park, in your back yard, preferably on sand, earth or grass. Take off your shoes, and socks and stand on earth, grass, or sand. You need two points of contact to form a circuit. It is best to stand with both feet on the ground. If you are lying down, then make a circuit with one foot flat on the ground and one elbow. For best results ground for 20 min every day and pay attention to the soles of your feet, see what you can feel. Visualize roots spreading out from the bottom of your feet into the earth beneath you. Let all your tension sink into your feet and into the ground.

FOREST BATHING TEA CEREMONY

Forest Bathing Tea Ceremony: Shinrin-yoku always end with a tea ceremony just like a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, brewed from the twigs, leaves, flowers or bark of the trees and plants in the forest. This is a lovely ritual, a way of incorporating the forest, bringing us into harmony with the natural world. Please do not eat anything in the forest without proper knowledge or identification from an expert, not everything is edible and some things can be poisonous, and many have medicinal property.

Evergreen-tree tea.

You might want to consider spruce, firs, and pines for tea. These are all reliable sources of vitamin A and C. They give off a strong lemon scent and pine needles can have as much as five times the amount of vitamin C as a lemon and eight times as much as an orange making pine needles a very helpful tea to drink in winter to fight off colds, and because they are evergreen, you will be able to forage them all year round, even in winter. The flavors of needle vary, from fruity and resinous to lemony sharp, smoky, and herbal. Young needles have a gentler flavor than older ones, which can be bitter.