Add & Subtract - Bushwalking

ADD SHINRIN-YOKU

In Japan, doctors will prescribe Shinrin-yoku (Forest Bathing) for mental and physical wellbeing. It is regarded as one of the best antidotes for the ailments of modern city living.

Spending time in the bush: listening to the birds, the leaves, the water; seeing the colours and sunlight filtering through the trees; touching the moss, the bark, the stone… immersing ourselves in nature helps us to quickly and powerfully reconnect to our natural self.

Research has shown ‘green time’ improves sleep quality, mood, stress levels and the ability to focus.

Bushwalking does not have to be strenuous hiking, trail running or mountaineering; gentle meandering, mindful exploring, simply sitting in the stillness, all bring the same benefits.

Dr. Qing Li on Shinrin-yoku:

“Indoors, we tend to use only two senses, our eyes and our ears. Outside is where we can smell the flowers, taste the fresh air, look at the changing colours of the trees, hear the birds singing and feel the breeze on our skin. And when we open up our senses, we begin to connect to the natural world.

The term was invented in 1982 by the then Director General of the Agency of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, Tomohide Akiyama, who stated that the people of Japan were in need of healing through nature. The idea was also part of a campaign to protect the forests. If people were encouraged to visit forests for their health, they would be more likely to want to protect and look after them”

Source: The Art and Science of Forest Bathing

SUBTRACT DEVICES

We have become so de-natured in our modern urban lives. The cost of excessive sitting and screens is immeasurable: physical disease, anxiety, depression, meaninglessness...

Our human form comes from the earth, and therefore is designed to function properly when connected to nature. Putting our devices away and getting grounded again can bring significant shifts to our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, after even a few hours.

Beach, bush, mountain or river: gift yourself some nature as often as you can.

More from Dr. Qing Li:

“Let’s think of the earth like a giant battery. It has a natural low-level electrical charge. Whenever we do anything with electrics, like wiring up a plug or fixing a light fitting, we always have to make sure that it is safe by connecting it to the earth. We talk about electrics being ‘earthed’ or ‘grounded’.

This is what our bodies are like, too, when we bring them into contact with the electrical charge of the earth. As we evolved, we were in constant contact with the electrical energy of the earth. When we are electrically grounded, we are in harmony with nature”