The physio from
Shinrin-Yoku, Japanese Forest Bathing. It was an idea to help me manage my shoulder
pain, when it was quite acute. The idea is that being in a forest, is like meditation.
It quietens down the stress associated with pain. Here are the basics.
Forest bathing basics
- Find a suitable place that's easy and
pleasant to walk on, has places to sit, and ideally with access to natural
waterways and different aspects. It also helps if it's close to home.
- On arrival, notice
the place you are in, notice your body, and tune in to your senses.
- Walk slowly with steady
step-by-step pace, while silently noticing what is in motion in the
forest. If you start to feel distracted or rushed, come to a complete
halt.
- Make friends with the
forest. Notice
the trees, stones, plants and flowers. Listen to the forest. Let the
natural world make an impression on your mind.
- Sit down. Find a comfortable
place to sit, staying still for up to 20 minutes, cultivating awareness.
- Give back. Quietly acknowledge
everything the forest gives you.
Source: The Nature and Forest Therapy Association
Don't you just love it?
Always works for me. A friend studying country used to sit for 4 hours in the same spot on top of a particular hill once a week, and really absorb the land and all in it. My attention span not quite that evolved, but being still in nature always fills me..Thanks for this, Ann.
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