“Thinking outside the box requires physically getting outside the box.”
–Jeff Alt, hiking expert and author
Who doesn’t want to live better? Since the column on sauntering a few folks have shared ways they enjoy nature and its restorative benefits.
A couple I know said they drove two hours from their home in Tennessee to see Foster Falls. The trek to the falls took 15 minutes. In the picture they sent there were no other souls there. The falls were beautiful and the water crystal clear. The couple stepped into the pool, refreshed by its coolness and beauty. Both he and she have stressful, cerebral jobs, thus they make getting into nature a big priority. The weekend before, it was frisbee in the park.
Barbara sent an email, “I remember when I was teaching at New Hope and the days were often stressful, so I would choose to drive home on a back road through a wooded area. I would roll down all the windows, even in cold weather, and I would slow down and just breathe deeply in the woods. I would say aloud, ‘Out with school and stress and in with home and family and love.’ It seemed to help.”
Sometimes you don’t even have to get out of the car, just out of the box.
Another friend sent an article on forest bathing by Allison Aubrey for NPR, “Forest Bathing: A Retreat to Nature Can Boost Immunity and Mood.”
Like Allison, I thought forest bathing would involve a swimsuit, but we would both be wrong. Forest bathing is an opportunity to “slow down and become immersed in a natural environment, smells, textures, taste and sights in the forest.”
Forest bathing is “meandering with no direction in mind.” It’s like hiking but with no intensive purpose or destination other than to enjoy your surroundings and to notice them … really notice them.
The article features Melanie Choukas-Bradley, a certified forest therapy guide. You can actually be certified to help other forest walkers learn to bathe in their surroundings.
You would think the most natural thing in the world would be to walk and notice your surroundings, even a child will do that without instruction. But sadly, much like one’s imagination, if you don’t use this God-given ability, one day you will realize it is no longer available to you. (” … green pastures … still waters … He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3)
The good news is with a little effort and maybe some assistance, you can reclaim your natural-born gift.
Sam mentioned that in his younger, motorcycle-riding days, he would notice the smells on the road. Maybe flowers, honeysuckle, food cooking, even dead things. “You don’t do that inside a car,” he said, “with the A/C on and the windows rolled up.”
Author Jeff Alt lists benefits of hiking/walking: increase cardiovascular health, muscle strengthening, weight loss, boosting immune system, sleeping better, increased energy, and positive thoughts by increasing brain chemicals.
“Hiking as a group is a great way to break away from technology and focus on what’s really important — being with the ones you love.”
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