Appalachian Trail
While watching CBS Morning news, I saw a segment on what is called "Forest Therapy" . It described people who take guided walking tours into the woods, to sit in the silence and alleviate stress. This form of therapy is based on a Japanese study that revealed how important it is for people to stay in touch with nature. In Japan it is called "forest bathing". The study stated that chemicals released by trees, foliage, etc. actually releases stress in our bodies. Amazing.
The past couple of days we have been able to have the doors and windows open, and as I enjoyed the solitude, I could not help but hear our resident wren serenade us from her wren house Joel has hanging from the tree in our backyard. As I listened to her song, I also noticed the wind blowing through our Maple. It made me smile. Wind, trees, and wrens. A nice way to de-stress from any distress.
When Joel rides bike he loves to ride where he can take in the smells, sounds, and sights of nature. The greens are so vivid during spring and summer in Iowa, and earthy smells come from the planted fields. Nature has always been a place where God speaks to him.
It does not surprise me that a scientific study is telling us that nature itself releases chemicals to help people relax and be still. As Creator God formed all this beauty, He had a plan and purpose for everything. Isn't it just like our loving God to use nature to help His people. I love it.
I miss being out in nature. I am not brave enough to walk where ticks trod...........and I have to avoid the sun right now due to the vit. D drama and other things. But where there is a will there is a way. You know that porch we build 10 years ago? It is a wonderful place to spend a late evening...........taking in nature from a comfy chair. And night time walks are actually kind of romantic. (wink).
One of our daughters and her family live miles from town. I love to sit on their porch where in the silence nature has it's own voice and peace reigns in the midst of it. It is almost tangible, the quiet. Sometimes I wake early and sneak downstairs to the porch, where I can feel my muscles relax and anxiety drain away. Besides forest therapy there is a country therapy too. Nothing like it.
A relaxing country view
Joel and I like to live in houses near the edge of town. We are blessed to have our present home near a river and corn and hay fields. The place where we live deer walk through on a daily basis. Raccoons sometimes can be seen and coyotes heard. Rabbits and squirrels scurry around and ducks, wrens, robins, cardinals, and hummers grace our presence with an occasional goldfinch thrown into the mix. Country without gravel roads. Our kind of living.
Thinking back on the forest therapy segment we saw yesterday, I find it fascinating and a bit of a wake up call for we humans. It is important to take care of the earth God has created for us, We have been entrusted with the responsibility to care for it and it seems when we spend time with nature, we care for our bodies too. My thought is that we have this gift of nature to embrace for our own well being while doing what we can to preserve it for our grandchildren.......our great grands and beyond so they, too, can enjoy a little "forest therapy".
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