One of my favourite forests is part of the Royal Botannical Gardens. It's called Cherry Hill Gate. It's magical. The minute you walk through the entrance gate you feel it. It's like stepping in to another world. A world free of pollution, noise, traffic, and all the many things that make us crazy. The path slopes down a winding hill right away. There is a railing along the edge so people don't accidentally fall down into the valley. You are compelled to remain silent or speak softly once you enter this space. Even young children are quiet in there. They know. They can feel the spiritual pull.
At the bottom of the winding hill there is a beautiful, huge, tree root. And that tree root is full of life. Just stand there for 10 minutes, silently. Take in the smells, the sights, and the sounds around you. Look up. Breathe deeply. And in a short while you will hear nature accepting you in their forest and inviting you to enjoy their home. If you bring bird seed or peanuts, the birds and squirrels will eat right out of your hand. They will land on you. Some will linger and eat, some will just grab a seed and fly off. Chickadees especially like to grab and go. They take one seed and fly to a nearby branch and eat that one seed, and then come back for more. There are sparrows, nuthatches, woodpeckers of the hairy and downy variety, warblers, blue jays, cardinals, cedar wax wings, robins....so many birds. The forest is alive with all the busyness of animals living in a place where they feel safe and respected. The squirrels and chipmunks will eat right out of your hand as well. There are more chipmunks there than I have ever seen in one place!
Further along there is a board walk with a pond on each side. We have seen turtles, swans, geese, ducks and even a muskrat once. The trail goes much further, but I usually only go as far as that boardwalk. It's a long walk back up that winding hill!
So, if you are feeling stressed out and anxious, don't reach for a cigarette or a drink, or a Xanax. Go find a forest and sit there for as long as it takes for you to feel rejuvenated. You will. I promise.
http://www.hphpcentral.com/article/forest-bathing
1 comment:
That's an interesting idea, hmm!
I don't tend to think of "Gumption" as the same thing as rejuvenating energy, though. Actually, come to think of it, more than anything I associate it with stubborn drive, which isn't quite the same thing as the dictionary says.
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