“And into the forest I go,
to lose my mind and find my soul.”
We went in to the forest –
happy, calm, and playful. We walked and grew hot and tired. We rested under the
gentle shade of a large tree; the sunlight filtering through the leaves to
shine on our faces when the breeze blew strong. The mosquitoes had a feast!
Resting, we felt the
stillness of nature. Mother Earth speaking to us through woodnotes – the singing
birds (and the presence of a very rare bird, the magnificent pink pigeon, who granted us its brief and beautiful company), the rustling canopy, the trickling stream, the humming rocks, the
buzzing insects, the music of the roots beneath us. There is nothing more
grounding than to be out in the woods. There is an indescribable feeling of
being nurtured when you spend time with nature in the forest.
The
practice of forest bathing, popular in Japan, is a large part of preventative
healing in Japanese medicine for a reason. Nature holds many cures and
treatments for many illnesses; for example, walking barefoot in the soil is a
form of Earthing – absorbing the earth’s free flowing electrons through the
soles of the feet, which is beneficial physically and psychologically. Just
spending some peaceful time out in the woods, breathing in the rich air, forgetting
about daily routines, just sitting and observing the trees, the plants, the
flowers, the birds, and bugs, and beasts... it has a very calming effect on the
mind, it reduces stress hormones, the world slows down just a little and nature
inspires us to feel a sense of wonder for the landscape that surrounds us.
There is something about
being still, blissfully still, in the woods that gives me a clearer vision of
the magic of the Universe. I feel my energies are replenished; I feel deeply,
powerfully, connected to the Great Spirit and my soul is in better rhythm with
the beating heart of the cosmos. And, to experience such things with loved
ones, a sacred love, that is an added blessing for which I am ever grateful.
I urge you my friends,
take a little wander into the woods; don’t underestimate nature’s healing
powers. Sit in the deep still silence and feel our Great Mother’s beating
heart; listen to, and learn from, the magical whispers of ancient trees; connect
with the vibrations of Shakti seeping through the soil and flowing into us -
filling us with unique sensations of healing, empowerment, and energetic
rejuvenation.
Here is an affirmation that
I like to say aloud and upon which I meditate when I am out forest bathing J
I always look forward to your posts. So beautifully written, I can almost hear your voice, speaking each word. The forest is indeed fascinating, and I have always felt a strong pull towards it since I was small. Connecting to Gaia, listening to the sounds, breathing in the air, just being at peace. And of course, being in the forest with a (the) loved one is another experience altogether, physically, spiritually, emotionally. I am grateful and honoured to have had that luck, the energy of the forest channeled through the oneness of the soul, through two extensions in space is quite eye-opening. Even the term 'magic' is not enough to even begin to qualify this type of experience. And I look forward to more of this :). Thank you for your beautiful post, it brought up deep memories
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for reading PR; and for always taking the time to write a comment and contribute to the blog! I am happy that you have also been able to experience the joys and wonders of being out in the woods surrounded by the magic of nature - and with a very special loved one it seems :) I also appreciate your words of encouragement as I know this is just a tiny little itsy bitsy blog and it's always nice to read that my posts are being enjoyed (and actually read! lol)
ReplyDeleteI don't usually do this but your posts are very appealing to me. I would just like to add something, a little nuance perhaps, but fundamental nonetheless. The "very special loved one" made all the difference. I have been in the woods before, and while this was a beautiful experience, it does not even compare to the recent ones. The magic of nature is dramatically amplified and I feel able to harness this energy not through me but through us (she and I) as a complete whole, a whole which nonlinearly merged via the coming together of two physical envelopes holding the respective parts of one soul. Quite complex and abstract but I am sure you get it, as do readers who have had the privilege to experience something like this.
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