Forest Bathing

According to a study sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American spends 93% of their time indoors, mostly on electronic devices. Science is now uncovering what your grandmother already knew. A sedentary lifestyle glued to screens in a sea of EMF soup is not good for physical or mental health. Our very own 10-acre jungle park is a rich tropical forest and the perfect place to reconnect with nature on our walking trail, at our meditation spaces, and down by the river at the fishing hole.

We all know that spending time in nature eases stress and worry, helps us to relax and think more clearly. A natural setting like a beach or forest restores happy hormones and replenishes energy. An hour in a forest can bring balance back into your life — no matter what type of forest … a northern coniferous or a tropical jungle forest. We call this wandering and meditating in the woods “Forest Bathing” from the Japanese term “Shinrin-yoku,” a practice developed there in the 80s. Most people instinctively know the healing properties of trees, but now modern science can corroborate what indigenous people have always understood, and it boils down to what scientists call PHYTONCIDES. Phytoncides are antimicrobial volatile organic compounds emanating from plants. It’s what makes a forest smell clean, fresh and green. Phytoncides deter potential threats and invaders, so it turns out, what’s good for the forest is good for us too.

Japanese science reveals that breathing phytoncides can:

• Neutralize free radicals
• Revitalize cell metabolism
• Enhance immune function
• Purify the blood
• Balance the autonomic nervous system
• Promote deep sleep and healthy digestion

All you have to do is take a walk in the woods. Listen to the birds and the rustling of leaves. Admire the many shades of green and plant varieties. Honor the sunlight filtering through the branches. Smell the forest and breathe in the natural aromatherapy. It’s about being aware and in touch with your surroundings. Touch a tree, take your shoes off and walk barefoot, dip your toes in the river. The forest is alive.

Forest bathing targets the villain known as STRESS which can lead to headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, and arthritis and many other ailments. NEGATIVE IONS (charged particles) are also very high in forests, at the beach, and after a Florida rain storm. Negative ions are the good guys. They clear the air of airborne allergens like pollen, mold spores, bacteria and viruses. By inhaling air rich in negative ions, we disinfect the lungs and absorb beneficial properties that provide a barrier against pathogenic microbes.

Our very own 10-acre jungle park is a rich tropical forest and the perfect place to reconnect with nature on our walking trail, at our meditation spaces, and down by the river at the fishing hole.