The Body Benefits

In Japan, a stroll or rest in the woods is a revered medicinal practice. Shinrin yoku, or forest bathing, may be prescribed to harmonize imbalances within the body or dissonance in one’s life.
 
Research has shown that connecting with trees renders physiological changes in the body. Through this connection, people also notice a calming shift in their mind activity and their emotional experience.
 
Primarily, presence with trees soothes the nervous system. This ease holistically resonates through our thought habits and perceptions, our emotions, our behaviors, and our physical bodies. Function and flow within the body vitalizes. Internal harmony means the body systems can carry out their processes without having to accommodate excessive interference. The effect is regulated blood pressure, cortisol levels, and likely happiness.
 
Moreover, trees filter particles and cleanse the air, offering us a great source for oxygenating our cells. Long-term cumulative benefit has the potential to re-set the nervous system response. The replenishing experience of relaxing with nature and pausing within natural surroundings can influence how we schedule our day, can awaken enthusiasm for re-igniting the “bathing” sensations, and significantly impact our lifestyle, our outlook, even our non-negotiable priorities.
 
Ponder the overall implications for yourself personally. How might pausing with a tree, perhaps with a sense of wonder or appreciation, influence your body, your relationships, your mood, and your choices?
 
For a global culture that is growing increasingly through the efficient communication and advantages of technology, immersion in nature is a fundamental ingredient for our systemic and psychological balance. Engaging with trees returns us to our roots: a foundation that enables us to grow, reach and pursue, and express. By opening our senses on a regular basis, we “plug-in” and re-charge, energetically and cognitively validating the intercommunication/inter-nourishing aspect of the eco-system. This connection time naturally trains the sensitivity of our awareness, and the suppleness of our internal-regulation, affirming for our whole being, the support of the elements and the system within which we can thrive.

​​​Jen Jorgensen

Sweet and spiced aromas cool my mood the moment I arrive home. Living in a forest is a sense-quenching experience where birds announce daybreak, and the alchemy of dampness and warmth emit a fragrance that quiets the mind.

Trees have been a part of traditional healing worldwide for centuries. In Chinese Medicine, tree qi is a vital resource to replenish our reserves and strengthen particularities in our inner flow. Breathing-in and gazing-upon infuses our meridian channels, our organs, and our cells. Likewise, we can sponge-in tree-qi through intentional “mind’s eye” practices, and draw qi towards us with our hands, various postures, and movements.

Try this: find a healthy tree that you feel an affinity toward. Larger trees have more energy, and different species will have a different quality of energy, so try more than one kind.
-Stand or sit 5-8 feet from the trunk.
-Visually take in the tree- notice the uniqueness of its bark, any turns or twists, the foliage and or roots. Rather than visually focusing on a point, imagine that it is a pleasant being that you are opening to- you may have a positive experience opening to a child, or an animal, or a moment with a friend. These are just suggestions to help replicate the feeling of opening your heart and energy.
-Imagine energy moving down through the crown of your head, the center of your body, your legs, your feet, into the earth. The energy descends through the core of you, through your roots, and into the earth where it will meet with the root-tips of the tree. Imagine energy moving through the roots, up the center of the tree to about eye level. Here it leaves the tree to return to you, repeating the circuit through the top of your head, and down your center again. You can use your hands to “guide” the energy through the circuit. If you are sensitive to energy, you may feel this circulation. If you do not, know that it is happening.
-You can guide the energy to a part of your body, and you can reverse the circuit, going up through your body and down through the tree. Sometimes I simple stand with my palms open at my sides and allow for connection without guiding the energy intentionally. I trust it will flow where needed.
--Close off with a gesture of thanks in some way- I use Namaste or prayer hands at the heart.
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Tree types and uses: willow and cedar: grief, loss, sadness; blossom trees: youthful vibrancy and a caffeine effect (circulating with these trees clears my sinuses and brain fog!); I will update with more shortly.