Mindful Connections

It is believed that time spent under the green canopy is critical in fighting a number of diseases and conditions.  The Japanese have known for years that spending mindful time in the woods is beneficial for body and soul. Now western doctors – and royals – agree Harriet Sherwood @harrietsherwood Sat 8 Jun 2019 13.00 BST Last modified on Sat 8 Jun 2019 20.25 BST Every day, apart from when it’s raining heavily, Dr Qing Li heads to a leafy park near the NipponMedical School in Tokyo where he works.  It’s not just a pleasant place to eat his lunch; he believes the time spent under the trees’ canopy is a critical factor in the fight against diseases, of the mind and body. Once a month Li spends three days in forests near Tokyo, using all five senses to connect with the environment and clear his mind.  This practice of shinrin-yoku – literally, forest bath – has the power to counter illnesses including cancer, strokes, gastric ulcers, depression, anxiety and stress, he says. I...

Touch Wood An expression that most of us know and use. I read this post below this morning from Ian Banyard a fellow nature connector and found it quite thought provoking. 🌳 TOUCH WOOD 🌳 A saying originating from the pagan (country dweller)belief that good spirits reside in trees such as oak, and hence, touching wood helps ward off evil spirits. …  Science is now discovering that reconnecting with nature, particularly trees, can boost our immune system, relax the busy mind, lift the spirit and stimulate deep insight. These days we don’t believe in evil spirits anymore, they’ve been replaced by man-ipulated germs 🦠  I wonder if ‘touching wood’ has contributed to keeping nature lovers like me, fit and healthy all these years.   As many of you know, I remain unconvinced that IT is safe (long-term), unconvinced IT works the way we were sold and unconvinced I need IT, to save my life, prevent long-term illness and improve my health.  I’m talking about the “IT that shal...

  Lost Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here, And you must treat it as a powerful stranger, Must ask permission to know it and be known. The forest breathes. Listen. It answers, I have made this place around you. If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here. No two trees are the same to Raven. No two branches are the same to Wren. If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you, You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows Where you are. You must let it find you. -- David Wagoner 

Balance Balance is what we all strive for.  Sometimes I think this can be missed with the focus always on slowing down, meditating and the parasympathetic nervous system. However in reality we need all elements in our life. I was reminded of this recently, by one of teachers and mentors Lucas Rockwood, when he was discussing the two extremes. We look at the monk on the mountain meditating, he looks in a place of total peace and tranquility. How many of us have looked at this and thought; if only I could get to that place of bliss. However, as Lucas pointed out, we have bills to pay, responsibilities with children, family and work. Even with the best will in the world, we do not have 14 hours a day to practice this art form.  Then we can explore the other extreme. With insurmountable amounts of stressors in our life and this becomes unmanageable and overwhelming. This eventually becomes visible in both our mental and physical health. We also do not want to be in this position. ...

Mother of the Woods The magnificent Beech Tree, Mother of the woods. Beech trees rise up and stand tall often to approx 140 feet high.  They spread their canopies out to nearly as wide to approx 130 feet, offering a cool and dry place on the forest floor.  Her bark is smooth and silky and invites your hands to touch her.  If you stand within a Beech grove; you will feel the magical grace that exudes from her and the ambience texture in the air. Regarded as the Mother of the woods for her protective and nurturing persona; she invites us to open our senses allowing us to perceive the elemental work of nature and is said to inspire and let us creativity flow. HEALING Ancient folklore says that the water found in hollow beech tree “will cure both man and beast of any scurf or scab”. Beech tree has been used for many skin complaints such as eczema and psoriasis and also as an ingredient of the expectorant used for bronchitis. The leaves also have a uses as are cooling and bind...

One of my most using sayings – we were never designed to be so disconnected to mother earth as we are today. When we think about how we were (those of certain age groups) when we were children and how we would spend vast amounts of time in bare feet, running through grass, sand of any other natural earth that happened to be there. Totally unphased and our feet just seemed to adapt. Earthing has many physiological benefits and there are scientific studies that show that disconnection can increase many ailments including inflammations and arthritis.  Global ecology : From littering to deforestation – we have all seen and been inspired by the recent dramatic changes in our early lockdowns or mother earth having a chance to heal. Imagine if we took this further….. Cultural Values : Greater concerns around social, emotional and moral – also translate to apathy, greed and selfishness – the more we become a tech based globe, the more we seem  to lose touch with relationships and our ...