The Woods and Wellness

Do you have a special spot where you feel more connected to yourself and the world around you, present in a timeless sort of way? For me, it is in the forest.

There are woods near both my house and the family summer cottage. I go there to commune with nature and recharge my inner resources. Whether it is walking with my dog and taking it in step by step or standing still to listen to the wind move through the branches and leaves, the forest has a profound and beneficial effect on how I experience life. Even a short stroll helps me to relax, listen deeply to my inner wisdom and rejoin the day with a different perspective.

In The Healing Power of Forests (ScienceDaily, July 26, 2010), we learn that forests, as well as other green spaces, can improve our immune system, reduce stress, mitigate anger and aggressiveness and increase our level of happiness.

When you consider the considerable personal and societal costs of illness, getting out in nature on a regular basis seems a deceptively simple alternative.