A Walk In The Woods

Hi Friends...

I recently returned from a 12-day intensive in Massachusetts at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health where I am studying to be a Yoga Therapist. A Happy Dance ensued when I got my certificate confirming that I am now an Advanced Teacher of Therapeutic Yoga, and officially halfway-finished with my training!

I took the above photo on one of my daily walks between classes. Since Kripalu is surrounded by more than 100 majestic acres of woodlands, valleys, lakes and hills, it is not difficult to be seduced by the green arms of nature. So, when the subject of Forest Bathing came up in one of our lectures, we were more than happy to accept the homework of conscious-being in the woods. This experience is not about getting from one place to another or taking selfies next to some natural phenomenon. It is about letting your cells be vulnerable to the sweet, tender power of nature.

This is the healing way of Shinrin-yoku Forest Therapy, the medicine of simply being in the forest. This term means "taking in the forest atmosphere" or "forest bathing." It was developed in Japan during the 1980s, and has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine.

The scientifically-proven benefits of Shinrin-yoku include:

Boosted immune system functioning, with an increase in the count of the body's Natural Killer (NK) cells

Reduced blood pressure

Reduced stress

Improved mood

Increased ability to focus

Accelerated recovery from surgery or illness

Increased energy level

Improved sleep

For more information, please go to: www.shinrin-yoku.org/shinrin-yoku.html

So, where does that leave us desert dwellers? I have been thinking about this since returning to the Land of Enchantment. Unless we make a date with the Ski Basin or some other lofty venue, we are partnered with the more hardscrabble, drought-tolerant wonders like junipers, chamisa, pinons and cholla! Not much of a forest, but certainly a beautiful landscape. As I sit here writing this newsletter on my portal, I am underneath the great New Mexican sky, listening to the birds arguing with each other while dancing in the air. I am watching the subtle movements of the sturdy and squat evergreens. I am listening to the wind rustling the tall desert grasses. I am inspired. I am cactus bathing! I am in my own version of a forest, allowing my senses to be aware of all the natural wonderment around me. May you find your forest and let the magic begin.